BBM Podcast 6 (Episode 1)

AGRIPINO JOHN PATRICK GA-AN (4TH YEAR JURIS DOCTOR OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW OF WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY): Good afternoon po, Mr. President.

So first we’d like to introduce ourselves first. So, I’m Agripino John Patrick M. Ga-an po, AJ, you can call me AJ, and I’m from West Visayas State University College of Law and, of course, the student of the first lady.

JANNINE LAGBAWAN (POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, NEWS EDITOR, THE COMMUNICATOR): Ako naman po si Jannine Lagbawan from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, taking up journalism po and second year college pa lang po ako.

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: Okay. All right.

KATHLEEN ANNE MILLONTE(UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST, EDITOR IN CHIEF, THE DAWN): And I’m Kathleen Millonte naman po from University of the East-Manila. Fourth year Psychology student po, sir.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, she’s going to ano… She’s going to analyze. Please, will somebody explain me to me? Parang ganoon.

MR. GA-AN: But before anything else po, we’d like to ask your impression because we have seen in your previous Podcast it was seasoned broadcast journalist and us ordinary citizens of the country and students are here in front of you. How would – how are you feeling right now po, Mr. President?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Great. I much prefer talking to young people actually because I always – of course, there are people in your life na talagang kailangan pinapakinggan mo.

But you know with the way things are moving, talking to young people is always – there’s always something new. There is always something new but they are the people who tell us what’s going on. You know, this is what’s happening. You know, take away – matagal ng nag-paradigm shift ito. You have to think in another way. So, I like it. I enjoy it.

MS. LAGBAWAN: Since we are all Gen Z po, ano po ba ‘yung klase ng buhay – if you are part of our generation or Gen Z’s, how do you think or how do you see yourself po as a Gen Z? More on po ba nag-aaral, or party-party? Ano po ba ‘yung kind of life you would like to have as Gen Z?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I was already a geek before the word geek was invented. I was one of those people who just – I don’t know they just pick up, pick up all this information, pick up all of…

I would be so happy because the level of information that’s available to everyone now – now not necessarily a good thing, but the level of – the amount, the volume of information that’s available now, my God, it’s so – it’s so interesting.

You can look up anything. I wish I had ChatGPT when I was having to write essays and It’s 2:00 in the morning and hindi mo pa natatapos ‘yung essay mo.

MS.MILLONTE: Sir, you’ve mentioned po about the use of ChatGPT po in our generation, sa Gen Z po. So, one thing that concerns me po about the ChatGPT or AI in general po is that it’s undeniably a threat to us po, especially students, employees, sa workforce po ng Pilipinas. So, I’m wondering po na magkakaroon – kung magkakaroon po tayo ng regulation about AI po na puwede po nating implement nationwide?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I know. We are all discussing… Pinag-uusapan namin ‘yan dahil sinasabi kahit ano’ng gawin natin nandiyan parating – hindi na mali – hindi parating ang ChatG – ang AI, nandiyan na. Dadami lang nang dadami ‘yan. Lalaki at lalaki.

I was doing a – making a list of subjects around AI that I wanted to discuss during the ASEAN. So, sinimulan ko. Simple lang, AI and education, AI and infrastructure, AI and renewables. Walang katapusan ‘yung listahan. It does not end.

The longer you want – the more time you spend on it, the longer that list will become because it’s going to touch everything. And it’s important for us to understand it.

That’s why it’s not so easy… May kasabihan ‘yan eh. Legislation is always years behind technology. And the reason is generally legislators do not immediately understand technology. Mayroon diyan medyo techie na nakakaintindi pero karamihan hindi.

So, what will you legislate? What’s the best way for the Philippines to take full advantage to maximize the use of AI?

The other side of the equation is what are the things na kailangan bantayan natin? Ayan na ‘yung mga fake news, ‘yung mga misinformation, ‘yung mga disinformation, et cetera, et cetera.

I wanted to ask you guys, there’s one thing I don’t understand about cyber – the life on – the digital life is the bullying.

MR. GA-AN: Yes.

MS. MILLONTE: Exactly, sir.

MR. GA-AN: Because I think po, with the – our generation and the succeeding generations after us, most of the air time or the screen time, we are spending a lot of time on gadgets and social media. And when you be – when you are going to experience such bullying, you are being put into public scrutiny, wherein some of the people would get the ride on that specific issue or like would – would – the comment… It’s not only one person but the comment also of ‘yung mga ibang tao din na nakiki-ride…

PRESIDENT MARCOS: ‘Yung nagko-comment?

MR. GA-AN: Without even knowing the context.

MS. LAGBAWAN: In the previous years or ‘yung mga tao na physically ‘yung bullying po na nangyayari. When it comes to the bullying po on this generation, nagi-stay po talaga siya even if years passed by, you can always go back or lagi pong uungkatin ng tao ‘yan. Hindi po siya talaga mawawala sa sistema nila, lalo pa po’t kapag kilala ka pong tao.

MR. GA-AN: Siguro po it’s the rise din of the cancel culture in our generation, wherein one single –

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Isa pa ‘yun.

MR. GA-AN: Iyong cancel culture po one single mistake and all the things na nagawa mong maganda would be ano na matatabunan na po siya ng isang problema na nagawa mo which would greatly affect one’s mental health.

Actually, ako din po ay – I mean, as someone din po who has experienced such difficulties.

Mental health po kasi, especially in our generation, is still a taboo. We don’t treat it na parang how important it is. Feeling ko po kulang lang po talaga na we let the children understand that there is life outside the social media world –

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes.

MR. GA-AN: That you should – you should get to experience life po talaga.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: That’s the only – that’s the only conclusion I can arrive at na ‘yun ang buong buhay ng kung sinoman ‘yun ano.

Basta’t ‘yung buong buhay niya is online. So, what goes online, that’s the only important –

MR. GA-AN: Yes.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: That’s only things – not – not what goes on in real life.

MS. MILLONTE: I think po para po ma – ma-prevent po natin siya in some way would be, of course, to educate online – proper online etiquette po talaga, netiquette, if what we – what we call it po.

Yeah, ‘yun po kasi it’s – ‘yung social media is a very huge part of our daily lives na po talaga eh.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: We are – in the Philippines, we are one of the greatest users of the Internet.

Maybe it’s just my own experience. But some of the people that bullied me in school became some of my best friends. They really did.

MS. MILLONTE: Pareho tayo, sir.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh ‘di ba? Naging kaibigan mo eh. Okay naman talaga eh. ‘Yun lang, siguro nakita ka, gusto ka lang, bwisitin ‘di ba? ‘Di ba?

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