Marcos to present some ‘progress’ in 2nd SONA

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed confidence that he would be able to report some progress when he delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the awarding ceremony of the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) on Thursday, the President said he would give an update on what happened to the plans and projects that he mentioned during his SONA last year.

“Like any SONA, it will be a report to the nation as to what the situation [is], what happened in the last year since the last SONA, where we are now, what we have managed to do and where we still have work to do. That is essentially the template that we’re going to use,” Marcos said during a media interview.

But the President said he is still in the process of completing his speech.

“The truth of the matter is we’re still preparing everything, all the materials that we’re going to put together,” Marcos said.

“So, the things that I mentioned in the first SONA, we will have a look and see ano na nangyari doon sa mga ating mga pinag-usapan nung unang SONA. At sa palagay ko naman, meron naman tayo ipapakita (what happened to the plans we mentioned during my first SONA. I think, we will be able to report some progress) and that’s what the content of the SONA, I think, will probably be,” he added.

To recall, it was Marcos who drafted his first SONA delivered at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on July 25, 2022.

In his first SONA, Marcos laid down his plans in addressing various issues in the country such as the state of local agriculture, energy, infrastructure, technology, tourism industry, education, tax system, health, among others.

The President also listed 19 priority bills for the incoming Congress, including the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps for senior high school students, bureaucracy rightsizing, and e-government.

His speech, which lasted for one hour and 14 minutes, also gave a clearer direction on his campaign promises.

In his first SONA, Marcos reported that the state of the nation is “sound,” as he had assembled the “best” Filipino minds to help navigate the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has begun its preparations for the President’s second SONA.

The Batasan Complex in Quezon City where the House of Representatives is located is the traditional site of the Philippine president’s annual speech.

Article 7, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution requires the President to “address the Congress at the opening of its regular session”.

The Philippine president delivers the SONA every year, usually held every last Monday of July, to report the state of the country, unveil the administration’s agenda for the coming year, and ask Congress to pass priority legislative measures. — Catherine S. Valente

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