SONA 2023: A homework guide for kids

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday at the Batasang Pambansa before members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Marcos spoke about the successes achieved by the country so far in his term and the challenges remaining in the Philippines's post-pandemic economic recovery.

Here are the issues the President discussed in his second SONA.

1. Inflation

According to the President, inflation has been the biggest problem for the country, but the inflation rate is now improving.

"From 8.7% in January, our inflation has continued to ease up in all regions, settling at 5.4 % this June," he said. "What this means is that in spite of all the difficulties, we are transforming the economy. We are stabilizing the prices of all critical commodities."

Marcos said Kadiwa stores were a huge help in lowering the prices of goods like rice, meat, fish, vegetables, and sugar. Kadiwa connects farmers directly to consumers, allowing farmers to earn good income and consumers to save expenses.

Over 1.8 million families benefited from Kadiwa stores, which has sold around P700 million worth of goods and gave jobs to members of over 3,000 cooperatives and associations.

2. Food security

To help achieve food security, the President vowed to crack down on smugglers and hoarders who manipulate the price of agricultural products.

"Pandaraya ang kanilang ginagawa. Napapahamak hindi lamang ang mga magsasaka, kundi tayo na ring mga ma-mimili. Kaya hindi natin papayagan ang ganitong kalakaran. Bilang na ang mga araw ng mga smugglers at hoarders na 'yan," he said.

Marcos also asked the help of Congress to amend the Fisheries Code and the Cooperative Code, with the goal of implementing a science-based analysis to determine fishing areas and establishing more cooperatives to bring farmers together.

Other efforts to increase agricultural production include use of biofertilizers, distribution of better quality seeds and machinery, implementation of fuel and fertilizer discount vouchers, providing irrigation for 49,000 hectares of farmland, and construction of 600 kilometers of farm to market roads and over 4,000 fabrication labs as well as  production and cold storage facilities.

3. Water security

Aside from food security, Marcos identified water security as an issue of fundamental importance, especially with the threat of El Niño.

The President said his administration has created the Water Resources Management Office to handle this issue. He is also continuing his pursuit of a Department of Water Resource Management, one of his priority bills from last year's SONA.

This year, the government also allocated P14.6 billion for water supply projects across the country. A total of 6,000 rainwater collection systems have been installed. Meanwhile, the first phase of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project has helped the water supply of the National Capital Region and Rizal.

4. Infrastructure

The President boasted of the P8.3 trillion-worth "Build Better More" program, which aims to complete 194 projects – 123 of them new – that will benefit the whole country.

Some of the projects include the Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program spanning 1,200 kilometers, which will connect the Ilocos and Bicol regions and reduce travel time from 20 hours to just nine hours.

The Mega-Bridge Program, meanwhile, will construct 12 bridges connecting islands and lands separated by bodies of water. Among these Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, and Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge.

Completed projects include Cebu's Pier 88 smart port and the new passenger terminal buildings of Clark Airport and the Port of Calapan, as well as 4,000 kilometers of roads and around 500 bridges.

5. Energy

Marcos said the government has built eight additional power plants to address the power generation needs of the country, bringing the total to 17 and increasing energy production. He added that almost 500,000 homes gained access to electricity since he assumed office.

"We will spare no effort to achieve full household-electrification by the end of my term. 100% electrification is within our reach," he said.

His administration is also actively pursuing renewable energy, opening such projects to foreign investments. According to the President, over 1,000 projects are currently ongoing in the country, with 436 hydroelectric, 299 solar, 187 wind, 58 biomass, 36 geothermal, and nine ocean-powered. An additional 126 renewable energy contracts have also been awarded.

However, Marcos reported that 68 grid connection projects have been delayed. The government is currently conducting a performance review of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. One good news is the country now has a Unified National Grid for a "One Grid, One Market" system to help achieve more competitive pricing and efficient energy transfers.

6. Education

The President boasted of the launch of the MATATAG Agenda for basic education. Newly created teaching positions are now 90% filled and additional administrative personnel have also been hired. The DepEd Partnership Assistance Portal is also in place to help partners from the private sector provide assistance in addressing the shortage of classrooms and facilities.

Marcos also shared that a total of 52 higher education institutions have been included in the World Universities Rankings, more than double of the 15 last year.

Among graduates of technical-vocational education and training (TVET), one-third are scholars of Technical Education And Skills Development Authority.

7. Science and Technology

The government is exerting efforts to improve research and development in the country. Under the Balik-Scientist Program, 44 scientists have returned to the country to conduct studies in various fields while being supported with upgraded facilities and funding.

Two additional satellites have also been launched to collect data on weather, soil, traffic, water supply, and population shifts which can help in crafting risk management responses and policies.

8. Health

According to Marcos, his administration is working towards universal healthcare. Several programs have been launched to address nutritional needs of Filipinos, especially children. Among these are the Food Stamp Program (FSP), the First 1,000 Days program, the Supplemental Feeding Program and the K-to-6 Program.

The price of several important medicines have also been lowered by around 40%, some up to 90%. Strategic VAT exemption and maximum retail price regulation have also lowered prices of 59 essential medicines for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney diseases, mental illness, and more.

The new Konsulta Package of PhilHealth also provides 20 types of medicines and 13 laboratory services for free. Konsulta centers now number over 2,000 all over the country, 35% higher than the number last year.

Moreover, patients can now enjoy 156 free dialysis sessions.

9. Employment

The President said the Philippines has signed labor agreements with several countries, such as Singapore, Austria, and the province of Alberta in Canada. Other countries have expressed interest in bilateral labor export cooperation.

Marcos also said that deployment issue of Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia has been resolved and the Crown Prince himself assured that unpaid salaries and other claims of 14,000 OFWs who have been put out of work during the pandemic will be settled.

Meanwhile, the government has also resolved the European Union's recognition of Filipino seafarers' standards of training after 17 years. The EU has assured continued employment of 50,000 workers and deployment of more Filipino seafarers.

"It is our wish that one day foreign employment will be driven by choice, not by necessity," Marcos said. "It remains a noble calling that our OFWs have answered, requiring great sacrifice from them, their families, and their communities."

10. Digitalization

In terms of digitalization, the President said that his administration aims to streamline services such as government payments, company and business registrations, issuance of permits and licenses, loan applications, and revenue collection.

The eGov PH app has been launched to integrate key government services in one centralized application. To this end, the National ID system and the SIM registration law will be utilized to create a reliable digital database and protect consumers from identity theft, phishing, and other risks.

Internet speed is also an important factor in digitalization. Marcos said the country's broadband speed has been improving, ranking 47th among 180 countries or 11 places higher than it was last year. Mobile internet speed is now ranked 83rd out of 142 countries, eight places higher than last year.

Starlink also went live in the Philippines earlier this year and the National Fiber Backbone and Broadband ng Masa projects are prioritizing geographically isolated areas.

11. Housing

To address the housing needs of Filipinos, Marcos said that over 148,000 homes and over 30,000 certificates of eligibility of lot award have been distributed across the country under various government programs.

The Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing Program (4PH) was also launched last year to expand affordable housing programs to serve more Filipinos. Groundbreaking has already been conducted in 25 locations and agreements have been signed to start construction in over 100 locations.

Over the past year, more than 100,000 applicants also availed of a housing loan from PAGIBIG, totaling P117 billion – the highest in history of the fund.

12. Climate resilience

The President affirmed the country's commitment to global decarbonization goals and reduction of carbon footprint, adopting the concept of "circular economy" for sustainable development.

"We can never lose sight of our responsibility to the future. The economic agenda cannot and will not ever be incompatible with our climate change agenda," he said.

With climate change also bringing about extreme weather events, Marcos said the country's evacuation centers are being improved to withstand natural and man-made disasters. Fifty-five new evacuation centers have also been completed.

—LA, GMA Integrated News