Highlights of the State of the Nation Address of President Marcos

The first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of newly elected President Bongbong Marcos, also known as PBBM, was held yesterday, July 25, 2022, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. Several high-profile government officials attended the ceremony, including the newly elected Vice President Sara Duterte, who became one of the highlights of the ceremony as she was wearing a traditional Bagobo dress. Other wore the traditional baro't-saya of the Filipino culture.

The first highlight of the ceremony, which I think went through up until the end, was the fact that President Marcos was not reading a sort of "script" for him to deliver a speech. There were several reports claiming that he was using a teleprompter, but some, who are present in the area, debunked the statement. And maybe if he did use a teleprompter, it could have said the outline of his speech for the organization since he did make a lot of points. I was really amazed by it and I think because his father, late President Ferdinand Marcos, was known for his extemporaneous speeches, he was building that legacy once again. Extemporaneous speaking has the advantage that it allows presenters to talk in a more communicative way by allowing the sheets to serve as a reference rather than dictating every spoken word. I once tried to do an extemporaneous speech, but because of the heat of the moment and since I am very shy, it is really hard to do.

I highlighted the extemporaneous speech because it delivers an impact that the President doesn't rely on a "flow" because if something unexpected happens, he knows how to react and not just panic because the situation is going according to plan. An organized state of the union address that draws on the knowledge, has a simple structure, uses rehearsed delivery, and yet is never read out loud nor rehearsed. This technique enables the presenters to engage the crowd more through eye contact. Extemporaneous speeches are used to engage audiences using a more natural shade, pace, and approach.

In terms of the priority bills, here are some of the focal points:

• Marcos worked to have legislation passed that must enhance the public services offered by his administration.

Public service is one that the state provides to those who reside inside its borders. Public services, which comprise procedures and remedies that can help specific types of people, are including public transit, garbage management, and medical services. It helps residents see the administration and frequently serves as the main physical connection between administrations and their constituents.

The fact that the city people are having a hard time commuting because of the traffic, accidents causing the traffic, and waste everywhere because a town cannot maintain the cleanliness or at least, make the people do their job as part of the community, is a whole big problem to the country. If ever the administration will focus on public services, we may achieve the twist of having a "clean" community and it will lessen the burden of the people who are having a hard time living because of an "unsanitary" livelihood. We may not achieve the kind of services other countries like Japan have but it's better to have one foot forward than no step at all.

• In addition, Marcos assured the public that policymakers will support the Tax Package 3: Valuation Reform Bill and the Tax Package 4: Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA).

The House of Representatives approved real estate value reform, or Package 3 of President Duterte's Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), earlier in November 2019. Package 3 intends to expand the revenue base utilized for property-related taxes paid by the federal and municipal governments while also creating an equal and effective property ownership valuation system. The goal of Package 3 is to create a common taxes value foundation.

Complementing the recently passed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), Package 4 or the proposed Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA) of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) makes income stream and financial intermediary taxes easier to understand, extra equitable, convenient, and local and regional marketable. The taxes of transactions, finance and insurance, and passive income will all be significantly simplified by Package 4.

• The Internet Transaction Act or E-Commerce Law was also suggested by Marcos. According to Marcos, the goal of the E-Commerce Law is to create an efficient framework for regulating commercial operations conducted online or via technological communications.

According to the Republic Act No. 8792 of the Republic of the Philippines, the E-Commerce Law seeks to acknowledge the legitimacy and validity of electronic relevant documentation for such operations and to encourage the widespread use of digital means in the government and public at large.

The major goal of e-commerce activities is to lower the expenses and dangers associated with dealing with currency. It's likely that the majority of individuals, including those who are older, have already engaged in such a trade. By simplifying, securing, and lowering the cost of financial transactions with clients, vendors, and the state, online wallets may boost an investor's earnings.

There are many more plans that were stated in the first SONA but these three were the ones I look forward to the most.

What are your thoughts on the plans of President Bongbong Marcos?