In his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. detailed the major achievements of his first four years in office while outlining a roadmap for the remaining two years of his term.
Shifting focus away from launching broad new initiatives, the President centered his address on finishing ongoing reforms, curbing corruption, reducing energy costs, broadening economic opportunities, improving public services, and defending national sovereignty.
Addressing anti-graft measures, Marcos highlighted progress in investigating alleged flood control project irregularities, noting that nearly ₱25 billion in funds and assets have been frozen, recovered, or preserved, with over ₱800 million already returned to the National Treasury.
He stated these recovered resources are being funneled into education, healthcare, food security, and PhilHealth coverage, while legal actions before the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Prosecution Service remain active.
To tackle high electricity costs, Marcos urged Congress to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to ban distribution utilities from passing system loss fees and their corresponding value-added tax (VAT) onto electricity consumers.
”Hindi naman kasalanan ng konsyumer kung bakit nagkaroon ng systems loss. Kaya hindi naman tama na kailangan sila pa ang pagbabayarin dito… Therefore, we the people request — no, we demand — the immediate amendment of the EPIRA and to prohibit charging systems loss against consumers, including the value-added tax thereon.”
On the economic front, the President reported that the Green Lanes for Strategic Investments initiative has driven over ₱6 trillion in investments in three years, projected to generate more than 400,000 jobs.
He pointed to strategic investments in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, logistics, AI, and the Pax Silica hub as drivers integrating the Philippines into global supply chains.
Agriculture and food security also took center stage, with Marcos noting expanded investments in farm mechanization, cold storage, irrigation reservoirs, and post-harvest facilities, paired with AI, satellite tools, and solar irrigation systems to build climate resilience for farmers.
Regarding social services, the administration’s expanded School Feeding Program now reaches over 4.5 million kindergarten, Grade 1, and at-risk students. Health sector updates included the expansion of PhilHealth’s GAMOT program to 75 essential medications and VAT exemptions for more than 2,000 drugs used to treat chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health conditions.
Reaffirming the nation’s stance on territorial integrity and the West Philippine Sea, Marcos delivered a firm message on national dignity:
”Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield.”
”Sa mga pang-aalipusta, hindi tayo matitinag. Sa manlulupig, hindi tayo pasisiil.”
Closing his address, Marcos called on Filipinos to stay united as his administration enters its final stretch to deliver on its pledges.
”Sa nalalabing dalawang taon ng administrasyon, tatapusin natin ang mga nasimulan, at tutuparin ang ating pangako sa sambayanan. My beloved countrymen, let us continue the work that we have started… There is no nobler cause than this. We do this for our children. We do this for our future.”