SoNA 2025

As if things were not dire enough, less than a week before the 4th State of the Nation Address (SoNA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the country’s capital and many other places suffered severe flooding from the onslaught of rains brought by a tropical storm and the southwest monsoon or habagat.

Meanwhile, Marcos is in Washington, D.C. on a three-day state visit after the Philippines was slapped with a 20-percent tariff despite being one of the United States’ “closest allies.” PBBM is set to discuss the tariff, among other things, with US President Donald Trump.

With the timing of the visit, the results of the meeting will likely be among the accomplishments to be highlighted in Monday’s much-anticipated annual report by the President to the Filipino people.

But let us not lose sight of what matters most to the regular Juans, Marias, and JunJuns out there. Tariffs and economic agreements, even military and security arrangements, while undoubtedly important, are issues that are “malayo sa bituka,” or much removed from the daily toil of the regular Filipino striving to make ends meet, living a hand-to-mouth existence.

For the majority of millions of Filipinos who will be glued to their TV sets and cellphones watching the SoNA livestream, they will want to know what they can look forward to in the next three years. They will want to know what this administration intends to do about their day-to-day struggles.

But where are we exactly, three years after this administration took the reins of power? And how much can this administration get done in the next three years before the next presidential election?

Was the rollout of the 20-peso-per-kilo rice program enough to redeem it from the disappointment of the once 32-million-strong hopefuls and believers? How will the presidential communications team bolster the administration’s infrastructure spending or explain the billions spent on flood control projects with the flooded streets of Metro Manila and nearby provinces so fresh in the minds of the public.

It is ironic how a campaign that ran on unity has been marred by infighting. So much so that it does not seem the administration has accomplished much in terms of concrete and meaningful programs outside of the left and right dole-outs and “ayuda” leading up to the midterm elections.

Whatever good it may have done, if at all, has been drowned out by the deafening noise from all the political drama around.

The Marcos Jr. administration has been distracted by internal politicking. PBBM was forced to replace Vic Rodriguez as Executive Secretary so soon after assuming office. Shortly thereafter came the fallout in the UniTeam following the rendition of former President Duterte to the ICC in The Hague, which ultimately led to Vice President Sara Duterte and presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos openly opposing the administration. And then there was the rivalry between factions within the President’s inner circle.

Many had high hopes when PBBM announced changes were forthcoming in the aftermath of the midterm elections. But outside of maybe the new transportation secretary (who has made significant, impactful strides in the transport sector), the other department secretaries have been, sadly, lackluster.

With each national election, we, the Filipino people, hope for better days to come. For all our sakes, we should pray that the President can muster the political will to turn the tide and bring forth positive changes in every Filipino’s life.