'No more red carpet': Lawmakers call for toned-down SONA

Days before the SONA 2025, lawmakers advocated for the discontinuation of the traditional red carpet at today's State of the Nation Address.

- By Camille Santiago

Over the past few years, public attention during the SONA has often focused on the elegant attire of attendees. However, with the country currently grappling with widespread floods due to the storms, they argue that this emphasis on fashion should cease.

"In the past weeks, tropical cyclones Crising, Dante and Emong have displaced families, destroyed livelihoods, and left many of our kababayan struggling to get back on their feet," said Speaker Martin Romualdez. "It would be out of touch to maintain a show of pageantry while our people are still in recovery."

Romualdez requested that the Office of the Secretary General forego the usual red carpet fanfare, fashion coverage, and ceremonial staging, while still maintaining formal protocols.

"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.

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

Senators Tito Sotto III and Juan Miguel Zubiri, for their part, shared the same opinion.