SONA 2023 LIVE UPDATES: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2nd State of the Nation Address

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his second State of the Nation Address, boasted that the economy in 2022 posted the highest growth in almost half a century.

“While the global prospects were bleak, our economy posted a 7.6% growth in 2022 – our highest growth rate in 46 years,” Marcos said, referring to the growth in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

In 2020 and 2021, however, the country suffered the deepest recession it had experienced in two decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economy has only begun to bounce back from such a low baseline GDP.

In fact, the Philippine economy has been slowing down in the last few quarters, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

During the first quarter of 2023, the country registered a growth rate of 6.4%, which was the lowest since the second quarter of 2021 when the country began post-pandemic recovery efforts.

Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos’ looks during the President’s State of the Nation Address hearkened back to traditional native costumes, but with slight modern twists.

They dedicated their outfits to tribes based in areas near their home provinces. Ilocana Marcos chose to pay homage to the Kalinga people from the Cordillera Administrative Region. Davaoeña Duterte chose to honor the Moro people, who are found mainly in South Central Mindanao.

Check out the photos here.

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What awaits the Philippines in the second year of the second President Marcos? Rappler’s Bea Cupin recaps the 2023 State of the Nation Address.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his second State Of the Nation Address, announced that the Konsulta Package of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will now be offering 21 medicines and 13 laboratory services for free. 

Marcos said, “Sa pinagandang Konsulta Package ng PhilHealth, dalawampu’t isang klase ng mga gamot at labintatlong laboratory services ang ibibigay nang libre.” (In the improved Konsulta Package of PhilHealth, 21 medicines and 13 laboratory services will now be given for free.)

Since its development in 2020, however, the Konsulta program has been providing for free 21 medicines and 13 laboratory services. The program had its pilot implementation in 2021.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, whose attempt at introducing a new travel slogan was embroiled in controversy, welcomed President Marcos’ “whole of nation” approach to development, which she expected would “strengthen tourism governance.”

In a statement issued after the President’s second State of the Nation Address, she said: 

“As an industry that banks and thrives on the scale of infrastructure development, we are elated to know the President’s continuing commitment to connect ‘all prospective sites of economic development,’ noting that this will spur tourism development countrywide, and, consequently, create more livelihood opportunities for Filipinos through tourism. 

“I express my profound gratitude to  President  Marcos for saying to the world what all Filipinos and all have been here know to be true in our hearts: we all Love the Philippines.” 

Frasco highlighted how the number of international visitors had breached the 3 million mark. 

The activist Makabayan bloc of lawmakers decried that key issues were not raised during President Marcos’ second State of the Nation Address.

ACT Teachers Representative France Castro and Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas said among the sectors that the President skipped were the indigenous peoples, women and children, government employees, teachers, and private sector workers.

“They’re all rhetorics,” said Castro, who is House deputy minority leader. “The issue of wage increase was not even mentioned, when a survey put it as the second top priority of our fellowmen.”

Brosas said: “Promises are meant to be broken. After one year, problems weren’t really solved, he just keeps on saying ways on how to move forward.” 

.@jnery_newsstand is "moderately happy" on Marcos' mention on energy initiatives and Bangsamoro affairs. However, he adds that Marcos needs to address the state of internally displaced persons in Marawi. #SONA2023 https://t.co/pwbphAQMet pic.twitter.com/NBRn8AE3WH

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) July 24, 2023

.@jnery_newsstand and @maritesdvitug says Marcos does a "delicate balancing act" between being firm and being vague in matters of foreign affairs. #SONA2023 https://t.co/pwbphAQMet

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) July 24, 2023

.@maritesdvitug says Marcos did not mention anything on the work of the Philippine Coast Guard and events in the West Philippine Sea. #SONA2023 https://t.co/pwbphAQMet

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) July 24, 2023