Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said he wants to hear the achievements of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“In the 1st SONA, we heard his plans. In the 2nd, he was just starting his job, but now, there should be achievements especially the departments given huge budgets.”
Pimentel said they also would like to hear what the administration did on the people’s concerns such as agriculture and the prices of goods, particularly the cost of a kilo of rice.
“So we need to hear from the President, With the big budget on agriculture, what were the results,” Pimentel said.
Casting doubts on the housing targets disclosed by Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, Pimentel said he like to know what happened in this area.
On the other hand, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the country’s growth has been dampened by high inflation, a challenge that President Marcos must address “if we are to achieve our goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2028.”
Zubiri said he also wants to know about the President’s plan on bringing down inflation and the high cost of goods particularly rice to ensure that economic growth benefits every working-class Filipino. Macon Ramos-Araneta
He also wants the President to attend to the plight of minimum wage earners since the recent wage increases are not enough to help the people cope with rising prices.
“Food security remains a key priority in the face of global uncertainties. We expect the President to outline a comprehensive strategy to boost local agricultural production, support our farmers and reduce reliance on imports,” Zubiri stressed.
For Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, the SONA is not an expectation, but rather a hope.
He said he expect the President to say restoration of the Reserve Officers Training Corps in school curriculum is a priority legislative agenda.
"We need sizeable reserves in case of emergency," he added, referring to the West Philippine Sea (WPS)crisis.
For her part, presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos likes more developmental approach and efforts such as buy local products, encourage local seed production, discover combination in technology for water and fertilizer, and ramp up irrigation systems which are both short and long-term solutions.
"I like to hear a real program for rice," Imee said. She also wanted the administration to come out with coherent plan on de-escalating tension in the WPS.
Senator Pia Cayetano twants the President to talk on energy security, citing the adverse effects of the energy crisis in the late 1980s to the 90s.
"Because that involves so much investment we have to make it attractive for big companies to put up explorations of the indigenous sources, and then investments, and all of that," Cayetano said.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wants to know about the status of the administrations “pet projects” to boost the country’s economy.
Senator Bong Revilla is positive the President will give a comprehensive report on the administration’s progress in addressing the country’s most pressing concerns.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva said they hoped that the President would announce a total ban of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and all forms of illegal gambling.
Senate President Francis Escudero hopes Marcos would delve on the true state of the nation and the major problems hounding it.
He said the President should lay down measures and actions which his administration will do to address these challenges until the next SONA in 2025.
