Marcos’ 5th Sona to be ‘simple yet dignified’, says Palace

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 27 will be “simple yet dignified,” according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. — Photo from Presidential Communications Office MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 27 will be “simple yet dignified,” according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. At a briefing on Monday, Castro, speaking in mixed Filipino and English, said there will be no A-list performers at the event, in compliance with the austerity measures the government is implementing due to the impact of the Middle East crisis. READ: PNP to deploy over 20,000 cops for Marcos’ 5th Sona Article continues after this advertisement “The House of Representatives will be hosting the Sona. However, the Executive Branch, particularly the Office of the President, is aligned with it because the call here is simply for a simple occasion.” Castro also said, “The Sona will be kept simple. There will be no celebrity directors or big A-list performers involved. It will be a simple yet dignified event, reflecting the proper conduct of a national occasion such as the Sona.” The President had already picked someone to perform the national anthem, but Castro said she is not yet in a position to disclose the name. Meanwhile, Castro responded to Bayan President Renato Reyes’s call for accountability rather than empty rhetoric during Marcos’ Sona. During an interview with the Bilyonaryo News Channel, Reyes specifically questioned the status of anti-corruption efforts on the first anniversary of the administration’s “Mahiya naman kayo” speech. “Have you seen everything the President has done and accomplished for the country? We shouldn’t have tunnel vision. It’s like the blinders placed on horses—those covers over their eyes that keep them looking in only one direction, wherever the coachman leads them. We shouldn’t limit our perspective like that.” Article continues after this advertisement “So, let us not use that kind of approach. We should broaden our thinking, open our eyes, and open our ears—what has the President actually accomplished?” Castro said it was not Marcos’ fault that the country experienced calamities in the past year, but his efforts to mitigate these impacts are allegedly not being seen by others./coa Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.