MANILA, PHILIPPINES July 26, 2021 — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered his term’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Batasang Pambansa Complex. Below are the highlights of SONA where he tackled his administration’s achievements, his response to the pandemic, and his priorities for the remainder of his term:
- Duterte expressed that he wanted to change the lives of Filipinos at the start of his term.
- He shared that making a difference within the Constitutional timeframe was what he was up against.
- As he approaches the end of his term, Duterte mentioned that he has less visions but more remembrance, and that his purpose remains the same, pure and unpolluted.
- Duterte acknowledged frontliners for their unwavering service and thanked the private sector for its generosity in the fight against COVID-19.
- Duterte took pride in not wavering on doing the unpopular. He added that the past five years have truly been challenging and humbling, and that he bears no conceit as he stood in front of the nation.
- Duterte said that he wanted the law to help security troops fight “charges arising from incidents in performing official duty” and that it was high time to pass a law that provides free legal assistance for the officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
- Duterte praised the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as they made strides in addressing the root of this conflict.
- Duterte addressed Senator Bato dela Rosa on “policemen” helping communists and ordered the Senator to “shoot them dead” when he comes across them.
- Duterte shared that the country is fighting a drug war that was participated in by nine generals in the PNP.
- Duterte reiterated his love for the Philippines: “I do not want my country in disarray because of drugs. I do not want families [to] break up and be dysfunctional.”
- Duterte praised Senate President Tito Sotto because he is a capable and good man for the Filipino.
- Duterte claimed that there is no room for lawlessness in this country
- Duterte also highlighted the following achievements:
- Reduced waiting time between MRT trains
- Extension of train lines to add two more stations to the LRT2
- Reduced travel time from Manila to Antipolo
- Development of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3
- “Decongested” EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila
- Kalayaan Bridge, part of the BGC-Ortigas link project to reduce travel time between two business districts in just 12 minutes
- Clark International Airport equipped with state of the art technology
- Completed the Poro Point Freeport Zone in La Union
- Finished Junction Lanao-Pagadian-Zamboanga City Road
- Duterte claimed to have “taken away” the misery of public commuting.
- On infrastructure projects, Duterte placed Davao City last to prioritize Luzon and other areas in Mindanao.
- Aside from extending the validity of passports and licenses, Duterte also sought to make long lines a thing of the past by streamlining government processes.
- Duterte hoped to facilitate better access and services to all Filipinos even in far-flung areas.
- Duterte dismissed personnel involved in the “pastillas” scheme as well as hundreds for being allegedly corrupt.
- Duterte thanked the ASEAN for supporting his government, his country, and his people. He also assured that the Philippines will remain a responsible member of the international community.
- Duterte: Gone are the days when the Philippines decides and acts in the shadows of the great powers. We will assert what is rightfully ours and fight for what is due for the Filipino people.
- Duterte said maritime and defense capabilities will continue to be his priority but will not close doors on diplomacy.
- Duterte questioned the arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea as it is a document that does not even include China.
- Duterte shared that they have returned the coco levy funds to their rightful owners — coconut farmers.
- He said that the Rice Tariffication Law led to stabilization of food prices in the country.
- Duterte thanked Congress as the country became one of the fastest growing economies from 2016 until the pandemic scourge.
- Duterte: Never did I imagine that my presidency would not only be judged by how I made good on my campaign promises but how well I led our nation during the global pandemic.
- On the government’s pandemic response, Duterte highlighted that there are now more than 260 accredited laboratories nationwide which are capable of conducting 50,000 COVID-19 tests daily.
- Duterte thanked Congress for passing the Bayanihan 1 and 2 which helped fund the government’s pandemic response.
- Duterte bannered the partnership between the government and the private sector in quickly establishing a mega testing facility in the metro.
- Duterte shared that the country has received over 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Duterte also praised San Juan City for having vaccinated 70% of their population in a month’s time.
- Duterte: We cannot afford more lockdowns, lest our economy bleed an irreversible damage
- In his last SONA, Duterte said that he will never cease to implore Congress to pass vital and critical legislation, as well as to push the entire government to ensure nothing but the full recovery and revitalization of our country.
- On the Delta variant, Duterte reiterated that if something wrong happened, he will be strict with the implementation of restrictions.
- Duterte pushed Congress to pass a law establishing a department for Overseas Filipino Workers.
- Duterte urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to continue efforts to restore Manila Bay to its former glory.
- Duterte also called on Congress to pass laws creating a Center for Disease Control and a Philippine Virology Institute.
- Duterte claimed that a peaceful and prosperous Philippines is no longer a distant dream but one within grasp if future Filipinos would also do it.
- In his five years of service, Duterte also claimed to have made real changes in governance with the reforms he pursued but these must be sustained and broadened.
- Duterte: We need to make every public servant responsive to the needs of the people and enjoin the people to assert the right to demand malasakit.
To close his last National Address, Duterte expressed that he has full confidence that the Philippines will triumph together. “As a nation let’s rise together.”