PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address will be simple: From the attire to be worn by the guests down to the food to be served for them, an official said Thursday.
House deputy secretary-general for legislative operations Artemio Adasa Jr. said musician “Bayang Barrios”—Junelie Otero Barrios in real life—will sing the National Anthem for the Sona.
Barrios, a Manobo, sang the campaign jingle Bagong Umaga or New Morning of Senator Grace Poe for this year’s elections. She is a prolific singer from Agusan del Sur who debuted as a solo singer in her 1997 album Bayang Makulay, and was previously associated with the Bagong Lumad band of Filipino music icon Joey Ayala.
During President Duterte’s inauguration in Malacañang on June 30, veteran OPM artist Freddie Aguilar sang his composition “Para Sa Tunay Na Pagbabago,” where the song featured the melody of his old hit “Ipaglaban Mo” but with different lyrics.
Duterte has said Aguilar is his favorite singer whom he described as “a singer with a social conscience.”
Adasa said the expenses for the food during the Sona would be “very minimal” compared to previous the previous Sonas.
“We have reduced our expenses to more than two hundred thousand pesos. We simplified the menu, of course,” Adasa said.
The Sona attendees are expected to wear business clothes and not clothes for a party.
Adasa said the public might see a “very short” Sona as Duterte was expected to do away with the traditional handshakes with lawmakers and guests upon his arrival at the Batasan Complex.
At least 3,000 guests, including Vice President Leni Robredo, former Presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III, ex-Vice Presidents Teofisto Guingona Jr., Noli de Castro and Jejomar Binay, the members of Congress, the Cabinet, the judiciary, the diplomatic corps, government officials like former Speaker Prospero Nograles, reporters as well as Duterte’s family and friends have been invited.