Observers say the public backlash was directed at Marcos’ ‘perceived insensitivity’ in light of the floods and related corruption scandal
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenRaissa RoblesPublished: 11:00pm, 31 Aug 2026Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s birthday serenade for his wife might have been a private gesture, but as floodwaters overwhelmed much of Luzon – the country’s largest and most populous island and home to the capital Manila – a viral clip of him singing became a public-relations crisis.Observers told This Week in Asia that Marcos’ celebration of his wife, Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, on her 67th birthday struck the wrong chord with a public already angered by deadly floods, the government’s handling of disaster relief and long-running allegations of corruption in flood-control projects.
By August 26, when Marcos quietly staged his wife’s party with a live band attended by family, close friends and political allies, Manila was almost at a standstill after days of heavy rain.
Online responses sarcastically thanked the president and government for the scandal-hit flood-control projects under his watch.
Two days later, a video of Marcos crooning “You” and “I Love Her” to his wife, taken by one of the party guests, Vigan City Mayor Bonito Singson, surfaced on social media.
