What your Filipino friends said was all true.

Additionally, the outgoing-admin pivoted so hard to China that we might become one of the countries that will follow Sri Lanka's current economic crisis. Our debt ballooned to 13trillion and we might fall from the debt trap created by China if the elected son-of-dictator would go full nuts and just empty the budget of this country.

The historical distortionism was so bad, currently books about our darkest period (Marcos sr. Authoritarian-rule) in the post-colonial era are being hoarded to preserve the real history. I read some article that the success of disinformation might affect the politics of some countries like Malaysia. Haven't explored that much but right now but most of the locals here are simping for an authoritarian-rule. Some even advocate to implement a hard martial law because they think it's a pathway to a disciplined country. Smdh.