Jenny D.

Pabualan BSA II
MTH LW (2-1)

SONA: A Reflection
State of the Nation Addresses of the presidents are always treated as something to look
forward to and President Duterte’s was no exemption. On July 22, President Rodrigo “Roa”
Duterte delivered his State of the Nation Address or SONA for the year 2019. The president’s
speech was filled with his plans for the future and also the current situations of his advocacies.
The president assured the nation that he will not stop at nothing to fulfill his promise to the
people and to the future.
President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned a lot of subjects in his speech but we will narrow it
to only ten. One subject that Pres. Duterte mentioned in his speech was the fight for illegal drugs
which is still a hot issue right now. Although, it is taking a lot of time than he anticipated but the
war is still raging and most people is hoping that it would end well for everyone. Another hot
issue right now, is the president’s fight against corruption. Most of us know that he was
responsible for a lot of resignations and fired close to a hundred officials, who mostly had high-
rank positions in the government. “There is no sacred cow”, he said and that no matter what
allegiance you’re in or how “untouchable” you are if you’re guilty of corruption then you’ll be
stripped of your power and possessions. The third development he talked about was the signing
of the Bangsamoro Law which took at least two decades to be signed. Now, the Bangsamoro
Transition Authority will served as the initial governing body of the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region and will lead it to peace and prosperity.
The fourth thing he mentioned was the success of the rehabilitation of Boracay and the
Manila Bay. These two famous landmarks was slowly being destroyed by pollution and human
activities until Pres. Duterte decided to revived it to its former glory. There were some issues and
complaints, especially from the people in Boracay, but it was quickly resolved once everyone
saw the importance of it. The president also stated the protection and care he will provide to our
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) after what happened in Kuwait. He declared that he will
make sure that the abused of OFWs will stop and to ensure their welfare the establishment of the
Department of Overseas Workers will soothe this particular need. The sixth subject is the wage
hike that many Filipinos were waiting to hear, especially the teachers. President Duterte stated
that it is now time for the Congress to revised its Salary Standardization Law to give jobs like
teachers and nurses a bigger salary. One of the achievements he talked about was the significant
lowering of the poverty rate which was 27.6 % to 21 %. And with the tax reform law to fund
different poverty reduction programs, like the TRABAHO Bill, Filipinos can expect it to lower
even more.
 The eight subject that was mentioned was the signing of the Ease of Doing Business and
Efficient Government Service Delivery Act which was based on the complaints the president
was receiving from his agencies. This Act was to ensure that government agencies should be
client-friendly and be free of corruption. The second to the last subject on this list would be the
president’s declaration of the establishment of a Department of Disaster Resilience. Considering
the Philippines’ experience on natural and man-made disasters alike and the often delayed
performance of the government, it seemed logical to put up such a department. And for a
contingency plan, the president created different programs to counter these disasters while the
Congress approved of the establishment. The last and most important was when the president’s
addressed the issue concerning the conflict with China. President Duterte said that it could be
hard to deal with such an issue because China exercises its right of ownership of the property,
which can’t be contradicted by the Philippine government.
The State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte brought a lot of
achievements and the current situations of the country. It is relieving to see that the president
plans on keeping his promises while making plans for the future to ensure that our country is on
the right track towards development. A significant amount of people would rather suggest
another solution than the president’s way of running things but I personally think that he is doing
a great job at it. Because what this country need is the firm hand of discipline and someone that
isn’t walking on eggshells, as the saying goes. To conclude, not everyone may agree to the
president’s way but to accomplish success you have to face failure and be prepared to work hard.
Shelly Faith Sarigumba BSA II
MTH LW (2-1)

These are the following developments that have been mentioned of President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte in his SONA 2019:

 Many Filipino learners are receiving basic education.

 Establishment of the Department of Overseas Filipino ensured the welfare, protection,
and access to government services
 Poverty reduction
 Signing of Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act( a
legislation that aims to improve service delivery and fight corruption)
 Build, Build, Build Program has gained its momentum.
 Public Works and Highways and Transportation team made a major improvements in the
country's infrastructure.
 Bangsamoro Organic Law passed and ratified for peace and security.
•86,000 of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises have received 3 billion worth of loans
through the effort of DTI.
 Government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), infamous for high salaries and
bonuses being paid their executives and employees, have started to shape up.
 Paved the way for the entry of the third telecommunication.

The President of the Republic of the Philippines had gain so much recognition as he mentioned
in his 4th State Of the Nation Address the different developments that the country and the
Filipino people had enjoyed. Those developments had lend so much help to the society, in terms
of education, welfare and protection, transportation and public highways, even the Bangsamoro
Organic Law that had ratified for peace and security. Also, the 86,000 Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises who have received 3 billion worth of loans from DTI and most especially the
reducing rate of poverty. As the President had delivered his SONA, the scope of these
developments are not just for a short period of time thus, it shows more concrete evidences that
there's a progress and development had spent for the people of the Philippines for the future
plans. These developments have just started the step for a more progressive nation. As to people,
several had undergone such crisis and being helped by the Government. By these, maybe the
economic status of the country might be in favor to the society. Since it had greatly presented by
the President, many people might take one-step higher than the usual things that the country had
been experiencing. May the next generation be more successful under the terms of every
Presidents, and be more attentive and aware of their society's situation. Most importantly, may
they/us improve the status of the Philippines