Philippines: Cheaper rice, more jobs, schools, 'build better' blitz and drug arrests — President Marcos Jr's SONA, what he said and left unsaid
Chief executive positions mid-term address as a transition to delivering concrete outcomes
Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) promised subsidised rice, massive classroom expansion, free healthcare upgrades, new power plants, anti-graft crackdowns, and “friend to all” diplomacy, and kept political landmines off the main stage.
Speaking mostly in Filipino at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on Monday (July 28, 2025) he thanked the young voters while he owned up to the his administration's perceived deficiencies.
Marcos Jr acknowledge the unmet expectations under his watch — inflation, infrastructure, inclusive growth, insurgency, and infighting (which he didn't say much about) — which led to the mid-term election underperformance of his senatorial lineup.
The chief executive stated in Filipino: "We need to do better, and do it faster."
Citing official government data, President Marcos positioned this mid-term SONA as a transition to delivering concrete outcomes — focusing on growth, education, health, energy, and anti-corruption, while avoiding volatile political issues.
The tone: action- and results‑oriented governance with measurable milestones for the next three years.
Here's the lowdown of his fourth SONA:
Major announcements
1. Economic resilience & jobs
Inflation remains low; unemployment down to about 4%.
Renewed call for local and foreign investment.
Php20‑per‑kilo rice programme expanded nationwide through hundreds of KADIWA centres, without harming farmers’ incomes
2. Agriculture & food security
Php 113 billion for agriculture: African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccination, modern/mechanised farming, and reviving coconut sector — with target of planting up to 100 million coconut trees.
Assistance to over 8.5 million farmers & fisherfolk via roads, irrigation, equipment, and more.
He also urged Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (CFITFA) to make it more responsive to the needs of farmers and boost exports of the commodity.
3. Education & youth
Largest budget allocation to education: 22,000+ classrooms built and 40,000 more targeted; barangay child development centres funded with Php 1 billion.
60,000 new teaching positions; laptops for teachers; overtime and overload pay initiated; reduction of non-teaching tasks and paperwork.
Expansion of tech-voc tracks, scholarship support, free college education to 2 M+ students, plus 260,000 more scholarships.
Launch of Presidential Merit Scholarships; emphasis on mental health and early childhood care in schools.
4. Healthcare & Social Services
Zero-balance billing continues in DOH hospitals; oncological, dialysis, transplant, dengue, cataract, and PWD coverage enhanced dramatically.
Establishment of 53 “Bucas” clinics across 32 provinces for free outpatient services; every town now has a resident doctor.
Integration of medical assistance into eGov PH app for faster access.
5. Energy & water
Plan to build nearly 200 power plants by 2028 and expand solar electrification; lifeline subsidies extended beyond 4Ps beneficiaries.
Siquijor power crisis addressed with immediate restoration orders and possible refunds for affected consumers.
Bulk water supply and filtration programmes rolled out; Local Water Utilities Admistration (LWUA) to tackle failing water districts and hold service providers accountable for outages affecting over 6 million people.
6. Infrastructure & connectivity
“Build Better More” projects include Bataan‑Cavite bridge, PNR Bicol Line restoration, the 67-km toll road South Luzon expressway that will extend from Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to Lucena, Quezon, Mindanao road upgrades, and bridge safety inspections.
Revival and expansion of the free “Love Bus” pilot in Davao and Cebu; plans to launch in other cities in Visayas and Mindanao.
Nearly 19,000 free public Wi-Fi sites; over 1 M SIM cards with data distributed to schools; laptops for teachers and full public school internet coverage targeted by end‑2025.
7. Disaster preparedness & climate resilience
More evacuation centres so schools remain for learning; upgrades in forecasting and technology like Doppler radars and mobile command vehicles.
Emphasis on personal discipline in waste disposal and public cooperation during calamities.
8. Anti‑corruption & governance
Marcos criticised corruption in flood-control projects, pledged prosecution within the month; only projects in the National Expenditure Program to get approval.
Focus on quality control in infrastructure projects; recalled collapse of bridge in Isabela, stressed maintenance and inspection protocols.
Notably absent from the speech
Mention of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment saga, the ICC proceedings involving former President Duterte, and updates on the West Philippine Sea dispute.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
