No fashion show, no spectacle urged for SONA

With many parts of the country still reeling from the impact of recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos on Monday should be held in simplicity and "without the spectacle," Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said.

- By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO

"It would be out of touch to maintain a show of pageantry while our people are still in recovery," Romualdez, the House speaker in the previous 19th Congress, said in a statement yesterday explaining his proposal.

"In the past weeks, Typhoons Crising, Dante, and Emong have displaced families, destroyed livelihoods, and left many of our kababayan struggling to get back on their feet," he pointed out.

"We will still observe decorum and tradition, but without the spectacle. The red carpet will be used for its functional purpose, not as a platform for display," he said.

Romualdez, who is also president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said he has requested the Office of the Secretary General to do away with extravagant SONA preparations without sacrificing formal protocols.

He also emphasized that members of Congress shall remain free to speak with the media as they enter the session hall.

"This is not about restricting access or silencing anyone. It's about setting the tone: focused, grounded and responsive," Romualdez said.

"The opening of Congress is not a fashion event, it is a working session. Let's begin it with the seriousness and humility our times demand," he added.

Rep. Janet Garin agreed with Romualdez.

"The SONA must be simple. It should not be luxurious, not like a fashion show," Garin said.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he recommends that the President proceed with his SONA despite the inclement weather — unless a Storm Signal No. 3 or higher is raised.

"It's his call but my recommendation is we have to show firmness that the government is strong and able to withstand all these," Remulla told dzMM.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri also made the same call.

"On Monday's SONA, the pomp and pageantry must be toned down or outright removed in deference to all those that are suffering due to the floods that hit all around the Philippines," Zubiri said.