ILOILO City – As President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday, protesters staged a rally in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, denouncing what they called the administration’s failure to address long-standing socioeconomic issues halfway into its term.
The protest, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Panay and joined by groups representing youth, women, transport, agriculture, and religious sectors, served as the people’s counter-SONA. Protesters called for urgent reforms on wages, education, livelihood, and public safety.
“We are here today as a collective of workers, farmers, youth, women, and others who want to send a clear message to the government: while our nation suffers from unresolved issues, what we see on top are political dynasties — the Marcoses and the Dutertes — fighting among themselves,” said Raoul Danniel Abellar Manuel, former Kabataan party-list representative.
“Halfway through the Marcos Jr. administration and still there’s no answer to major demands like wage increases, price control, and the removal of VAT (value-added tax) on basic goods,” he added. “The government remains silent.”
Manuel dismissed the President’s annual speech as full of “flowery words” and said the people’s conditions have not improved.
“That is why we are holding our People’s State of the Nation Address — to present real solutions to real problems, which we hope the President would prioritize,” he said.
Asked to grade the President’s performance, Manuel gave a “3 out of 10,” saying, “We’re at the midpoint, yet we still do not witness any tangible evidence of a ‘Bagong Pilipinas.’ If we were to grade his performance, he is perilously close to failing. The concerns raised by our citizens have been acknowledged, but unfortunately, he remains unresponsive to them.”
He warned that the country’s education system is in deep crisis. “For several years now, we haven’t seen any meaningful reforms in our education system, which is crucial for our nation’s progress,” he said. “Instead, the administration keeps blaming the previous government.”
While Manuel acknowledged the administration’s move to stop POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operations) and other minor initiatives, he said these pale in comparison to the unresolved structural issues.
“There may be a few steps taken — like halting POGOs and other so-called peace mills — but the long-term issues remain. That is why this administration is near failure. If you’re just an ordinary person, you’re easy to trample on,” he said.
Participants numbering to around 800 came from Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Negros, and various towns in Iloilo, bringing banners and chanting slogans demanding accountability and systemic change./PN