SONA 2025 full reaction and critique – dissecting President Marcos Jr.’s promises on rice, education, corruption, and mental health. A citizen’s challenge for true leadership and accountability.
As a Filipino who still believes in this country’s potential, I tuned in to the 2025 State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with a mix of curiosity and cautious hope. Like many of you, I wanted to hear solutions, progress, and sincerity. Instead, I felt I was once again walking through a garden of promises—with no soil, no roots, and no fruit.
I’m not writing this to bash for the sake of bashing. I’m writing because I care. And like every Filipino who wakes up daily to rising prices, flooded streets, broken classrooms, and unfulfilled government services—I refuse to just clap and move on.
Here’s my honest breakdown of the seven biggest red flags from the President’s SONA, and why I believe we, the people, must raise our voices louder than the applause inside the Batasan.
1. The ₱20 Rice Promise: Sweet Words, Empty Bowl
He said again: “₱20 rice is possible.” But three years in, we still don’t see it in our markets—unless it’s limited to Kadiwa centers in selected cities, for a limited time, to selected people.
Even farmers know it’s not sustainable. To sell rice that cheap, you either subsidize heavily (which we're not doing), or crush the very farmers who plant under the sun and borrow to survive.
My challenge to the President: What’s the point of making this promise again and again if your own agriculture system is bleeding? It’s easy to speak it. It’s hard to sow it.
2. Education Promises: Tech Without Electricity?
He promised laptops for teachers, free Wi-Fi, SIM loads, and 40,000 classrooms. Bravo. But let’s talk reality: How many schools even have a decent internet signal or functioning toilet?
I’ve visited sitios where students still walk an hour barefoot to a rundown room with no blackboard. Teachers are still underpaid. Mental health centers? We can't even find guidance counselors in half the barangays.
My challenge to fellow Filipinos: Let’s stop settling for “may plano naman.” Demand execution, not just elaboration. And to our leaders: Stop treating our students like decorations in your report card.
3. Infrastructure Promises: Where’s the Proof?
The Mindanao Transport Connectivity Project sounds great on paper. But here’s the catch—it was already announced last year, and progress is unclear. The same applies to other road networks and public transport plans.
These "new projects" feel more like rebranded delays.
My challenge to the President: Do you want legacy or longevity of speeches? Because repeating old projects in new wrapping isn’t leadership. It’s lazy rebranding.
4. Corruption Talk: Still All Talk?
“Mahiya naman kayo,” he said to corrupt officials. Powerful words. But here’s a bitter question: Where are the arrests? Where is the justice?
Not one major corrupt official has been imprisoned under his watch. The same names, the same clans, the same untouchables remain in power.
My challenge to all of us: Corruption won’t end just because the President scolded someone on national TV. It ends when we demand results, not remarks.
5. The Drug War Numbers: At What Cost?
P83 billion worth of drugs seized—impressive. But let’s not forget: the human rights cost, the unanswered killings, and the lack of rehabilitation remain glaring. Are we still on a punitive path? Or are we building real reform?
Justice isn’t just about raids and bullets—it’s about healing lives and fixing systems.
My challenge to the President: If you can brag about the numbers, you should also answer for the lives. Don't just be tough on crime—be firm on justice.
6. Mental Health: Lip Service Without Staffing
He says every barangay will have mental health centers. That’s amazing—if it were real.
But where are the psychologists? The trained counselors? The emotional literacy programs in schools? This is a country where “mental health” is still whispered in corners, and many suffer in silence.
My challenge to fellow citizens: Let’s end the stigma. Push your barangay and LGU to take this seriously. And to the government: Don’t launch a building with no people inside.
7. Unity Message: Words Without Action
“Isantabi na natin ang pagkakaiba.” That line got applause. But unity is more than just a nice quote—it’s built by listening to critics, by protecting freedom of speech, and by treating even dissenters with dignity.
Yet journalists are still red-tagged. Activists are still profiled. Opposition voices are still muted.
My challenge to the President: Unity is earned, not demanded. If you silence the very people who can help fix the nation, then your idea of unity is just uniformity.
🧭 Final Reflection: What’s the Point of Being President?
I’ll ask this straight:
We, the Filipino people, have been too patient. Too forgiving. But it’s time we change how we clap—and when we clap. Not all applause means approval. Sometimes, it's just polite exhaustion.
Challenge to Every Filipino
Let’s not wait for the next SONA to feel disappointed again. Let’s ask hard questions, organize in our communities, write our barangay captains, speak to our youth, vote more wisely, and pray more boldly.
We are not just spectators of this country’s progress. We are its builders. And we deserve more than beautiful speeches—we deserve honest results.
✍️ I’m a concerned citizen, blogger, and voice of the many who silently watch and wait. But not anymore.
Now I write, speak, and challenge—because that’s how change begins.
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