Lawmakers and the netizens had varied reactions when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. listed his accomplishments and laid down his plans for his second year in office. 

Some praised him for a “comprehensive” report, while others found it lacking and were skeptical about his statements. 

Senator Grace Poe gave Marcos a high grade, but said the actual implementation of his programs is another matter.

“Ang grado, based ito sa content ng kanyang speech, based sa content. Syempre iba naman ang grado later on sa implementation. Kung ibabase ko sa kanyang speech, malumanay, maayos komprehensibo, sasabihin ko 97 percent,” she said in a interview after the President’s second State of the Nation Address. 

Senator Joel Villanueva also said he was “satisfied” with what he heard, but he hoped that the President could have talked more about the pressing problems in the West Philippine Sea. 

“That is something I was looking forward to. Dun ako medyo hindi na-satisfy,” Villanueva said. 

“Baka kasi merong mga nangyayari na hindi natin alam. We don’t know kaya ayoko na rin mag-comment as to why he did not focus or talk much on West Philippine Sea,” he added. 

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who, at one point was a staunch critic of the President and his family, said Marcos’ SONA was in fact “quite comprehensive.” But Cayetano also said Filipinos are still warming up to the chief executive’s “love language.” 

“Siguro habang nasasanay pa tayo sa kanyang love language sa bansa, nakikita naman ‘yung sense of urgency. Nakita naman sa speech niya. Not only does he know the problem, not only does he care, but nandiyan nga ‘yung urgency,” he said. 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez gave his cousin a solid “100%, A+” for his speech. Romualdez agreed with the President when the latter said that his achievements remain insufficient because he wants to do more. 

“Kulang pero ano, magtatrabaho siya muli. Walang tulog ‘yan. Basta tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho niya,” he said. 

“Ganun talaga ang mahal na president, gusto niya masama niya lahat. Kung meron lang 48 oras sa isang araw, magtatrabaho na lang siya. Ang dami niyang gustong gawin,” he added.

Skeptical

Minority Senator Koko Pimentel, meanwhile, questioned some of the President’s statements, such as the high percentage of employment that Marcos cited.  

The President reported a significant improvement in the country’s employment rate this year compared to the low numbers during the height of the pandemic. 

Based on the July 7 report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the employment rate in May 2023 rose to 95.7 percent, from 82.4 percent in April 2020. 

“Kung titignan natin ‘yung figure na binigay ng Presidente sa employment, practically we have full employment eh, 96 percent, that’s practically full employment and I do not believe it because I could see unemployment all around,” Pimentel said. 

He also said the passage of the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund, which the President touted in his SONA, was not something to be proud of as it was not sound. 

“Hindi dapat ipagmalaki ang Maharlika, because for all we know, ‘yung seed capital nito came from assets of government funds,” he said. 

“Tandaan natin—assets—it was liability plus capital. There could be liabilities, there could be deposit liabilities, utang yun. So Maharlika is not an achievement for me… I think Congress knows it. When it was mentioned wala namang applause. Walang spontaneous applause,” he added. 

Netizens weigh in

Just like government officials, netizens also expressed their sentiments on the President’s address and stirred various discussions online. 

One user praised the chief executive for tackling important issues in crucial sectors like agriculture and education. The user even said the President “proves his critics wrong” because “his charm style is more effective than trash talking.” 

Meanwhile, another netizen slammed the Marcos’ administration’s speed, or the lack of it, when it comes to tackling various societal issues. For him, the “legislative agenda isn’t moving much.”

“Agencies in [the] executive still seem transitional/interim we’re one year deep into the term. It’s as if they’re all still waiting for cleared instructions on how to get things done,” he said. 

The President concluded his speech by enjoining lawmakers to pass measures he thinks are priorities. 

Among these are proposed tax reforms, amendments to the Fisheries Code, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, and the Cooperative Code as well as passing reforms to the pension system of the military and uniformed personnel. 

The President delivered his speech in under an hour and eleven minutes – three minutes short compared to his first SONA last year which lasted about an hour and 14 minutes. 

Banner courtesy: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. via Office of the President Official Facebook