By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
In the same hall where he once said “the state of the nation is sound,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday returned to Congress to mark the halfway point of his presidency, this time with a firmer call to action.
“Isantabi na natin ang ating pagkakaiba, at magkasundo na sa tatlong bagay na nagbibigkis sa atin: sa ating pagiging Pilipino, ang ating pagiging makabansa, at ang ating sinumpaang tungkulin sa taumbayan,” Marcos said in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
In a brisk but resolute speech that lasted one hour and 10 minutes, slightly shorter than last year’s one hour and 22 minutes, Marcos mapped out the next half of his presidency, laying out a sweeping agenda on jobs, food, education, healthcare, infrastructure, good governance, and security.
He also directly confronted long-simmering public frustration with government inefficiencies.
According to the President, the economy is doing well, business confidence is up, inflation is down, and jobs have increased based on the latest data.
But all of these, he said, are meaningless, mere decoration, if Filipinos are still struggling in their daily lives.
“Kaya sa huling tatlong taon ng administrasyon, ibubuhos pa natin ang lahat-lahat. Hindi lamang upang mapantayan, kundi mahigitan pa ang pagbibigay-ginhawa sa ating mga kababayan,” Marcos said.
His 2025 SONA drew at least 124 rounds of applause, with the loudest and longest for his order to audit billions of pesos worth of flood control projects, many of which have failed to address massive flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Jobs, microenterprise at the core
“Maayos na hanapbuhay talaga ang mabisang pantiyak laban sa kahirapan at laban sa gutom,” Marcos declared.
He reported that the unemployment rate is down to four percent and pledged to help 2.5 million poor families start microenterprises through government capital, training, and interest- and collateral-free loans.
Agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) and Development will coordinate to deliver these programs, Marcos said.
P20 rice, feeding program scale-up
Marcos also showcased the rollout of P20-per-kilo rice in select areas as “proof of possibility,” noting that farmers still made a profit under the subsidy scheme.
“Ito ang aking tugon. Napatunayan natin na kaya na natin ang bente pesos sa bawat kilo ng bigas nang hindi malulugi ang mga magsasaka!” he said, to strong applause.
The government also expanded its nationwide feeding program for schoolchildren, following promising results in early pilots.
“Ipinagpapatuloy ng DSWD at ng DepEd [Department of Education] ang feeding program nila para sa mga daycare center at pampublikong paaralan, na nakapagbigay ng masustansyang pagkain at gatas sa mahigit tatlo’t kalahating milyong mag-aaral sa buong bansa,” Marcos said.
“Dahil alam naman natin, basta’t may laman ang tiyan, may laman ang isipan,” he added.
Kadiwa outlets will also be expanded nationwide, Marcos said, while warning smugglers and hoarders, “Hahabulin namin kayo… dahil ang ginagawa ninyo ay economic sabotage.”
Water woes
While not naming names, Marcos took aim at failing water service providers, just weeks after the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) submitted a critical report to Malacañang widely believed to center on PrimeWater, which is operated by the Villar family and has drawn complaints from residents in multiple provinces.
“Titiyakin nating mapapanagot ang mga nagpabaya at nagkulang sa mahalagang serbisyong-publiko na ito,” he said.
Teaching overload pay, deeper education reforms
In a nod to long-standing demands, the President said public school teachers will now receive payment for overtime and overload pay.
He also touted the opening of 60,000 new teaching positions and vowed to build 40,000 more classrooms, alongside reforms to teaching loads and training.
The key reforms include the integration of tech-voc education into Senior High School, the pilot of Grade 13, and free laptops for teachers and counseling support for students.
Unrelenting drug war, missing ‘sabungeros’ case
On the government’s anti-drug campaign, Marcos said law enforcers will continue to go after drug dealers.
“Sa tatlong taon lamang, halos mapantayan na ang kabuuang huli noong nakaraang administrasyon,” he said.
“Sa kabila ng mga ito, tila nagbabalikan daw ang mga pusher. Kaya, patuloy ang ating mga operasyon laban sa mga drug dealer, big-time man o small-time.”
Breaking his silence on a high-profile mystery, the President vowed justice for the missing “sabungeros,” or cockfighting enthusiasts, believed to have been abducted by crime syndicates.
“Nagtutulungan ang buong pamahalaan para lutasin ang mga kaso ng mga nawawala dahil sa walang pakundangang kagagawan ng mga sindikato sa likod ng madilim na mundo ng mga sabungan,” he said.
The Chief Executive also vowed to hunt down and hold accountable the masterminds and those involved, whether civilians or officials.
“Kahit malakas, mabigat, o mayaman, hindi sila mangi-ngibabaw sa batas,” he said.
Flood control audit: Standing ovation, loudest cheer
The most thunderous applause of the day came when Marcos ordered a full audit of all flood control projects, blasting costly but ineffective infrastructure.
This was following the recent floods in various areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces triggered by monsoon rains and clogged waterways, which exposed flaws in flood mitigation projects despite billions of pesos in spending.
“‘Wag na po tayong magkunwari. Alam naman ng buong madla na nagkakaraket sa mga proyekto… Kaya sa mga nakikipag-sabwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!” Marcos said.
“Mahiya naman kayo sa mga kabahayan nating naanod o nalubog sa baha. Mahiya naman kayo lalo sa mga anak natin na magmamana sa mga utang na ginawa ninyo, na binulsa niyo lang ang pera,” he added.
Unity, direction, discipline — and heart
Marcos closed his fourth SONA with a message both reflective and resolute, a personal pledge shaped by the lessons of his first three years in office.
“Ito ang magbibigay sa akin ng bago at pinag-ibayong gana sa trabaho, sigla sa serbisyo, at dedikasyon sa Pilipino,” he said.
“Huwag nating hayaang malihis ang ating pagtuon at pagtahak sa landas ng kaunlaran, dahil nasa abot-tanaw na natin ito. Ito ang dapat nating patunguhan. At kayang-kaya natin itong marating at maisakatuparan.”
As applause echoed in the hallowed Batasang Pambansa hall, Marcos exited with a renewed challenge to finish strong.
