PBBM: 'I Know That The State Of The Nation Is Sound And Is Improving,' Here's What You Missed At SONA 2023

It's been a year since President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos, Jr. took his oath, and then delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). He won in a landslide victory over former Vice President Leni Robredo. 

On July 24, Marcos addressed the Filipinos once again, in an hour and a half speech at the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa, in Quezon City, where he discussed his accomplishments in the past year, and his plans and visions for the next five years of his term, including 17 priority bills that he is pushing for in the Congress.

"I know that the state of the nation is sound, and is improving." —President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during his SONA 2023

Here, we summarized important points that every Filipino must know from Marcos' second SONA.

Important points from PBBM's 2nd State of the Nation Address

On the economy

Marcos cited inflation as the biggest problem the Philippines has encountered, attributing it to various factors such as the war in Ukraine, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing fuel prices.

However, he reported, "Our economy posted a 7.6% growth in 2022 – our highest growth rate in 46 years. For the first quarter of this year, our growth has registered at 6.4%. It remains within our target of 6% to 7% for 2023. We are still considered among the fastest-growing economies in the Asian region and in the world."

He added that this year, the World Bank projects an overall growth rate of 6%, which is well within the range of the target for 2023. Marcos assured that "inflation rate is moving in the right direction."

Regarding the increasing prices of commodities, Marcos said that his administration, through KADIWA stores, has seen great improvement. Thus, he plans to expand this project that directly connects farmers to consumers nationwide. 

On water and infrastructure

On water supply, he sought to create a Department of Water Resource Management to address water security concerns.

Regarding infrastructure, one of the flagship projects of the Marcos administration will be the 1,200-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program, effectively connecting Ilocos to Bicol and reducing travel time from 20 hours to 9.p

"Habang pinapabuti natin ang lagay ng ekonomiya, pinapalakas din natin ang kakayahan ng Pilipino. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng mahahalagang armas ng edukasyon, magandang kalusugan, at trabaho. Malaking bahagi ng pondo ng pamahalaan ay inilaan para sa mga ito," he assured.

READ ALSO: BBM On Food, Teachers, Health: 'Ang Pangarap Niyo Ay Pangarap Ko'

On education, health, and employment

In the education sector, with Vice President Sara Duterte at the helm, he assured that learning recovery will be at the forefront of the education agenda. "We are recalibrating the K to 10 curriculum to ensure that it is always relevant, responsive, and at par with international standards," he said.

A 2022 Pulse Asia survey meanwhile showed that almost 50% of Filipinos said they were dissatisfied with the K to 12 system. Recently, House Senior Deputy Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has filed a bill that seeks to change the current K to 12 education program into what she calls the K+10+2 system.

To aid students' financial needs, Marcos said that they have activated social safety nets, such as skills development training and youth employment programs. He also reiterates that tertiary education in state universities and colleges will remain free for qualified students.

On health, President Marcos said that his administration is advocating for healthier communities and lifestyles. To address malnutrition and stunting among children, they have introduced the pilot Food Stamp Program, which complements the First 1,000 Days program and other supplemental feeding programs.

"Nananawagan ako sa lahat ng mga magulang na kumpletuhin ang mga bakuna ng kanilang mga anak, at magtungo sa pinaka-malapit na health center para sa mga libreng bakuna." —President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during his SONA 2023

He also called on parents to catch up on the routine vaccinations of their children, reporting that 80% of eligible children have been vaccinated against measles, rubella, and polio.

"Nananawagan ako sa lahat ng mga magulang na kumpletuhin ang mga bakuna ng kanilang mga anak, at magtungo sa pinaka-malapit na health center para sa mga libreng bakuna," Marcos said.

READ ALSO: 'Hindi Back To Zero': Doctor's Advice On How To Safely Catch Up On Vaccines

He also reported that over 93% of Filipinos are already Philhealth members, who are eligible to avail improved health services, such as the Konsulta Package, where 21 kinds of medicines and 13 laboratory services can be accessed for free.

On employment, Marcos said that the employment rate rose from 82.4% to 95.7% as of May this year. Nevertheless, he vowed to create more jobs and strengthen tourism efforts.

On digitalization, foreign employment, and security

Marcos emphasized that the first bill he signed into law was the SIM Registration Act to protect digital users and consumers from online scams. With the eGov PH app and the National ID system, he hopes that this will help in improving the services of government offices.

ICYMI: Kids 5 Years Old And Up Can Register For A National ID, And Here's How

For overseas Filipino workers, he emphasized that it is their wish that one day, it "will be driven by choice, not by necessity." 

On housing, he assures that the Pag-IBIG Fund has helped millions of Filipinos afford their own homes. They launched the Pambansang Pabahay Para Sa Pilipino Housing Program or 4PH, which will be poised in over 100 sites, and will benefit more than 1 million households.

On the war on drugs, "The campaign against illegal drugs continues – but it has taken on a new face. [applause] It is now geared towards community-based treatment, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration, to curb drug dependence amongst our affected citizenry," Marcos said.

12 priority bills of the Marcos administration

Marcos then appealed to Congress for its support for the 12 legislations he deemed as priority, which includes:

1. The essential tax measures under our Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, such as:

- Excise tax on single-use plastics

- VAT on digital services

- Rationalization of mining fiscal regime

- Motor vehicle user’s charge/road user’s tax-

Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension

2. Amendment of the Fisheries Code;

3. Amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act;

4. Amendment of the Cooperative Code;

5. New Government Procurement Law;

6. New Government Auditing Code;

7. Anti-financial accounts scamming;

8. Tatak-Pinoy law;

9. The Blue Economy law;

10. Ease of paying taxes;

11. LGU income classification; and

12. The Philippine Immigration Act

Towards the end, Marcos emphasized that his confidence in the future of the nation was grounded in the world-class quality workforce, "That confidence has been further buoyed by the demonstration of love for the Philippines."

He concluded, "And thus, with this in my heart, I know that the state of the nation is sound, and is improving."

Marcos added, "Dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat."

Read the full transcript of the SONA 2023 here.

How did Marcos fare in his first year, according to parents

Prior the SONA, we asked members of the Smart Parenting community on Facebook how they would rate President Marcos' first year on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

One user said, "I have a good life, 7/10."

Another one said, "Wala bang zero? Bokya."

One meanwhile said, "5. Di pa nakita mga developments."

Join the conversation on Smart Parenting's Facebook page here.