Makabayan solons unimpressed with Marcos’ ‘anti-poor’ Sona
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, reported as the “biggest Sona” in Philippine history based on the number of confirmed attendees.
MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan bloc lawmakers gave a failing mark to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), calling it a presentation of anti-poor policies.
In an ambush interview after the event, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said that Marcos did not mention one of the most important issues surrounding the education sector — the P50,000 entry-level for teachers’ pay.
“For government employees, including teachers, the supposed fourth tranche SSL (Salary Standardization Law) is still just a promise and may again be a pittance like the SSL V, other salary adjustments, and the P35 minimum wage increase in NCR,” she said.
“Also, instead of making job orders and contracts of service workers regular, Pres. Marcos Jr. will just extend their exploitation. As we have said before, we demand an end-to-endo in government,” she added.
Castro likewise pointed out that Marcos did not mention the salary increase, a lack of a concrete plan for wage hikes for private sector workers, and fake news and disinformation issues.
“He banned Pogos but this will not solve poverty, landlessness, malnutrition, foreign intrusion, lack of jobs, high prices of goods and services, lack of industrialization and exploitation,” Castro pointed out.
“This does not end on [the] Pogo ban. Officials who protected Pogos should also be held accountable,” she added.
For her part, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas called the speech “a blatant push for foreign interests at the expense of Philippine sovereignty and welfare.”
“President Marcos Jr.’s Sona is a clear indication that his administration remains deaf to the plight of ordinary Filipinos. The glaring absence of any mention of a significant wage increase shows how out of touch this government is with workers’ struggles,” she said.
“How can he claim the West Philippine Sea is ours when he has allowed increased US military presence in our country?” Brosas said.
“From the Balikatan exercises to the war-provoking missile system in Ilocos Norte, and now the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement and the Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (123 Agreement), this administration is turning our nation into a playground for foreign military powers.”
“Kung meron mang isang tamang sinabi si Marcos Jr. sa kanyang speech, ito ay ang katotohanang walang kwenta ang mga datos lalo na sa kumakalam na sikmura ng milyon-milyong Pilipino. No amount of inflated data or empty promises can mask the growing discontent among Filipinos due to his anti-poor and anti-people policies,” Brosas concluded.
(If Marcos Jr. said anything right in his speech, it was the fact that data is worthless, especially when millions of Filipinos are experiencing hunger.)
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