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I would often ask Mark how he would assess his transition from Congress to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). He was already elected to a third term in Congress when President Duterte appointed him to the Cabinet post in 2016. Our family often found the time to get together, usually on a Sunday, to catch up and chat, no matter how busy things got.

The increasing vaccination rate and falling daily Covid-19 cases in the Philippines are clearly the best argument for a substantial reopening of the economy. The world will not totally eradicate the virus but our recent experience in the Philippines, especially with regard to the government’s decision to impose selective instead of widespread lockdowns, has shown that we can live with the virus while reopening the economy at the same time.

When my son, Mark, accepted the offer of then newly-elected President Rodrigo Duterte to be part of his Cabinet, some people expressed doubts. Social media abounded with malicious and baseless accusations. When Mark resigned as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) last week in order to file his certificate of candidacy for senator, he quashed all those doubts and left DPWH and the nation with an astounding set of accomplishments that will benefit future generations of Filipinos.