President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will deliver his 2018 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session of Congress in Batasang Pambansa on Monday, July 23. Watch livestream here.
President Duterte will be presenting what will be his third State of the Nation address as Republic of the Philippines president, and his second year since he promised to end drugs, corruption, and criminality.
Reports said that the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte will have a new format and focus on issues close to his heart such as the anti-corruption campaign.
Award-winning director Joyce Bernal confirmed to Sec. Martin Andanar of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) that she is doing it for free.
Joyce revealed that her approach will be “brighter and lighter” for those who will watch the SONA at home on Monday, July 23, thus she required the Plenary Hall of the Batasang Pambansa to be well lighted so she requested the PCOO for more lighting, after doing an ocular inspection. The approach contrasts with that of Dante who created a more “dramatic” effect, showing up close the President’s gestures and facial expressions.
(FULL TRANSCRIPT: President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s SONA 2018)
Officials from the House of Representatives said that stricter security measures will be implemented at Batasang Pambansa. Around 6,300 police, report said, will be deployed on July 24 to secure eight different areas in Batasang Pambansa from all security threats including terrorism, protests, among others.
“I want the President to be projected as the nation’s father,” Joyce added in that ambush interview. “I want the people to feel the President’s message. Gusto kong maramdaman nila na kasama sila sa pagbabago.”
Duterte’s second year in Malacañang were marked by the historic war on drugs that include controversial crackdown on drug users and pushers, result of the joint special session held in the House of Representatives to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2017, and envision of “golden age of infrastructure” – which the administration allotted a three-year rolling infrastructure program (TRIP) amounting to P3.6 trillion from 2018 to 2020.
The organizers said that the guests are expected to arrive as early as 1:00 PM though the session hall will be opened at 2:00 PM.
Watch the President’s speech live here at 4 pm on Monday. Use the hashtag #SONA2018 to join the conversation on social media.
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