One year after laying out sweeping promises in his 2025 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returned to Congress on Monday, reporting progress in several flagship programs, while many of his biggest commitments remain under implementation. A comparison of Marcos’ 2025 and 2026 SoNAs showed the administration making gains in key initiatives, including the filing of cases over anomalous flood control projects, the expansion of the government’s P20-per-kilo rice program, additional housing under the 4PH initiative, wider PhilHealth benefits, higher SSS pensions, and continued infrastructure development.

But many of the commitments announced a year ago remain unfinished.

Among them are the nationwide electrification program, nearly 200 power projects targeted for completion by 2028, the government’s goal of building 40,000 additional classrooms — with this year’s SoNA citing an initial private-sector commitment to construct more than 16,000 classrooms in Luzon — full internet connectivity in public schools, the target of planting 100 million coconut trees by 2028, with only 18 million planted so far, and several major railway and transport projects that remain under construction.

Flood control drive

One of the defining promises of Marcos’ 2025 SoNA was to investigate defective, unfinished and ghost flood control projects and hold those responsible accountable.

This year, the President reported that criminal cases had been filed against contractors, DPWH officials and lawmakers, while billions of pesos worth of assets had been frozen or recovered as reforms in the department continued.

Despite those developments, the crackdown has so far produced only a limited number of arrests, with authorities continuing to pursue other accused individuals in connection with the widening probe.

Programs showing progress

The administration also cited advances in several social programs first announced last year.

Marcos said the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program now benefits more than 12 million Filipinos after he vowed in 2025 to expand the P20-per-kilo rice initiative nationwide through Kadiwa outlets.

On housing, he reported that more than 500,000 housing units have been built or funded, including over 100,000 additional units completed within the past year under the expanded 4PH program.

He likewise said Philippine universities included in the World University Rankings for Innovation increased from 114 last year to 140 this year, while unveiling a Presidential Scholarship worth P100,000 for five students in every barangay.