Gov't all set for Duterte's final SONA

MANILA – Health and safety protocols are all set for the holding of President Rodrigo Duterte's sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said strict protocols will be observed to ensure that it will not endanger the health of guests at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Nag prepare na po, nag meeting ang PSG [Presidential Security Group], Presidential Management Staff, pati ang Kongreso para sa arrangements. Very strict po. Lahat ng protocols na kinakailangan to protect the safety ng lahat na naandun para hindi magkahawaan ay naka set in place naman po (The PSG, Presidential Management Staff, and Congress have prepared and held meetings for arrangements. It’s very strict. All protocols to protect the safety of everyone to ensure there is no transmission is set in place),” he said in an interview over dzBB.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar earlier said a maximum of 400 guests are expected to attend the final SONA.

Guests must present their proof of vaccination, must be negative for Covid-19 via a reverse transcription polymerase-chain-reaction test two days before the event, and undergo rapid antigen test at the Batasang Pambansa on SONA day.

Video teleconferencing and live streaming will be done to accommodate media and guests who will not be physically present at the plenary hall.

Duterte’s own input

Nograles said the President himself decided on specific points he wanted to highlight in his last SONA.

“Pina-practice na ni Pangulo yung speech niya. Siya na mismo nag input sa speech niya ng points na gusto niya i-highlight (The President has been practicing his speech. He himself gave inputs he wanted to highlight),” he said.

He explained that besides the Duterte administration’s accomplishments, the President is also expected to convey what programs and projects he expects his successor to continue.

“Expected po natin babanggitin niya dun ang lahat ng nagawa under his administration, ano ang kailangan natin gawin especially sa laban natin sa Covid-19, vaccination rollout and probably yung challenge to the next administration—kung anong kailangan ipagpatuloy na pagbabago para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan at para sa aking bansa (We expect that he will mention all accomplishments under his administration, what we need to do in the fight against Covid-19, the vaccination rollout, and probably the challenge to the next administration—the policies we need to continue for the benefit of our people and the country),” he added.

Pre-SONAs were held across the country to assist the President in reporting to the people the accomplishments of his administration over the past five years as well as the scale-up plans for the remainder of his term.

The pre-SONAs were also held to inform the public on the priority and legacy projects of the Duterte administration as well as the Covid-19 response and strategies.

Duterte’s penultimate SONA lasted for 100 minutes. It is longer compared to his fourth SONA which lasted for 93 minutes.

His longest SONA was his second, which lasted for 120 minutes. His first and third SONAs lasted for 90 minutes and 48 minutes, respectively. (PNA)

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https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148226
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