President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) addressing flood control investigations, the energy crisis, the West Philippine Sea dispute, among other pressing issues on July 27 at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
Flood control project investigations
After calling out those involved in the flood control project corruption, Marcos Jr. opened this year’s SONA with updates about the ongoing investigations. Citing recovered assets given back to the Bureau of Treasury from the convicted contractors and ghost projects, the President affirmed his administration’s stance, “Makakaasa kayo na ang gulong ng hustisya ay tumatakbo.”
According to the Ombudsman, cases were expected to be filed against former Speaker Martin Romualdez who happens to be the President’s cousin. Marcos Jr. stated, “Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay Pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo: ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino.”
Energy crisis response
Addressing soaring electricity costs and the grid vulnerabilities caused by the Middle East Crisis, the administration pushes for structural legal reforms and is looking into other energy alternatives. Explaining that nuclear energy has been used in fields such as medicine and agriculture, Marcos Jr. said he was confident in the nation’s nuclear capacities and emphasized “Perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production.”
Furthermore, Marcos Jr. called for the immediate amendment of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) to prohibit the systems loss charges on consumers.
The President proposed tax reforms such as expanding income tax exemption to ₱350,000 threshold and the elimination of minimum corporate income tax for the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Disaster management and response
With the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the country, Marcos Jr. emphasized the strategic shift on disaster approach, “We have moved on from the reactive approach. Now, we’re not only proactive, but predictive as well, aided by digital tools.”
The administration is set to build Ligtas Pinoy Centers this year for typhoon and earthquake-prone regions such as Bicol, Eastern Samar, Bukidnon, and Davao de Oro aside from the 37,000 evacuation centers nationwide.
In his speech, the President explained “Ang mga gusali na ito ay dinisenyo upang kayanin ang mga malubhang kalamidad, tulad ng super-typhoon na 340 kilometers per hour ang lakas ng hangin, at magnitude 8.4 na lindol.”
Additionally, Marcos Jr. called for the amendment of the National Building Code along with initiatives that will prepare communities for disasters such as Oplan Kontra Baha and the need for proper solid waste management. “One systemic intervention is to update our 25-year-old Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, aligning it with modern waste management practices, such as waste-to-energy and waste treatment technology.”
Transportation and infrastructure concerns
The administration aims to accelerate mass transit expansion next year by expanding the North-South Commuter Railway until Clark and the opening 12 stations in MRT-7 which had been delayed for nearly three decades.
In his speech, the President credited the newly enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act in resolving right-of-way issues, removing chokepoints in mass transit development programs.
Pushing for long-term sustainability, the administration also promoted transportation modernization through the adoption of electric vehicles, aiming for a 50% electric vehicle ratio in 2040.
Agriculture
On agriculture, the President stated that the administration would continue modernizing the agriculture sector through satellite-assisted monitoring, artificial intelligence (AI), and solar-powered irrigation systems while expanding support for farmers and fisherfolk to raise farm productivity.
The President also reiterated his ₱20-per-kilo rice campaign promise “More than twenty-six thousand tons of rice have been given to more than two and a half million families and we will continue to do so until eight million families benefit.”
Economy and emerging industries
Marcos Jr. reported that 23 free trade agreements were either in force or under negotiations with other countries, along with an upcoming Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
The administration also sought greater integration into global value chain industries like semiconductors and AI, citing the government’s partnership with the United States’ Pax Silica Industrial Hub.
According to him, this flagship initiative “...will bring quality jobs to our people, accelerate our industrial competitiveness, and revitalize our economy.”
Moreover, with Cagayan’s strategic geographical and economic capacities, the country is looking into its first spaceport. He said, “A sounding rocket launch test is slated for next year. Yes, we are going to launch a rocket into space. This we will do in partnership with a South Korean aerospace company.”
Education
Education remains a focal point for the administration, outlining plans to strengthen the Senior High School curriculum, support for technical-vocational education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and promote AI literacy across sectors.
The administration also plans to continue the school-based feeding programs for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and nutritionally at-risk learners.
Similarly, Marcos also paid tribute to the victims of the Tacloban school shooting, urging the protection from harmful influences and violence through bolstering student welfare and mental health support with the first batch of School Counsellor Associates to be deployed in public schools.
Health
To lower healthcare costs, the President detailed an expanded PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides preventive healthcare through free check-ups and lab tests, and Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) for essential medicines for a ₱20,000 annual benefit.
Progress on modernization was reported through digital services for Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) along with plans to establish a Virology and Vaccine Institute in the country.
West Philippine Sea and foreign policy
With the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship, the country was able to leverage regional food and digital frameworks, but the President highlighted the unification of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids as a step in realizing the ASEAN Power Grid.
Significantly, Marcos Jr. ended his speech by reaffirming the Arbitral ruling for the country’s waters and keeping the dignity of the Filipino people intact.
“We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield,” he declared.
What were excluded
Despite delivering the longest SONA of his term, the President still failed to address certain issues. Among these were the Prime Water facility failures and probes, environmental degradation through rapid and looming industrialization, updates on the rise of gambling, and the realities in the cost of living.
Various groups shared their reactions on the President’s SONA, specifying missed issues and faulty proposals surrounding their communities.
According to an interview with The Manila Standard, labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) Chairperson Rene Magtubo criticized not only the lack of concrete measures on wages, employment, wage reform and workers’ welfare. Magtubo also highlighted the anti-corruption campaign failing to create institutional reforms such as the anti-political dynasty law and electoral reforms.
The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) national president Roland de la Cruz emphasized in a report from the Daily Inquirer, “While tax exemptions and subsidies offer vital breathing room, they do not solve the fundamental crisis of frozen salaries.”
Despite having KADIWA Centers and aid for fisherfolk and farmers, the reality of the agriculture sector amidst the corruption issues reflected in Rappler’s report when IBON Foundation’s Audrey de Jesus explained, “The farmers we’ve talked to are also tired of the promises from the government, and even more so amid millions of pesos lost to corruption while they struggle with poverty, low farmgate prices, insecure livelihoods, and displacement from their land and fishing grounds.”
In the same report, Mercy Wabe, an indigenous person (IP) with disability from Cagayan de Oro also shared that rice costs ₱50 in her area.
On education, Matt Gonzaga of Pamatan‑on Kontra Kurapsyon also expressed that “He [the President] is not addressing or providing solutions to the chronic issues in the education sector, such as the facilities and local resources of our public schools.”
Evidently, the administration still has not mentioned any progress on the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill, despite having signed an Executive Order No. 51 creating the Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Affairs in 2023.
Meanwhile, House Representative Leila de Lima cited a missing critical point in the SONA of the Philippines rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC).
While the 5th SONA under the Marcos Jr. administration laid out an ambitious direction, the burden still falls on the entire government to make sure that these plans go beyond statistics and translate into meaningful change in Filipinos’ lived realities.
