A good SONA

PHILIPPINES - In Brief 25 Jul 2022 by Romeo Bernardo

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President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. today gave his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before congress. The speech was forward-looking, without the usual finger pointing of inherited problems, reminding listeners that this administration is in part a continuity of the last one. This is evident not only in his insistence on continuing infrastructure projects started by the past administration but importantly, in the absence of any mention of his father’s administration and legacy. Nevertheless, the program laid out by the President has ample new elements, marking the change in regime. We find it especially notable that the President began the speech with his medium-term fiscal program, citing specific targets through the end of his six-year term. We took this as his way of setting the parameters for the many spending programs in the rest of his speech, including in agriculture, health, education, social protection, infrastructure, among others. He went the extra step of naming specific new tax legislation, including imposing value-added tax on digital transactions that he said will raise P11.7 billion in new money for government. Sitting through the over one hour long speech, we thought that he said all the right things, including promising no more lockdowns and speeding up roll-out of booster shots which will also allow in-person schooling to resume. His assertive stance with regards the country’s claim in the West Philippine Sea / South China Sea as well as his embrace of public-private partnerships (PPP) for pursuing infrastructure are also notable statements. At the end of his speech, he listed 19 pieces of legislation that he wanted the 19th congress to pass. (Tab...