Former Vice President and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo outlined her expectations for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), emphasizing that the annual speech must balance accountability for past accomplishments with a concrete roadmap for the administration’s remaining tenure.
Robredo, a former political rival of Marcos in the 2016 vice-presidential and 2022 presidential races, offered her perspective as a local chief executive, noting that citizens need transparency regarding completed government work alongside future plans.
”Marami tayong pangangailangan, pero interesado tayo, ano ‘yung mai-expect natin in the next two years? Pero tingin ko kasi mahalaga din ‘yung report nung ano ‘yung nagawa. Kasi I think, marami din ‘yung hindi nakakaalam ‘yung maraming ginagawa ng pamahalaan,” Robredo said.
Highlighting national government support in Naga City, Robredo credited key agencies for assisting with local infrastructure and urban development needs.
She noted that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has helped ease the city’s housing backlog caused by rapid urbanization, while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) selected Naga as a pilot site for its “Oplan Kontra Baha,” providing heavy equipment and civil works to mitigate flooding.
Furthermore, Robredo commended improvements in the accessibility and transparency of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), contrastingly noting that LGUs previously struggled to access these resources.
”Kasi hindi ‘yun nararamdaman natin. Alam na natin dati, ng tao, na may LGSF… ang hirap mag-apply, mahirap mag-access. Tapos ‘pag tinanong mo, halimbawa dito sa Metro Naga… before nung pagbaba ng LGSF this year, walang nakaka-access no’n… this year, ‘yung mabuting ginawa ng pamahalaan, lahat meron. At transparent ‘yung formula na ginamit… iba-iba ‘yung amount kasi siyempre depende sa population, depende sa laki ng lugar,” she explained.
Through Naga’s ₱32-million LGSF allocation, the city funded rice assistance for low-income families and distributed ₱200,000 to each barangay for localized priority initiatives, including educational assistance.
”Ang ₱100,000 noon para sa five scholars na graduating students… dahil nagbigay ka ng ₱20,000 sa limang graduating students from your barangay… ang tinulungan mong maka-graduate ngayong year, ang dami,” she added.
Barangays allocated the remaining funds toward local needs, such as solar panels, CCTV systems, and audio equipment.
Moving forward, Robredo expressed hope that national budget allocations like the LGSF will expand to further assist lower-income LGUs that rely on national funding for basic services.