Without NAME - Reaction Paper - SONA 2020 - PLtCol Von Nuyda

SONA 2020: Safety, Economy, and Technology
The 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte was delivered
at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon
City last 27 July 2020. The speech took 1 hour and 40 minutes to finish.
Despite earning multitude of criticisms in social media from celebrities and citizens, it is
my opinion that SONA 2020 is substantial in its content and relevant in this time of pandemic.
I summarize the SONA into three (3) sections that are indicated partly in the above title:
1) Health and Safety; 2) Business and Economy; and 3) Service and Technology.
HEALTH AND SAFETY

First, President Duterte started his speech by expressing his gratitude to the courageous
and selfless citizens who served the country in the frontlines against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He supported this in the later part of the SONA by asking the support of Congress to pass the
Advanced Nursing Education Act and to institutionalize the Medical Reserve Corps. He also
stated the need for a National Disease Prevention and Management Authority. He further
declared that he aims to increase access to healthcare services by hiring and deploying 20,000
health professionals.
As the “Tatay Digong” of the Filipino nation, he reiterated that “we shall fight this
pandemic with the same fervor as our campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, insurgency,
and corruption…” and he assured us that “the health, safety, and well-being of every Filipino –
especially those severely affected – are taken care[d] of.”
To assist the people in the fight against the pandemic, the President reports that 4.3
million poor families received help from the Pantawid Pamilya and over 9.2 million individuals
were help through the Unconditional Cash Transfer program. He also cited that 75 Malasakit
Centers around the country are assisting to make sure that our citizens are healthy and resilient.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Second, the President conveyed that actions are taken by the government to shield the
people and help them recover from the devastating economic impact of the pandemic like the
COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises or CARES Program of the DTI for MSMEs and the
COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program which extended financial assistance 650,000
individuals, 110,000 OFWs abroad, and almost 83,000 repatriated OFWs.
To spur activity in the business sector, he requested Congress to pass several bills
including: Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE Act), Financial
Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST Act), and the Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development
Financing Systems Act.
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He also affirmed that the Build, Build, Build program will continue to deliver needed
infrastructure projects and will continue to infuse capital and provide employment to the
Philippine economy. The Plant, Plant, Plant program, on the other hand, will provide “adequate,
accessible, and affordable food for every Filipino”.
Service and Technology

Thirdly, the President enumerates several measures that will improve government
service to the citizens and also centering on the effective use of internet technology. He directed
several agencies to make services available online and to adjust to and adopt paper-less
business and work performance as we transition to a “new normal”.
He also updated the nation that the DepEd and DICT are building up the Public
Education Network (PEN) that will support online learning or e-learning and that he directed
DICT to promote the growth of e-commerce.
President Duterte even reminded the telecommunication companies to improve their

services or else leave the telco business as he promised that he will improve the
telecommunications system of the country.
***
The accomplishments of the President in his 4-year stint speaks volumes of his
capability as a leader. The plans and legislations he mentioned in his SONA shows us that he is
not slowing down to serve his people in his remaining two (2) years. He wants to ensure the
country that the people are healthy and safe from disease and other threats, that business will
thrive so we continue to earn, make a living, and feed ourselves, and that the services and
education received by the citizens are affordable and efficient by using appropriate and updated
technologies.
We are not asked to be blind followers. We are asked to be intelligent supporters. We

are required to think and to act because we can contribute in solving the problems that plague
our country and our government.
What our leader needs in these dark hours caused by a debilitating contagion is the
support, trust, and strength of his people. He reminded us that Bayanihan and Pagkakaisa are
essential virtues we need to rise from adversity towards building “a more resilient and stronger
nation…”
-end-
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SONA 2020: Safety, Economy, and Technology

HEALTH AND SAFETY

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Service and Technology

President Duterte even reminded the telecommunication companies to improve their

We are not asked to be blind followers. We are asked to be intelligent supporters. We

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