TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
COLON St. became the stage for competing views of the nation’s condition on Monday, July 27, 2026. As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prepared to deliver his State of the Nation Address in Manila, members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Central Visayas held their annual “Sona sa Katawhan” in downtown Cebu City. Protesters marched with banners and placards, carried a large effigy depicting the President and later set it ablaze to express their criticism of his administration. Police officers monitored the demonstration, which ended without major incident.