Marcos on his 2nd SONA: 'Kulang pa'

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday described his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) as "kulang pa" or incomplete.

In an interview with reporters right after the SONA, Marcos was asked if he was happy with the achievements that he presented during the SONA.

"Kulang pa," said Marcos.

The President, however, was not able to elaborate on what he meant.

"There was so much to go through, so I think we got most (of it)," Marcos said earlier.  

He added that the details of his policies will be handled by the Cabinet secretaries.

Marcos began his speech with encouraging economic indicators such as the 7.6% economic growth in 2022, "the highest in 46 years."

Marcos also said that the country's state of the nation is "sound and improving." The President hailed the country's workforce, including government officials, whom he said have risen to the challenge of being part of the country's future.

He also cited the deceleration of inflation in the past five months, even as it continued to be above the government target of 2.0% to 4.0%.

Inflation eased to 5.4% in June, down from 6.1% in May and the fifth straight month of deceleration from the 8.7% peak in January. It is also the lowest since April 2022’s 4.9%.

“Inflation rate is moving in the right direction. From 8.7% in January, our inflation rate, in spite of all the difficulties, we are transforming the economy. We are stabilizing the prices of all critical commodities,” Marcos said.

He also warned smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products that their days were numbered as food prices continued to drive inflation higher.

“Sadyang hindi tama ang kanilang gawain at hindi rin ito tugma sa ating magandang layunin, pandaraya ang kanilang ginagawa," said the President.

Marcos also called for the expansion of the Kadiwa Stores initiative across the country, directly connecting food producers to consumers in a bid to lessen costs and lower prices.

The President likewise touched on issues on energy, as he said the target to electrify 100% of the country was within reach but 68 grid connections were ‘much delayed,’ and he called on the public to conserve water amid the El Niño.

Marcos then said he will also issue a presidential proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees, which will need the concurrence of Congress.

He also called on Congress to support key priority measures including new procurement and auditing laws, additional taxes covering single-use plastics and digital transactions, the reform of the pension of military and uniformed personnel (MUP), and the amendment of fisheries and cooperative codes.

Marcos ended his second SONA by saying, “Dumating na po ang bagong Pilipinas. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat." —VAL, GMA Integrated News