No red carpet, long gowns for Marcos' SONA 2026 —House SecGen

There will be no long gowns and red carpet during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA) next month, House of Representatives Secretary General Cheloy Garafil said on Tuesday.

Garafil issued the statement after the first inter-agency coordination meeting scheduled for July 27.

“There will be no red carpet, no long gowns,” Garafil said, adding that the guidance will be indicated in the official invitation.

“We encourage guests to wear simple but dignified clothing fit for the occasion,” she added.

Officials from the House of Representatives, Senate, Office of the President, security agencies, local government units, and other concerned offices attended the coordination meeting to discuss logistical, security, protocol, and operational arrangements for the President’s annual address before Congress.

The Senate delegation was led by Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., who expressed the chamber’s readiness to work closely with all participating agencies to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the event.

Undersecretary Reichel Quinones from the Office of the President, Chief of Presidential Protocol, for her part, thanked the House for hosting the initial coordination meeting and expressed confidence in the chamber’s capability to organize the SONA. —VAL, GMA News