Marcos' 2022 SONA

Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrently education secretary, commits her 100% commitment to the programs laid down in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s SONA in the sectors her offices are handling.

For DepEd, she says they will collaborate with the national government, local government units, local communities, the private sector and international partners to gather resources for the implementation of the Basic Education Development Plan 2030.

OVP will also roll out social services programs that will include financial empowerment to women and members of the LGBTQ+ sectors, Duterte adds.

President Marcos says he will "not abandon one square inch of Philippine territory to any foreign power."

Marcos says that through the help of the Philippine Congress, the country will put up its own Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, and one vaccine institute.

Marcos says alert level systems will stay for now, but they are studying other classifications that would fit the changing nature of COVID-19 and the situation of the country.

He adds they will improve the spread of correct information on covid, including the importance of vaccines.

President Marcos says he supports Vice President Duterte's order to shift to to face-to-face classes.

Marcos says the Department of Education is preparing for resumption of face-to-face classes while considering the safety of students. 

President Marcos says there won't be lockdowns anymore. 

"Hindi na natin kakayanin ang isa pang lockdown. Wala na tayong gagawing lockdown," he says.

President Marcos says they will strengthen the implementation of the Violence against Women and Children Act, which includes counseling to victims, through a partnership with local government units. 

President Marcos recognizes the role of tourism not only in regular employment but also in job creation. 

To empower the sector, the Departments of Tourism and the Public Works and Highways have been tasked to:

• Make basic developments and road improvements for easier access to tourist spots 
• Upgrade airport to help decongest the Manila airport
• Make it more convenient for tourists to go to undiscovered tourist spots

Marcos calls for a one-year moratorium on the payment of amortization on lands distributed through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries who have yet to be awarded lands will no longer have the obligation to pay amortization for land when it is awarded to them.

Marcos says the Department of Agriculture will aim to increase production in the next planting season by giving financial and technical assistance to farms.

He says that aside from loans, the government will bring in farming inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, seeds for distribution. Subsidies will also help agricultural workers, he says.

Marcos also talks about integrating the value chain from farmers to consumers.

President Marcos says there's a need to address food supply issues and rising prices of goods.

President Marcos says the Philippine economy is expected to grow by 6.5% to 7.5% as economy reopens.

President Marcos vows to implement a "sound fiscal management" as well as tax administration reforms to increase revenue collection. Expenditure priorities will be realigned, he says.

President Marcos delivers his first State of the Nation Address, greeting top officials and diplomats.

Wife Liza covers her face as she is mentioned by her husband.

The House and Senate call the joint session of Congress to order.

President Marcos makes his way to the plenary hall after watching a short clip of himself on television.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives at the Batasang Pambansa complex for his first State of the Nation Address. He is greeted by lawmakers including newly elected Congress leaders, Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Zubiri.

He is accompanied by First Lady Liza Marcos.

Zamboanga Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe is elected as the House majority leader.

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, on the other hand, is elected as House Senior Deputy Speaker.

Rep. Martin Romualdez takes his oath as the House’s new speaker.

He was elected as the House speaker with 283 votes. Four abstained, 22 did not vote and one voted no.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros announces the designation of Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III as Minority Leader. Hontiveros says Pimentel will "help uphold the independence of the Senate."

Hontiveros and Pimentel are the only two members of the minority bloc. — The STAR/Paolo Romero

Senators elect Loren Legarda as the new Senate President Pro Tempore.

Rep. Ferdinand "Sandro" Marcos III (Ilocos Norte) nominates uncle and mentor Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to House speakership.

Marcos praises Romualdez for his "experience" and "competency."

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is elected as the Senate President.

Vice President Sara Duterte is present at the inaugural session. She is chairman of Lakas-CMD which is emerging as one of the dominant parties in the House.

She is also said to have a considerable influence over the chamber, having had a hand in the ouster of Speaker Alvarez. — Xave Gregorio

Lawmakers are starting to fill the plenary hall, some 10 minutes before session starts. — Xave Gregorio

At the South Wing Annex, guests, including media workers, are being screened as part of health protocols for #SONA2022.

The office of Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga, 2nd district) says the former president tested positive for COVID-19 and will not attend the first SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a statement, her office says first tested positive on antigen test on July 15 and underwent quarantine. She tested positive on an RT-PCR test conducted on July 22.

Work in offices of the Quezon City local goverment will be until noon on Monday, July 25, in light of President Ferdinant Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address in the afternoon, Mayor Joy Belmonte says in a memorandum.

Essential services like law enforcement, health and rescue, and disaster response will stay on duty.

Kabataan Party-list shows off SONA protest barong sketch despite ban on wearing clothes with political messages during the first State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"This is the first time in recent history that an explicit prohibition is issued. Bawal ang protesta, bawal din ang mensahe sa damit kasi takot na takot sa art? Martial Law yaaarn?" says Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

"Dapat igalang ang karapatan nating magpahayag sa kahit munting pamamaraan. As a genuine representative of the youth, it will be an honor for me to wear in clothing the youth agenda for genuine social change," Manuel adds.

The Quezon City government now allows both progressive and pro-Marcos groups to stage rallies along Commonwealth Avenue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25.

Following the declaration of Commonwealth as a "no rally" zone, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers assert the Philippine National Police's reliance on Batas Pambansa Blg. 880 has no legal basis. "The presumption remains to be in favor of the freedom of the people to peaceably assemble to petition the government for redress of grievances as provided for in the Constitution," NUPL says in a statement.

They say "they stand ready to render legal assistance "to those whose rights will be unlawfully curtailed by law enforcement acting outside the ambit of the Constitution.

"Peaceful dissent, if we insist that we remain to be a democratic society, does not beg and should not be made to beg for a welcome."

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte says she has instructed the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) to carefully review the counter-points for the rally permit request of progressive group Bayan, "and to determine if there are any possible accomodations or middle ground that they can agree upon."

"The same will also be applied to all rally permits that are currently with the DPOS.Rest assured, all these shall be discussed during our final SONA coordination meeting, which will happen today," she adds.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should demonstrate a serious commitment to human rights in his first State of the Nation Address, Human Rights Watch says. 

“President Marcos has a golden opportunity to get the Philippines on the right track by setting out clear priorities and policies to improve human rights in the country,” says Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“After six years of Duterte’s disastrous ‘drug war’ that killed thousands of people, Marcos needs to make a clean break by showing he is serious about accountability for past human rights violations as well as preventing abuses in the future," he adds.

Get updates on the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first State of the Nation Address set on July 25, 2022.

Photo: New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech after he was sworn in as the country's new leader, at the National Museum in Manila on June 30, 2022. AFP/Ted Aljibe