Marcos skips e-gaming, tariffs in SONA

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, notably omitting two controversial issues facing his administration: the proposed ban on online gambling and US tariff increases that threaten growth.

- By Norman P. Aquino Special Reports Editor

While the President spoke at length about economic growth, food security, energy reforms, and social services, he was silent on legislation seeking to outlaw or better regulate e-gaming.

The omission comes despite mounting concerns over e-gambling’s mounting toll on Filipino families with members grappling with addiction, and separate pending bills in the Senate and House of Representatives that seek to either ban or regulate the industry.

Mr. Marcos is facing growing public frustration as many Filipinos say the promises he made during his 2022 campaign remain largely unmet three years into his term.

He ran on a platform of economic revival, vowing to lower rice prices, strengthen agriculture and spark a new wave of industrialization. But for some Filipinos, those pledges have yet to translate into real improvements in daily life.

Mr. Marcos also made no mention of the 19% US tariffs on Philippine goods that will take effect on Aug. 1. Critics say the tariff increases disproportionately hurt low-income consumers already grappling with inflation, a concern that remains unaddressed in the administration’s economic narrative.

“Based on data, our economy is looking good,” the President said in his speech in Filipino that lasted an hour and 10 minutes, citing lower inflation and higher investor confidence.

But he acknowledged that these gains are meaningless “if our fellowmen struggle and are burdened.”

“The President's SONA stumbled from the very start with the false premise of the economy doing well,” Jose Enrique A. Africa, executive director of IBON Foundation, said in a Viber message.

“This is in denial of slowing growth, high prices today after high inflation in his first three years, deficits and debt far above targets upon taking office, and jobs figures hiding worsening pay and quality of work,” he added.