After every State of the Nation Address (Sona), one is left wondering what reality the President’s speech ignored. A familiar template of flagship infrastructure projects, security spending and glowing statistics often feels detached from the everyday struggles of Filipinos.
The Sona template would sound like a roadmap to the future, but people who struggle with poverty, environmental degradation and misplaced government priorities need answers now. The Sona is meant to speak to the present, to the state of the nation today and not to what tomorrow will bring.
In recent weeks, Cebu’s streets turned into canals after heavy rains. People waded through waist-deep floodwaters, dragging themselves and soaked things, while traffic stood still and homes filled with water. This was just another downpour, not even a super typhoon.
Meanwhile, in Metro Manila, preparations are underway for the Sona of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tomorrow, Monday, July 28, 2025. The red carpets are being rolled out, speeches rehearsed and gowns readied. There will be polite applause for every highlight of the speed and possibly shouts of “Bagong Pilipinas” at certain points. It’s all very predictable.
We know the pattern from past Sonas. Lists of flagship infrastructure projects, mentions of digitalization, a push for food security and maybe a few slides on improved revenue collection. These all sound good and promising but often feel like success stories from another country where there are no floods after every heavy downpour, where prices of basic goods are stable and where rice doesn’t cost almost P60 a kilo.
People are struggling beyond the Batasan walls. Farmers remain at the mercy of middlemen and rising input costs. Commuters lose hours to broken transport systems. Parents worry about their children’s education, while young professionals are planning to leave the country in search of better-paying jobs and we can’t blame them. The economic optimism in the President’s speech rarely mirrors what ordinary citizens experience.
The Sona presentation cannot hide the weak urban planning, poor infrastructure and the government’s neglect of the vulnerable sector of the population. This shows the disconnect between the President’s address and what is happening on the streets. People are exhausted and they expect the President’s speech to reflect reality because the Sona is a mirror of what is happening.
Marcos has an opportunity in his Sona to not only declare plans but also to acknowledge pain. To speak not only of accomplishments, but of the real gaps that demand attention. More than applause at the President’s speech, what the country needs is accountability.
The people haven’t stopped listening to the Sona, despite the template, the repetition and the rhetoric. If this administration truly wants to build a better nation, it must speak plainly and act boldly. Not for the cameras or the guests at the gallery, but for the people expecting more every Sona.