House in final stages of preparations for Sona, says Velasco

The plenary hall of the Batasang Pambansa (A screenshot from RTVM YouTube Live)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is in the final stages of its preparations for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Velasco said the House is ready to host the Sona, with the Batasang Pambansa renovations nearly complete.

“We are ready to adjust to accommodate our partners from the Office of the President (OP) and the Senate,” Velasco said during the third Sona inter-agency meeting on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the traffic rerouting plan was requested by Communications Undersecretary Honey Rose Mercado from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The request was made so that motorists would be made aware of what roads to avoid.

The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, said it plans to deploy 22,000 officers in various areas in Metro Manila and nearby surrounding provinces for the next Sona.

During the walkthrough, Deputy Secretary General Floro Banaybanay also showed guests new room assignments.

This action is to facilitate the smooth movement of the President and his guests.

“We have to make changes for facilitation and easy movement of our guests, especially the President, his entourage and his family members,” said Banaybanay, who heads the House Engineering and Physical Facilities Department.

On July 1, Velasco announced the north and south wing lobbies of the Batasang Pambansa complex had undergone renovations after guests complained about intense heat during the past Sonas.

“We have decided to install air conditioning because sometimes the guests have a hard time when they line up…” he recalled in an ambush interview.

“As you know, at the Sona, all the VIPs will be passing through the north and south lobby. One major complaint is that it is too hot,” he said.

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A final meeting for the Sona preparations has been scheduled on July 15.

With reports from Moss Laygo, trainee