Marcos to submit report card in his 3rd SONA
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. will submit his annual report card to the nation today, Monday, as he delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) amid issues hounding the country, such as the growing tension in the West Philippine Sea, clamor for a legislated wage hike, and calls to shut down the online offshore gaming industry, among others.
Marcos’ speech remained a well-kept secret until yesterday, even as the President teased on his official Instagram account: “Getting ready for my third SONA… Can’t wait to share the strides we’ve made and the future we’re building for the Filipino people.”
Marcos will deliver his third SONA at 4 p.m. today before the joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa complex.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), in a statement, said Marcos on Sunday rehearsed in Malacañang how he would deliver his speech, which he had personally reviewed and edited.
The President had previously said that he was trying to squeeze his speech into an hour.
Marcos’ first SONA in 2022 lasted for an hour and 14 minutes, while his second SONA which was delivered in 2023 lasted for an hour and 11 minutes.
The PCO said this year’s SONA would be directed by the Radio Television Malacanang (RTVM).
It said the President would wear a Barong Tagalog that was designed and created through the collaboration of “artisans from Lucban (in) Quezon, Taal (in) Batangas and Aklan.”
REPORT CARD
Marcos had said that his speech would contain his administration’s report on the status of its different programs and projects, as well as an update on its policies, plans and priorities for the coming years to advance the nation; efforts to fight criminality and threats to the nation; and programs to address the social problems faced by the nation, among others.
He is also expected to endorse several legislative bills that have been previously identified as priority measures of the administration, such as the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act, the Department of Water Resources, the Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics, the Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime, and amendments to the Right-of-Way Act and the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
Other priority bills are the proposed amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long Term Lease Act, the Philippine Capital Markets, the Rice Tariffication Law, the Universal Health Care Act; the Blue Economy Act, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act, Open Access in Data Transmission Act, Waste-to-Energy bill, and the Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
Also included in Congress’ priority legislation are the Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of Military and Uniformed Personnel; E-Government Act /E-Governance Act, amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law, Philippine Immigration Act, Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act, Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, Value Added Tax (VAT) on Digital Services, and the New Government Auditing Code.
On Saturday, Marcos signed into law the amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act and the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act which was also part of the priority measures of the administration.
A total of 77 bills have been signed into law by the President since assuming office in 2022.
‘CRUCIAL ISSUES’
The Armed Forces said it is anticipating Marcos, the military’s commander-in-chief, to discuss the need to bolster national security and enhance military capabilities in his SONA speech.
“We are anticipating that he’s going to give updates on ongoing initiatives, current national priorities (of government),” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said, adding: “It’s reasonable to anticipate key themes (during the President’s address).”
“On the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, what we are anticipating is bolstering national security and enhancing defense capabilities, including our modernization projects,” said Padilla.
The military is in the middle of implementing a modernization program that calls for the acquisition of modern assets, including multi-role fighters for the Philippine Air Force.
Padilla said territorial defense remains a challenge for the Armed Forces, thus they came up with a Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept.
Padilla said the military has accomplished a lot in internal security operations during the Marcos administration.
She noted that there are now only seven “weakened” guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army as many NPA rebels have surrendered to the government.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said he is hoping the President would tackle “what is really important to the daily lives of ordinary Filipinos” in his SONA.
Among the crucial issues, he said, are the proposed wage hike, the expansion of social benefits for poor Filipinos in the areas of education, health and other basic services; and the government’s plans to upgrade the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and how to defend the country’s interest and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
On the other hand, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA) said workers will push for the passage of the P150 legislated wage hike bill when they stage a march rally near the Commission on Human Rights in Diliman, Quezon City to echo calls for the immediate passage of the mandatory across-the-board wage adjustment.
“We call on lawmakers not to further dribble but dunk and not junk the P150 wage recovery wage bill, and for President Marcos, Jr., to expedite its passage into law,” said NAGKAISA.
“We are calling for an urgent P150 wage recovery for workers across the country,” it added, stressing that the prevailing wage rates are insufficient to afford Filipino workers and their families with decent lives.
“Our call for a P150 wage recovery is a call for justice and economic survival for millions of Filipino families,” it also said.
Social Welfare assistant secretary and spokeswoman Irene Dumlao said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has submitted its accomplishment report to the Office of the President through the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) during the preparation of the SONA speech.
Dumlao said they are hoping that their report would be considered or included in the President’s speech.
“It would be important for us ma-mention ang mga ito because ito ay accomplishment ng ating buong bansa under, of course, the objective of improving and enhancing social protection (It would be important for us for [our report] to be mentioned [in the speech] because this is the accomplishment of the country under, of course, the objective of improving and enhancing social protection),” Dumlao said.
CONGRESS
The Senate and the House of Representatives will separately resume sessions this morning and then adjourn to prepare for the afternoon joint session in Quezon City.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the Senate will work to pass priority measures addressing the economic woes of the country.
“We will focus on what was agreed upon during the recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting under the Common Legislative Agenda,” Escudero said in a statement, adding that 10 bills agreed during the meeting include amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) bill; and, amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act.
To hasten the passage of priority bills, Escudero said the Senate will hold legislative sessions on Thursdays to boost the number of working session days that, he added, are usually affected by the rainy season as well as the long break for the upcoming midterm elections.
“We will set aside an extra day, Thursday, to discuss these measures, and approve these as far as we can because we only have about 70 days left before this Congress ends. 70 session days absent any typhoons, calamities that might cause us to declare suspension of session or work,” he said.
Including session days on Thursdays, Escudero said the Senate will have a total of 93 session days.
For his part, Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to act on the new legislative priorities that the President will ask Congress to pass in his third SONA.
“We are prepared to hit the ground running and deliver on our promises to the public. The SONA will set the tone for our legislative agenda, and we are more than ready to take the necessary actions to achieve our shared vision for a better Philippines,” Romualdez said.
“The President is expected to propose new laws aimed at simplifying and improving the daily lives of our citizens, addressing issues such as economic development, healthcare, education and infrastructure,” Romualdez said.
He said these initiatives “will be crucial in driving our country forward and enhancing the overall quality of life for all Filipinos.”
The Speaker said the President’s SONA “will provide a clear roadmap, and the House is prepared to translate this vision into tangible legislative outcomes.”
Romualdez called on all members of Congress to unite in support of the President’s agenda, citing the importance of “collective action.”
“As representatives of the people, it is our duty to work together, transcending political differences, to enact laws that will uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos. The upcoming SONA will inspire and guide us in this noble endeavor,” he said.
Romualdez said he expects the President “to follow up on the successes of his administration and build on the progress of existing programs.”
“I expect the President to emphasize the importance of unity among all Filipinos, highlighting how collective efforts can lead to national progress. Furthermore, I anticipate a focus on the continued and immediate delivery of essential social services to ensure that the needs of the people are met promptly and effectively,” hr said.
“We’re also looking forward to another year of follow-up on the successes and further build-ups on what we still have to continue in many programs of the Marcos administration, specifically ones that cover social amelioration benefits,” he added.
Romualdez also gave the President high marks for his performance over the past years, saying the Chief Executive has demonstrated “strong leadership” and made significant strides in delivering on his promises from the last SONA. — With Victor Reyes, Gerard Naval, Ashzel Hachero and Wendell Vigilia
