What do we want to hear when the President delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) this Monday, July 27, 2020 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
The admin's plans for the sectors affected by COVID-19, especially our local government and business leaders who expect the President to lay out his recovery plan, not just for the economy, but also for all the classes of society.
Duterte should also recognize the weaknesses of the administration and ensure that steps are being taken to address them.
More than numbers and an alphabet soup of government programs, Filipinos want to hear a plan of action and assurance that, with or without a vaccine, President Duterte will lead the country out of the pandemic’s worst.
As expected, Vice President Leni Robredo has not been invited to attend the SONA. The VP has been against this administration from the start. Her office holds no real political power nor function other than to be a spare tire meant to be kept under the trunk. She will just watch the SONA livestream.
Commuter, transportation, and labor groups called on the President to stop the implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, as the country continued to reel on the effects of the pandemic. In a statement signed by 25 groups and unions, they strongly urged the President to slam the brakes on the PUV modernization program and instead work on a more comprehensive plan together with stakeholders.
Farmer and fisherfolk groups stressed how their struggles continue to be "ignored" under the present administration.
Artists are also exploring different ways to express their dissent. They've thrown criticisms over the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the threat of the anti-terror law.
Opposition groups slammed a move by the government to ban rallies, but which the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said was in accordance with health and quarantine protocols against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
With the quarantine restrictions, protesters will veer away from the traditional burning of effigy as the centerpiece of this year’s SONA protests.
"Why does Duterte's SONA need an expensive movie director like filmmaker Joyce Bernal to set up?
Maybe to create an illusion, like all movies do.
Because, let's be honest: there never was any real substance in all of Duterte's SONA. Same thing this year, it's still not gonna be of any substance.
As always, this SONA will be hinged entirely on "illusion".
What are your expectations in today's #SONA2020? #WeHealAsOne #WeRecoverAsOne
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