THE BET MACAU CANNOT DELAY: CONTINUITY IN THE NEW GENERATION
Commentary by Manuel Silvério
Former President of the General Assembly of the Macau Civil Servants’ Association (ATFPM)
Macau does not stand out by accident. It stands out because, for decades, it has been able to educate local people with a rare competence: living and working naturally across several languages and cultural codes - at school, at work, in culture, in civic associations, in the economy, in sport and in public life. That difference is a strategic asset. And if Macau is to remain Macau, the mission is simple to state and demanding to deliver: to ensure continuity and to invest in this generation with real responsibilities, not merely occasional praise.
In a speech addressed to the Macanese community on February 10, 2026, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai offered a guiding idea: “We believe that the Macanese community has broad opportunities to contribute significantly and achieve remarkable accomplishments”. It is precisely through such contributions – by method, continuity and results – that Macau gains and preserves its distinctiveness
Today there is a group of well-educated, independent young Macanese (and Macau residents of Macanese background), with experience and genuine affection for the city – a “cleaner” generation – less bound by the internal disputes of the past and more focused on what matters: building, serving and making things happen. A generation connected to the Lusophone world in a practical, contemporary way: language as a tool for the future, not as a ritual of nostalgia.
Some names are already evident and deserve to be called for what they represent. In alphabetical order: Anabela Barros Silvério, Ângela Ramos, André Ritchie, António Monteiro, Bernardo Alves, Duarte Alves, Duarte da Silva Rosário, Elisabela Larrea, Fernando Lourenço, Gisela Nunes, Giulio Acconci, Isabel Salvado Silva, Jerusa Antunes, Jorge Neto Valente, José Basto da Silva, Mariana César de Sá, Mina Pang, Paula Carion, Sérgio Peres, Wong Ka In.
I stress that this is not a closed list; it contains specific people I know and for whom I take responsibility in naming, while acknowledging that others have the same profile and merit.
Some of these names already serve on consultative and technical bodies – and that is a good sign. But the decisive point is different: continuity. Macau does not need only “guests” for panels, nor names to fill committees. It needs coherent pathways, missions with timelines, projects with budgets, measurable targets and constant renewal. In short: a serious commitment, with real consequences. Let me say this plainly: the mission of the Macau SAR is to put this generation in positions where they decide and execute – not merely “represent”. And, even more directly: It is not enough to seat them at the table; they must be given the tools – responsibility, continuity, resources, and demanding standards.
That principle becomes even more relevant when we look at regional integration. In the same speech, the Chief Executive explicitly called for a proactive attitude: “We encourage and support our Macanese friends to travel proactively … to … the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.” This is precisely where bilingual and trilingual profiles - with a culture of mediation, professional discipline and a link to the Lusophone world – can make a difference: connecting people, institutions, projects, investment, education and culture, with credibility and results.
And here is a difference that must be stated clearly, without drama. In the MSAR there are various neighbourhood and social organisations and trade unions which, through internal discipline, networks, training and strategy, promote, prepare and propel their members into senior positions. That is part of how they operate and, in itself, is an organisational reality that produces results. It is precisely here that our community, being less organised, falls short: We have capable people and talent, and many are bilingual or trilingual, with the world in their experience and Macau in their hearts. Yet we often lack a stable civic mechanism to promote them, support them and ensure continuity. The result is clear: merit exists, but the ladder is short; competence is there, but the path to the top is uneven; there is substance, but structure is missing.
There is also a structural aspect: models of participation and consultation were designed to ensure stability, predictability and administrative continuity. When there are no formal, regular mechanisms for renewal, with clear criteria and transparent pathways, the incorporation of new talent tends to be slower and dependent on occasional openings. That is why when I speak of “making use of this generation” it is not rhetoric: it is a work programme for the city and its institutions. It involves creating transparent and predictable routes for merit-based progression; ensuring that consultative and technical bodies are not merely places to be present but places of real impact; supporting projects that strengthen bilingualism and trilingualism as living practice in education, culture and the economy; and ensuring that talented people are not held hostage by cultures of closure that sometimes resist renewal - so that new talent can enter through a normalised pathway, rather than only when barriers happen to give way.
Macau wins when this generation stops being a “promise” and becomes an engine. Less ceremony, more execution. Less photography, more work. Less folklore, more future. Continuity is not a pretty word; it is public policy, method, courage and commitment.
To conclude, let us do this with cool heads and steady hands, without turning every name and every appointment into a matter of life or death
Macau already has enough walls and history; we do not need to invent new sieges at the ‘Fortaleza do Monte’ simply because we decided to do something straightforward: to invest, with continuity, in those who are good.
