Metro Manila, Philippines – A coalition of party-list groups in the House of Representatives has a wish list for the State of the Nation Address (SONA), while the House leadership anticipates updates on the administration’s programs.
The Makabayan bloc said it is looking forward to hearing statements on salary increase and addressing the inflation rate.
Rep. France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list, a member of the Makabayan bloc, said while the salary increase may not be tackled in the SONA as it is not part of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority bills, the group is still waiting for it to be tackled.
“‘Yung panawagan ng mga government employees, especially ‘yung mga teachers at ang mga workers, ay ‘yung salary increase. So, ito ‘yung isa sa mga mahalagang mga isyu ng ating taumbayan, salary increase. Kahit sa survey, nandiyan ‘yan sa top five,” Castro told NewsWatch Plus.
[Translation: The appeal of government employees, especially teachers and workers, is salary increase. This is one of the important issues for the public – salary increase. Even in surveys, it is in the top five.]
For inflation, Castro said Makabayan wants to hear concrete steps to address soaring prices of basic commodities.
“Puro band-aid solution – ayuda, pagpapababa ng Kadiwa, pagpapababa ng presyo ng bigas pero hindi ito sustainable at hindi rin ito makakasagot talaga du’n sa problem,” she said.
[Translation: It’s all band-aid solutions – financial assistance, bringing the prices down through Kadiwa stores and the cost of rice, but this is not sustainable and this does not really answer the problem.]
Kadiwa is the administration’s initiative to sell cheap basic goods at subsidized prices. The supply is sourced directly from agricultural stakeholders.
Unity
Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said he is hoping for the president to highlight unity and to provide an update on the administration’s 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,” Romualdez said in a statement on Sunday, July 21.
“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 said.
The Senate and House of Representatives will open the third regular session of the 19th Congress in separate plenary meetings in the morning of July 22. They will suspend sessions and reconvene in a joint session at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the SONA. — Daniza Fernandez
