MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, a speech that will outline his ambition for the Philippines for the coming year, and tout what his administration believes to be its successes in the past year.
Monday’s address – which in the past two years was no longer than 80 minutes each – is expected to touch upon gut issues such as inflation, livelihood generation, and efforts to improve the economy, as well as issues of national security, such as the the Marcos administration’s continued assertion of its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
As usual, the SONA will also be an avenue for the President to publicly insist on his priority legislation.
Congress will open its third regular session in the morning, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero expected to separately address lawmakers, before the House and the Senate hold a joint session in the afternoon for the President’s SONA, which begins around 4 pm.
Rappler’s political reporters Dwight de Leon, Bonz Magsambol, and Kaycee Belmonte take us behind the scenes of the government’s preparations, and provide political context that highlights the importance of Marcos’ address, in this special Rappler episode airing at 8 am on Monday. – Rappler.com
