EVERY State of the Nation Address (SONA) invites different reactions. Some listen as economists. Others listen as politicians or business leaders. I find myself listening as someone who comes from Mindanao, where government policies are often felt much later than they are announced.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth SONA devoted significant attention to agriculture, food security, irrigation, education, health care and infrastructure. These are important priorities because they directly affect the lives of millions of Filipinos living outside our major cities. The challenge, as always, is making sure that these commitments reach the communities that have waited the longest.
For many rural families, development is not measured by the length of a speech or the number of programs announced. It is measured by simpler questions. Did irrigation finally reach the farm? Is there a doctor at the rural health unit? Can fishermen earn enough despite rising costs? Can children attend school without their parents worrying about transportation or food?
These are ordinary questions, but they are the questions that define everyday life in the countryside.
As someone who comes from Mindanao, I also see development through the lens of peace. Peace is not only about ending armed conflict. It also means creating opportunities that remove the reasons why many communities remain trapped in poverty. A road can become a path to education. A reliable irrigation system can prevent hunger. A functioning school can become a community’s strongest protection against violence and extremism.
The president spoke about continuing existing programs instead of constantly introducing new ones. There is wisdom in that approach. Government should not only be good at launching projects; it should also be good at finishing them. Rural communities have seen too many projects that began with enthusiasm but never reached their intended beneficiaries.
One part of the SONA that deserves close attention is agriculture. Farmers and fisherfolk have carried enormous burdens in recent years — from extreme weather to rising production costs. Announcing support is important, but implementation will determine whether these commitments make a real difference. Rural Filipinos do not expect miracles. They simply expect consistency.
From an Islamic perspective, leadership is an amanah, a trust. Each holding public office is a steward not simply with authority; but with responsibility. Every policy should ultimately answer one question: does it improve the lives of those who have the least? That principle is as relevant in governance as it is in faith.
The countryside has never asked to be treated as an afterthought. Rural communities feed our nation, protect our watersheds and preserve many of our cultural traditions. They deserve to be viewed not as beneficiaries of development but as partners in building it.
The true measure of this year’s SONA will not be the applause inside the session hall. It will be what happens in the months ahead. If farmers harvest more because irrigation finally works, if rural clinics become more accessible, if schools become better equipped, and if communities in Mindanao continue to experience both peace and opportunity, then the promises made in the SONA will have found their meaning.
That is the perspective from the countryside. Progress is not judged by what is announced in Manila. It is judged by what reaches the last barangay.
