President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25, 2022, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. (Screengrab from RTVM)
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is all set for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said he expects this year’s Sona to be no different, as he echoed Secretary General Reginald Velasco’s remark that it’s “all systems go” in the lower chamber tomorrow.
“With President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., setting the direction during his first State of the Nation Address, our mission in the House of Representatives has been to champion legislative initiatives that empower every Filipino citizen and promote inclusive, sustainable development,” Romualdez said.
“In essence, our mission has been to serve as true representatives of the Filipino people, translating their hopes and aspirations into meaningful, impactful legislation and fostering a shared sense of progress and prosperity for all,” he added.
To prepare for the event, Romualdez said the House enforced a lockdown last July 20, which will last until Sunday (July 23).
Over 2,000 guests are expected to troop to Batasan Complex in Quezon City to listen to the SONA.
President Marcos will deliver the speech in a joint session between House members and senators at around 4 p.m.
Sona guests must present their COVID-19 vaccination card during screening, while unvaccinated individuals need to show a negative result of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test 24 hours before the event on July 24.
On July 22, Malacañang lifted the Philippines’ Covid-19 public health emergency status.