Marcos: SONA speech 80% complete

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., said his State of the Nation Address (SONA) is about 80% complete, with only final refinements needed before its delivery next week.

Speaking to reporters before concluding his trip to the US on July 22 (DC time), Mr. Marcos said his team has been working intensively on the speech despite his four-day official visit to meet with US President Donald J. Trump.

“When I knew that I was coming to the United States to meet with President Trump, I’ve cleared my schedule, and I said, we have to take — we’re going to lose four days,” he said, according to a transcript from his office. “So, I cleared my schedule. We’ve been working very hard on it. As soon as I get back, we’ll be working on it again.”

The annual address is held every fourth Monday of July where the President outlines his administration’s achievements, policy priorities, and legislative agenda for the coming year, shaping the direction of national governance and setting expectations for lawmakers, businesses, and millions of Filipinos.

Malacañang on Tuesday suspended all pre-SONA preparations as mass flooding hit some areas of the country, including the capital region.

The Palace said government agencies were ordered to focus on disaster response efforts and ensure the safety of affected residents, which Mr. Marcos “fully agrees” on, noting the actions were “highly inappropriate.”

“That is an unfortunate misjudgment on their part. But we’ve corrected it, and I trust it will not happen anymore.”

Mr. Marcos is expected to deliver his fourth SONA before a joint session of Congress on July 28. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana