By Brian Campued
Nearly two weeks after delivering his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his commitment to sustaining government efforts to address the needs of the Filipino people despite concerns on various issues left unaddressed in his July 27 speech.
In his vlog posted on Saturday, President Marcos Jr. answered some questions sent by letter-senders regarding his SONA, and narrated how he prepared for the penultimate address, from his widely lauded speech to his chosen attire.
Among the queries raised by the public, according to the President, were the status of healthcare programs in the country. The President assured that various initiatives are in place to address the gaps in the Philippine healthcare system.
He cited the continuous implementation of the Zero Balance Billing policy in public hospitals to help reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of Filipinos confined in basic accommodation or wards, as well as the expansion of hemodialysis sessions for patients with chronic kidney disease and the rollout of Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP).
He likewise highlighted the updated list of medicines that have been exempted from value-added tax. According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), more than 2,200 medicines are now exempted from VAT, including those for cancer, hypertension, diabetes, mental illnesses, high cholesterol, kidney diseases, and tuberculosis.
“Pinadami na natin ang suporta ng PhilHealth para sa mga nagda-dialysis at saka ‘yung tulong natin para sa mga gamot ay dinagdagan natin… Bukod pa ron ay para sa mga nag-cancer, para sa mga HIV, AIDS, para sa mga mental health, lahat ‘yan ay pinarami natin at ito’y tulong para naman mas maging maginhawa ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan at makatulong tayo sa kanilang kalusugan,” Marcos Jr. said.
“Kaya’t napakataas na priority ang kalusugan ng ating kabataan, ang kalusugan ng ating mamamayan.”
The President also underscored the administration’s programs to address hunger and malnutrition among young Filipinos.
He stressed the role of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Program in ensuring that Filipinos experiencing involuntary hunger are being assisted.
The administration is likewise strengthening support for local governments through special allocations intended to provide direct financial assistance to fund priority local projects and distribute 10-kilo sacks of rice for free to vulnerable families.
The Department of Education is also helming the nationwide School-Based Feeding Program to combat malnutrition and improve the academic performance of undernourished learners.
“Hindi magiging maganda ang kalagayan ng ating bansa kung ang ating mga kababayan ay ginugutom,” Marcos Jr. said.
“Titiyakin natin na kung meron pa tayong maaring gawin para tugunan ang mga inyong binabanggit na problema ay asahan ninyo gagawin naman ng inyong pamahalaan ito.”
Behind the SONA
Given the stacked daily schedule of a President, the public became curious how Marcos Jr. found time to write and finalize his speech for his 5th SONA.
The Chief Executive explained that preparations usually begin weeks before the actual SONA, with a dedicated team formed to discuss the topics to be addressed in the speech and the research needed to be done to substantiate the narrative.
“Ginawa namin yung flow. Ano yung mauuna, ano yung mahuhuli, ano yung nasa gitna. Pagkatapos no’n, syempre nilinis na namin. Pinaganda ko ‘yung lengguwahe. Nagbago tayo ng kaunting mga salita. ‘Yung iba in-English ko, ‘yung iba ginawa kong Tagalog. Dahan-dahan binuo namin,” he said.
He also stressed that written text is tailored differently from spoken text, with the latter incorporating elements of rhetoric to be able to create impact on the audience.
“Ang final na draft… ang actual na speech na ginamit ko, tiniyak ko na nasa boses ko ang lalabas,” Marcos Jr. said, noting that he often revises his speech real-time to better deliver his message.
He also emphasized the need to ensure that the speech would not be too long as it could bore the listeners, but not too short as it would leave many important topics unaddressed.
For his attire, the President said that while he ultimately chooses what he wears on formal occasions such as the SONA, his sister, Irene, was always the one proposing various barong designs.
Days before the SONA, Marcos Jr. said that he repeatedly rehearsed his speech, including the timing in delivering certain sections, his posture, and the modulation of his voice.
And then came the long-awaited day, he had no other things in mind but the SONA—carrying with him not just a physical copy of his speech but also his intent to deliver what the administration accomplished in the past year as well as the goals and priorities set for the years to come.
“Alam ko na ang SONA ay higit pa sa isang talumpati. Marami pang trabaho ang kailangang gawin para maisabuhay ang lahat ng ating tinatalakay at minimithi bilang isang bayan. Ang inyong aktibong pakikilahok sa mga usaping panlipunan ay mga katangian ng pagiging isang bagong Pilipino,” the President said.
-jpv
