Metro Manila, Philippines – Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) struck the right balance, describing it as substantive rather than rhetorical while outlining the administration’s accomplishments and priorities for the remainder of its term.
“Tamang timpla. Malaman at hindi bola-bola. Ganyan ang SONA. Nag-uulat. Nagmumulat. Nanggugulat din,” he said.
(Translation: It struck the right balance. It was substantial, not full of empty rhetoric. That’s what a SONA should be. It reports, informs and, at times, surprises.)
Marcos’ penultimate SONA focused on the administration’s anti-corruption campaign, including the investigation on alleged flood control anomalies, economic relief, energy security, social protection, agriculture and food security, education, and the commitment to defending the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Recto said the speech fairly reflected the administration’s accomplishments but could not cover everything because of time constraints.
“It is a fair rendition of what has been done, but I dare say incomplete, due to time constraints, because a SONA should never be Wikipedia-broad and telenovela-long,” he said.
He added that the president clearly laid out priorities moving forward, making them easier for the public to monitor.
“As for the ‘what is to be done’ portion of the SONA, it is clear that he spelled this out, itemized, for easy monitoring come implementation time,” he said.
Recto said the president also urged political leaders to move beyond partisanship and focus on governance.
“His call is for everyone to dial down divisive politicking and ramp up work that will bring peace and progress to the entire nation,” the Palace official said.
