Following the outcome of the May 2025 elections, which he described as a “wake-up call” for politicians, President Marcos has vowed to go “all out” in the second half of his term.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on Monday, July 28, he underscored how public frustration over basic services revealed the urgent need for greater efficiency and accountability in government.
“Bigo at dismayado ang mga tao sa pamahalaan, lalo na sa mga pangunahing serbisyo,” Marcos said, stressing that the lesson was clear: “Kailangan pa natin mas lalong galingan. Kailangan pa natin mas lalong bilisan.”
Marcos said that while the country’s economy was performing well on paper, that alone was not enough if ordinary Filipinos continued to struggle.
“Kung datos lang ang pag-uusapan, maganda ang ating ekonomiya at tumaas ang kumpiyansa ng mga negosyante. Bumaba ang inflation, at dumami rin ang trabaho,” he said.
“Ngunit ang lahat ng ito ay palamuti lamang at walang saysay, kung ang ating kababayan naman ay hirap at nabibigatan sa kanilang buhay,” he added.
With this, the President said he will no longer “beat around the bush” and stressed the urgency of delivering on his administration’s remaining promises.
“Kaya sa huling tatlong taon ng Administrasyon, ibubuhos pa natin ang lahat-lahat,” he said.
“Hindi lamang upang mapantayan, kundi mahigitan pa ang pagbibigay-ginhawa sa ating mga kababayan,” he added.
President Marcos placed job creation and livelihood at the center of his development agenda, citing decent employment as the most effective way to combat poverty and hunger.
“Maayos na hanapbuhay talaga ang mabisang pantiyak laban sa kahirapan at laban sa gutom,” he said.
“Dumarami ang mga nalilikhang hanapbuhay sa ating bansa ngayon,” he added.
To address the needs of the remaining unemployed population, Marcos said government agencies would expand programs to reach the remaining four percent of our labor force who are still unemployed.
He added that the government would continue providing access to capital and business training to help microentrepreneurs build sustainable livelihoods. (Argyll Geducos)
