Fast facts about the Sona
MAR. 22, 1897: Date of Andres Bonifacio’s State of the Katipunan Address, precursor of today’s Sona
SEPT. 15, 1898: Date of Emilio Aguinaldo’s State of the Revolutionary Nation Address (Sorna) titled “Mensaje Leido por el Presidente del Govierno Revolucionario para el Congreso” soon after the opening of the Malolos Congress
JUNE 16, 1936: Date of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon’s Socga, or State of the Commonwealth Government Affairs, delivered during the National Assembly’s inaugural session
35 Minutes it took President Aquino to deliver entirely in Filipino his Sona I in 2010 where he announced he would sign a “first ever executive order” on the formation of a truth commission that would investigate wrongdoing in the past nine years
29 Number of rounds of applause Aquino received in Sona I
53 Minutes it took Aquino to deliver in Filipino Sona II where he said that stopping the use of the wang-wang has become the “symbol of change, not just in our streets but even in our collective attitude”
45 Number of rounds of applause Aquino received in Sona II, 16 more than the number of times he was applauded in Sona I
88 Minutes it took Aquino last year to deliver, also in Filipino, his longest Sona where he garnered the loudest applause when he expressed support for “responsible parenthood”
100 Number of rounds of applause Aquino received in Sona III, 55 more than the number of times he was applauded in Sona II
74 Total number of delivered Sonas as of 2012
20 Number of times former President and dictator Ferdinand Marcos delivered a Sona
1978: The Sona was first delivered at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. Over 30 Sonas have been delivered at the Batasan since then.
1979: The Sona was delivered on the fourth Monday of July following the provisions of the 1973 and later the 1987 Constitutions.
9 Number of times former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivered a Sona
80 Number of rounds of applause President Corazon Aquino received for her first Sona in 1987
23 Number of times President Joseph Estrada was applauded when he delivered his first Sona in 1998
Compiled by Inquirer Research
Source: Inquirer Archives
