05/08/2026
๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ก | ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ, ๐ฆ๐ฎโ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ? ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ, ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐
Another year has flown too swift to notice and that is one year off of the Presidentโs administration. Yet it raises one question: is the SONA a quick recap of every achievement or merely a countdown to his presidency?
Last Monday, July 27, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) highlighting anti-corruption, flood-control and infrastructure, economy, agriculture, education, West Philippine Sea, among other issues. A SONA is an annual speech delivered by the President before a joint session of Congress as it is mandated by Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It serves to provide the public an overview of the countryโs current situation, highlight the administration's achievements, and propose legislative measures that require support from Congress. A speech lasting around 1 hour and 20 minutes was given to embody what occurred in an entire yearโit was undeniably long but did it satisfy the public? And does it really reflect the countryโs progressโif any?
For a country enshrouded in losses and defeats, SONA is not a new concept that will shed light to the Filipino people. Year after year, it has become less of a beacon of hope and more of a reminder of promises left unfulfilledโwhere ambitious declarations often fail to translate into lasting change. Across administrations, commitments to strengthen agriculture have persisted despite farmers continuing to struggle with low incomes, high production costs, and food insecurity; education has repeatedly been declared a priority yet millions of learners still face classroom shortages, learning gaps, and limited access to quality resources; while pledges to improve healthcare, employment, and public services remain shadowed by persistent systemic challenges. Although each SONA presents new targets and accomplishments, many Filipinos have grown skeptical, viewing the annual address not as evidence of fulfilled commitments, but as another cycle of assurances wanting to be proven. In this sense, the question is no longer what will be promised, but when those promises will finally be realized.
Aside from local and national sectors, international affairs seem to be becoming increasingly significant as the Pax Silica Industrial Hub recently sparked controversy, the President highlighted in his speech that it will create an ecosystem that will have AI at its core while omitting the ecosystems it threatens to disrupt and the communities whose livelihoods may be compromised . Yet this issue, which will cost 5 million gallons of water each day, occupy 1,600 hectares of space or roughly 38 times the size of SM Mall of Asia, and use electricity as much as twice of the Bataan Nuclear Powerplant was discussed for barely two minutes. Before he indulges into the jobs it may offer, he must ask himself: can the Filipino people truly thrive if the environmental costs of the AI Hub continue to escalate? This suggests that, to Western powers, he risks being seen as a mere figureheadโan outward uniform masking deeper vulnerabilitiesโa leader willing to gamble the lives of his people reflecting his heavy investment in foreign partnerships and the apparent pursuit of international approval. While the Latin word โPaxโ means peace, there is nothing peaceful about neocolonial oppression.
The United States is not the only country oppressing the Philippines, China watches from a nearer distance as West Philippine Sea conflict continues to escalate and the Batanes debate is yet to spark a brighter flame. Just recently, the country celebrated the tenth anniversary of the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award but was met with backlash from racist Chinese scholars and media through an AI-generated video mocking Filipinos. Throughout his administration, the Philippine Coast Guards came across nothing but violence from Chinese Coast Guards. Yet despite the administrationโs attempts to respond, many Filipinos perceive these measures as insufficient, as China continues to assert dominance in the West Philippine Sea. And through years of oppression, and despite years of effort, the Philippines continues to face unrelenting challenges in the WPS. As per your words, PBBM, โSa mga pang-aalipusta, hindi tayo matitinag. Sa manlulupig, hindi tayo pasisiil.โ Lead the way, not as Chinaโs rival or USโ pet, but as the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Set the country free.
Amidst all challenges the government was set to face, it is still crucial that they are applauded for the issues they were able to address. Starting with issues under anti-corruption, he mentioned that justice is being served, jailing contractors, DPWH officials, lawmakers, and even his cousin, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez. Second, the Benteng Bigas Meron Na Program in agriculture, providing comfort for over 12 million Filipinos and providing 400,000 land titles for farmers across four years of service. Third, responding to the complaints regarding soaring electricity costs due to system loss and urging to pass the โSariling Kuryenteโ Act for easier installment of solar panels in homes. Fourth, providing tax relief for more Filipinos by widening tax exemption up to Php. 350,000 annual income. And last, innovation and improvements that have yet to be implemented in transportation, disaster response, and education. But are these changes really felt by the people or do these data and statistics represent only a portion of a much larger perspective no one can see? When in fact all these solutions are delayedโthe country and its people have already felt its impact before help arrived, even before it was formulated in the governmentโs minds and conference halls.
For the past five SONAs, a pattern persists: the Filipino people demand meaningful change, seeking it as the government delays; they respond by declaring solutions will come anytime nowโonly for it to fall under the Presidentโs SONAโembodying words rather than actions. Each SONA is both a statement given by the President and the statement given by the Filipino people through their lens and lived experiences. First, media reports must consistently produce accurate statistics and data that reflects the status quo of the country. An hour-long speech is not sufficient to declare the countryโs progress and downfalls. Second, each Filipino must critically analyze social problems, how the government approaches to solving them, and how it is brought up to the SONA. And, lastly, for government officials and especially the President, they must make use of the seat given to them by the democratic people. Article IX, Section 1 of the Constitution claims, โPublic office is a public trust,โ the leaders must demonstrate rectitude through genuine leadership grounded in integrity, backed by clear and transparent reporting. This is a country of the people, by the people, for the people. Time is ticking, the President has proven the countryโs capacity to overcome struggles, but so many more questions lie awaiting unansweredโpostponed to be on next yearโs SONA.
Two years left, President Bongbong Marcos. Make it count.
Written by Jean Devaughn G. Viรฑas
Layout by Rona Antonette F. Gromontil
