Statement of SP Migz Zubiri on PBBM's SONA
25 July 2023

In the second State of the Nation Address of our President Bongbong Marcos, I believe that he gave a very comprehensive assessment of his first year in office, and a concrete roadmap for the future.

The biggest win is in how the administration dealt with inflation, driving it down from a high of 8.7 percent in January to just 5.4 percent in June, with 2024 likely seeing an even steeper drop to just 2.9 percent.

As an agriculturist myself, I was also elated with how the President very prominently put on his hat as Secretary of Agriculture, focusing on the administration's many achievements and plans for agriculture and food production--such as the expansion of the KADIWA initiative, and the need to run after agriculture smugglers and end their reign of terror over the agricultural sector. This is what our farmers want to hear.

In relation to this, I was glad to hear that the Department of Water Resources remains a big priority of the administration. As the principal author of the bill, I am ready to push the bill through the Senate, which is especially timely now, with the El Niño crisis upon us.

Alongside these accomplishments, I would have liked to hear more about the administration's plans to support our workers by way of increased wages and benefits.

The report on the Build Better More program was also a highlight, with its P8.3-trillion investments for hundreds of projects across the country, which is set to create hundreds and thousands of jobs for our people.

Apart from creating jobs, these infrastructure projects are sure to boost our economy, by providing structural support to various industries--particularly the Mega-Bridge Program, that will connect our islands, which we can then parlay into a more vibrant business landscape and a stronger tourism sector.

We have long been in need of stronger infrastructural linkages across the country, and since my first term as a Senator, I have been pushing for the Panay-Negros-Guimaras bridge. This Mega-Bridge Program will finally bring that to fruition, as part of a grand effort to bring our archipelagic country together.

He has also delivered on his first SONA promise of delivering specialty hospital care to our people, with 60 additional specialty centers being opened over the last year.

Overall, I feel that the President has a full grasp of the true state of the nation, and he is on track and focused on his priorities. The country is in good hands. With that, our people can expect better days ahead.

I completely agree with him that the state of the nation is sound, and that it is improving.