When President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today at the Batasang Pambansa after his resounding triumph in the May 9 general elections, he will have the opportunity to present to the Filipino people and their elected representatives in the legislature his vision for the nation in the next six years.
President Marcos draws from his experience as a local government executive in Ilocos Norte province and as congressman and senator to sit as the highest elected official in the entire country and the rare chance to decisively lead it to a new era of economic progress, political stability and social concord.
The new president’s mandate to serve as the Chief Executive rests on the 31 million votes he obtained in the recent polls.
But history will judge him on what he can do to secure a better future for 110 million Filipinos—and counting—in his six years in office.
The challenges are daunting.
First of all, he has to revive the economy brought to its knees by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020.
To do this, he has to attract more investments from both domestic and foreign sources to perk up economic activity and shore up confidence in the capacity of government to effectively execute economic policies and programs.
Second, he has to keep the bureaucracy working at peak efficiency.
A serious and sustained campaign against corruption at all levels must be launched to restore public confidence in their government. This must go hand-in-hand with a sustained drive to maintain law and order throughout the country.
Third, he has to exert every effort to reduce poverty incidence in the country.
The Marcos administration has the unique opportunity to make a
difference in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged sectors, by creating job and livelihood opportunities while giving them the means to avail of monthly cash subsidies through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
And fourth, he has to pursue an independent foreign policy that seeks to uphold national sovereignty and national interests at all times, whether it’s dealing with Washington or Beijing.
The general policy is that we should make no enemies where we can make friends. That’s easier said than done, but a realistic pathway nonetheless.
“Unity” was the overarching theme of the Marcos Jr. campaign for the May polls.
Now that he occupies the highest elective post, then he has to make good on his pledge to unite the nation on a comprehensive reform program in the economic, political and social spheres.
The Marcos administration has the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged sectors, by creating job and livelihood opportunities while giving them the means to avail of monthly cash subsidies through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps”