ON July 27, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will deliver his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA). His 2025 address is best remembered for his riveting “Mahiya naman kayo! (Have some shame!)” remark. It was a direct rebuke of the multibillion-peso flood-control corruption scandal that involved legislators, contractors and public works officials. Marcos’ anti-corruption message mostly eclipsed the other priorities he outlined in his 2025 SONA, such as higher funding for education; support for micro, small and medium enterprises; health care; and infrastructure.
The 2025 SONA also came across as his sober acknowledgment of the government’s continued failure to deliver better public services. He touched on sensitive subjects, such as the growing frustration over inflation, food security, governance and overseas Filipino worker welfare. Emphasis was given to job creation, which the president admitted has become more difficult in light of geopolitical conflicts and the global economic slowdown. He also shifted to peace-and-order concerns, such as the disappearance of the “sabungeros” (cockfight enthusiasts) that dominated national headlines.
What the 2025 SONA missed, however, was the opportunity to convey a clear and purposive Philippine strategic direction amid the Red Sea conflict, global headwinds, and China’s rise as a regional power. Last year’s SONA failed to rally Filipinos around a common national vision of how the country should rise above its divisions and what it takes to achieve this by 2040. Instead, the SONA largely remained a laundry list of what the president promises to deliver within the year.
Sometimes, the 2025 SONA appeared more like an exercise in firefighting amid the litany of problems that burdened the republic for decades. The same recurring challenges — poverty, corruption, joblessness, inadequate infrastructure, classroom shortages, and poor health care — have preoccupied every administration, making governments myopic and unable to refocus on more strategic concerns. Unfortunately, the Philippines remains trapped in a vicious cycle of domestic crises, unable to establish a stable and respectable stature in the community of nations.
Now, in his 2026 SONA, President Marcos will face even more daunting threats to his administration. The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has further polarized the nation. Many Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao continue to support Duterte despite the charges against her. Recent surveys have shown that her approval ratings continue to be strong in those regions. Politicians aligned with her are already sharpening their swords for the 2028 presidential derby as anti-Duterte forces remain divided and unable to reconcile behind a single standard-bearer. The possibility of the vice president winning the presidency is now serious.
The 2026 SONA has to confront the geopolitical conflicts that pose threats to the country’s economy. Surging fuel prices have weakened consumer spending; fewer jobs are expected as business investment slowed down, and disinformation on social media continues to sow and deepen national divisions. While our Southeast Asian neighbors steadily grew and improved their competitiveness, our people’s energies are often sapped by political intramurals and security concerns. Much of our productivity is also lost to endless social media scrolling, trivial posts, gossip and rumors.
Filipinos are often moved more by dramatic narratives, but it is the consequential issues that will shape the future that is often ignored in the SONA. I surmise that the 2026 SONA will be the same, highlighting the viral events that have caught the nation’s attention. Three readily come to mind: the Tacloban school shooting, the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Mindanao, and the jailing of two senators for plunder. Yet while these issues dominate public discourse, developments in the West Philippine Sea — including the latest confrontation near Scarborough Shoal involving a Philippine Marine struck on the head by Chinese personnel — must be addressed because of their long-term implications for national security and regional peace.
The habit of focusing on headline issues over long-term strategy has been the fundamental flaw of previous SONAs. They are often crafted and articulated to respond to immediate and parochial concerns of Filipinos rather than underline a long-term national direction. They promise us what the country needs today, but forgo where the country could be tomorrow.
As a result, the SONA becomes more of political theater rather than an annual event of deep strategic reflection: where is the country now, where do we want to take her, and what kind of future do we aspire to build. Without such a clear vision, every SONA only erodes people’s hopes that there is, indeed, a better destiny for Filipinos.
