BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
MDNN National News (July 25) – No less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr is going to deliver his first state of the nation (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa today, July 25, 2022.
The president’s speech will be challenging as the country is faced with huge problems such as the spiraling of prices in basic commodities, the rise of the dollars from the peso, the continuing threats of the virus, economic dilemmas and a lot more.
According to his Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, the SONA of the country’s 17th president will cover economic recovery as millions of Filipinos are struggling from poverty brought about by the deadly attacks of the Covid-19 virus. Millions have lost their jobs since 2019, and even big corporations like Jollibee and Dunkin Donuts have to close hundreds of their franchises and branches because of the pandemic.
Rodriguez added that aside from economic recovery the president’s speech will also discuss how the country tackled the challenges of the pandemic and its continuing fight against Covid-19. Also, among the major discussions include the upcoming face-to-face classes that will be spearheaded by the Department of Education (DePEd)
Right now DepEd is headed by no less than Vice President Sara Duterte herself.
But Rodriguez also said the SONA will be as simple as it is being planned over the past few weeks. Even though it will be attended by dignitaries, past presidents of the country, senators, members of the Lower House, diplomatic corps, justices, specially invited guests, businessmen and members of the Marcos administration cabinets.
Meanwhile, militant groups are also expected to hold protest rallies from all over the country as a way of echoing their grievances to the national leadership.
Earlier the group condemned the unstoppable rise of the dollar against the peso, the economic crisis brought about by the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, and all other issues the group believed, must be prioritized by the new administration of the son of the country’s ‘tagged dictator.’
Big expectations
The 31 million Filipinos who voted for Bongbong in the last presidential elections have high hopes the new president will deliver his promise, especially in his economic reform agenda.
