SONA 2021: A homework guide for kids

President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

The SONA is an annual report the President makes to the two houses of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, only a limited number of lawmakers physically attended the event at Batasang Pambansa. Other government officials tuned in remotely via Zoom.

Here are some highlights of the president's speech:

COVID-19 pandemic

Duterte said the government improved the country’s testing capacity and the bed capacity of treatment and monitoring facilities nationwide.

Modular hospitals and mega quarantine facilities were also established with the help of the private sector.

The Philippines has received over 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and more are expected to arrive in the next month.

The president also expressed concern about the “far more aggressive” Delta variant of COVID-19, which has already reached the country.

“If it is really dangerous, we have to go back to lockdown,” he said.

Anti-drug war

The president looked back on his anti-drug campaign, one of his main platforms when he ran in 2016.

He said the police have been overwhelmed with the drug trade problem, but they have been seizing millions worth of illegal drugs and arresting hundreds of people in connection with the proliferation of drugs.

Campaign against communism

Duterte also mentioned the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

He said thousands of communist rebels have surrendered to the government and they are reintegrating into society.

“I am confident the support for the communist movement will continue to erode in the next few months,” he said.

Marawi rehabilitation

The president celebrated the victory in Marawi in 2017, saying that the patriotism of Filipinos is “far stronger than any extremist group.”

The city, however, is still far from getting rebuilt, so Duterte told Task Force Bangon Marawi to “race against time” so that the displaced families can return to their homes.

Transportation and mobility

“We have taken away the misery of public commuting,” the president said, boasting of the improvements in the MRT-3 and the road infrastructure in Metro Manila.

More trains now ply the route daily, the waiting time in between trips has been reduced, and the speed of the trains have doubled from 30 kilometers per hour to 60 kilometers per hour.

Duterte also mentioned the Kalayaan Bridge linking Ortigas Center and Bonifacio Global City, which reduced the travel time between two business districts.

Meanwhile, the validity of the Philippine passport was increased to 10 years and the driver’s license to five years.

Government services

The president also said he long wanted to solve the queuing problem in availing government services. The Ease of Doing Business Act was passed in 2018 to address this issue.

Duterte said he also hopes to establish a central business portal which can handle all business transactions and improve the country’s competitiveness in the business arena.

Business and jobs

Duterte said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) also received assistance from the government as the pandemic affected economic activity in the past year.

The government is also working with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines in helping sectors that were hit hard by the pandemic.

Foreign policy

The president reiterated his position from his previous SONA that the country will pursue an independent foreign policy.

“Gone are the days when the Philippines decides and acts in the shadows of the great powers,” he said. “We will assert what is rightfully ours and fight for what is rightfully due to the Filipino people.”

He looked back on the United States returning the Balangiga bells and Canada taking back their trash from the country.

Duterte also renewed the Philippines’ commitment to ASEAN in pursuing “shared objectives” as a “responsible member of the international community.”

As for the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea, he said he already affirmed the country’s arbitral tribunal award in the United Nations General Assembly but said that he does not want to go to war against China.

Priority bills

Duterte asked the Congress to help establish the country’s own Center for Disease Prevention and Control as well as a virology and vaccine institute so that the Philippines would be more equipped to handle pandemics.

He also hopes to create a Department of Disaster Resilience to help the country become more prepared in dealing with calamities.

The president also wants to establish a single agency that will handle the concerns and issues of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to protect their rights and welfare while working abroad.

While this may be his last SONA, Duterte said he will continue to press the legislative branch to enact laws “vital and critical” to the full recovery and revitalization of our country.

“A peaceful and prosperous Philippines is no longer a distant dream but one within our grasp,” he said. – RC, GMA News