The House of Representatives on Wednesday launched a dedicated website that provides verified information about President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said the new website contains not only the latest news and updates about the President’s sixth and final SONA, but also the legislative accomplishments of the Duterte administration.
“President Duterte has actually accomplished a lot in the past five years he was in office, and this website will bear all those achievements,” Velasco pointed out.
A microsite of the official webpage of the House of Representatives, congress.gov.ph/sona2021, serves as a repository of relevant data pertaining to President Duterte’s public address slated for July 26.
In the coming days, the website will also contain the Legislative Performance Report of the House and select speeches delivered by members of the 18th Congress as compiled in the book titled, “In the Name of the People.”
The online platform also carries the one and a half-minute videos prepared by each of the more than 200 district and party-list representatives who have joined the campaign called “Sa Lahat ng Pagbabago, Salamat Pangulo!” (A Pre-SONA Tribute by the 18th Congress).
The campaign—spearheaded by the Speaker and launched last July 5 on the official Facebook page of the House—features the priority programs, projects and policies implemented in the different legislative districts and development sectors across the country since President Duterte assumed office in 2016.
“President Duterte deserves gratitude from all Filipinos for the many good things he has done for the country, including the string of landmark legislation that we never thought would be possible, as well as high impact programs and critical reforms aimed at improving the quality of life of Filipinos,” Velasco said.
The House chief noted that it was during Duterte’s term that the laws on universal health care, free tertiary education, expanded maternity leave, and free public internet access, among other significant legislative measures, were passed.
“At the height of the pandemic, Congress and the Executive worked together to produce pieces of legislation designed to help address and cushion the socioeconomic impact of the ongoing public health crisis, such as the Bayanihan laws, General Appropriations Act of 2021, and COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act,” he added.
The Speaker also said it was under this administration that the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act—a long-overdue legislation that aims to improve the lives of poor coconut farmers and their beneficiaries—was enacted.
“I look at the President’s term as a whole, and he has definitely done a lot for this country in those years that he’s the leader of our nation,” Velasco said.