Preparations for President Duterte’s final State of the Nation Address (Sona) is in “high gear” in the House of Representatives, the leader of the lower chamber said on Monday.
In preparing for the sixth Sona, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said a series of initiatives have been initiated to highlight the legislative accomplishments of the Duterte administration.
The last Sona of President Duterte will be conducted on July 26 inside the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“Even before the pandemic hit, we were able to pass laws on universal health care, free tertiary education, establishment of Malasakit centers, expanded maternity leave, free public Internet access and the Bangsamoro Organic Law, to name a few,” Velasco said.
At the height of the pandemic, Velasco said, Congress and the Executive worked together to produce pieces of legislation designed to help address and cushion the socioeconomic impact of the ongoing public health crisis, such as the Bayanihan laws, General Appropriations Act of 2021, and Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act.
“Most of our colleagues in Congress agree that we should give credit where it’s due, and the truth is that there were a lot of key legislative measures enacted during PRRD’s [President Duterte] term,” Velasco said.
Velasco also rallied House members to take part in the pre-Sona campaign dubbed as “Sa Lahat ng Pagbabago, Salamat Pangulo! [A Pre-Sona Tribute by the 18th Congress],” which features the priority programs and policies implemented in the different legislative districts across the country under the Duterte administration.
The Speaker has designated Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia as project director for the undertaking. A focal person was also assigned in each region and in the party-list coalition.
House lawmakers, particularly those belonging to the supermajority coalition, were tasked to produce 60 to 90 second videos using the theme “Mula sa Inyong Kongreso, Progreso para sa Pilipino.”
On the actual day of the Sona, July 26, a multimedia exhibit will be put up in the North and South Wing lobbies of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. A tableau of President Duterte’s accomplishments will also be set up at the rear entrance of the Main Building where the Chief Executive will make his way into the plenary to deliver his final Sona.
More attendees
Meanwhile, House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza said the lower chamber is expecting more Sona attendees this year.
“We are looking around 150 to 200 [people] inside the plenary this year but this depends on final decision of IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force For the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] and the Palace,” he said. “We are hoping that those attendees are already [fully] vaccinated,” he added. According to Mendoza, both chambers of Congress and Palace are regularly coordinating for the last Sona.
He also said only government media will be allowed to cover the event inside the Batasang Pambansa.