President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos speaks during his inauguration on June 30, 2022, in Manila. | via Inquirer.net
CEBU CITY, Philippines – President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. will deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, July 25.
In Cebu, where the President got a landslide victory during the May 9 national and local elections, constituents want to know what President Marcos Jr. has in store to address transportation woes and rising costs of basic commodities.
CDN Digital has randomly interviewed residents in Cebu on their expectations of President Marcos Jr.’s first SONA which will be at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
For Mary Rose Ceniza of Mandaue City, she hopes the President will mention or provide updates on his promise to bring down the prices of rice to P20 per kilo.
“Gusto ko nga masulti niya ang gisaad sa rice… nga maubsan. Mayta iyaha tung ipatuman,” said Ceniza.
Fisherfolks like Jovanni Gaovalli, on the other hand, hope the President could provide immediate solutions to inflation that have adversely affected their lives.
“Ang amoang kita sa pagpanagat halos dili makabuhi sa pamilya usa pasad ang palitunon karon, nimahal na gyud,” said Gaovalli.
He also hoped President Marcos Jr. would provide financial assistance to sectors that bore the brunt of economic pains such as inflation.
“Mao na nga nihangyo mi nga kaming mga fisherfolks tagaan unta og ayuda nga P15,000 per month,” he added.
Inflation, particularly on how the current administration will be able to quickly mitigate its impact on ordinary Filipinos, is also what Clarenz Jay Mendoza, a corporate employee, is expecting to hear this Monday.
“Number’s don’t lie. Most of us now can feel it since the price of basic goods have increased. I wish he could lay down plans about it because not all has the privilege to afford everything, especially the minority and the minimum wage earners,” said Mendoza.
Commuters and motorists also want to hear what President Marcos Jr. has in mind when it comes to improving public transportation.
Michael Angelo Alegre, an advertising professional, said solutions to hour-long queues for buses, trains, and public utility jeepneys (PUJs) are crucial especially with more and more companies returning to on-site work arrangements.
“I am looking forward to hearing his plans on public transportation both in the metro and provinces most especially many workers are required to go back to the office,” said Alegre.
Jeepney driver, Gregory Perez, also wanted the new administration to help the plight of PUJ drivers who have been struggling to cope with rising oil prices.
“Kung atoa’ng tan -awon ang fare karon bisan nga nagsaka pa tag P11 nga minimum, dili pana siya kaapas sa taas kaayo nga pagsaka sa presyo sa lana,” Perez pointed out.
Aside from inflation and the state of the country’s public transport, Cebu residents like Anna Marie Ariosa, a vendor at the Carbon Public Market, wanted President Marcos Jr. to prioritize food security and not privatization of public properties.
“Karon sa grabing krisis nga nahiaguman sa tibuok nasud, kung ang atoang food security ma compromise kay tungod mumahal na ang mga presyo, dako gyud na nga problema sa umaabot. Amoang panawagan sa presidente, i-hunong ning privatization bitaw? Ang kaning mga project nga nilusot nga walay consultation sa public bitaw dapat ma look into gyud unta na,” said Ariosa.
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