Political Expert Professor Dennis Coronacion weighs in on key messages, governance direction, and policy priorities during #SONA2025

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Transcript

00:00As the nation digests the President's address, his vision, promises, and pronouncements,

00:06it becomes crucial to look beyond the words and into their meaning.

00:09To help us unpack the deeper context, political signals, and possible impact of the 2025 State of the Nation address,

00:16we are joined by one of the country's most respected political voices,

00:20Professor Dennis Coronacion of the University of Santo Tomas via Zoom.

00:24Good evening, Professor.

00:26Hi, good evening, Charms. Good evening to all your viewers.

00:30Professor, you've watched the entire President's sauna.

00:34What is your overall assessment of the key points he delivered to the Filipino people?

00:40Well, I think that his sauna for this year is quite different from the previous sauna,

00:46in the sense that, as you said in your report, that when it comes to language,

00:51the President used the national language, or he spoke in the vernacular,

00:57which made it easier for the Filipinos, especially the masses, to understand his message,

01:03the messages contained in his speech.

01:07Second, I think he, when he delivered his speech, he was in a more serious tone,

01:13in the sense that, you know, he issued several warnings,

01:17as well as syndicates, and other individuals who are, you know, violating the laws of the country.

01:28And the third one, I think it's also very clear that the President, in his speech,

01:36you know, took a swipe at his enemies.

01:40Of course, I think at this point, it's very clear that the political leaders of this country

01:46have, you know, chosen their side,

01:49especially those in the Senate, in the Executive, and at the House of Representatives.

01:55So those are the three very, you know, I would call this,

02:00the three things that you'll easily notice in the President's speech.

02:05Professor Dennis, one of the President's strongest statements

02:08was his promise to name those involved in anomalies in the government's flood control projects.

02:13How do you read this move, and what signal does it send about his administration's stance on corruption?

02:22Well, the President is trying to send a strong signal

02:26against those who, you know, against those government officials

02:30who failed to deliver.

02:33And, you know, in terms of implementing, you know, the flood control projects,

02:42because he was, you know, the President was commiserating with those Filipinos,

02:48especially in the, you know, in Metro Manila,

02:51and in the other adjacent, in the other provinces

02:54that were hit strongly by the typhoons and the, you know, the monsoon rains.

03:00So he was sympathetic to the plight of these Filipinos,

03:03that he wanted those accountable,

03:07those DPWH officials to be held accountable.

03:12So I think that's a good, you know, that's a good step on the part of the President there,

03:18you know, that he would, after investigation,

03:21he would not just publish the names of these erring public officials,

03:26but also go as far as prosecuting them in courts.

03:32Okay, the President also highlighted his administration's priorities

03:36for the youth, teachers, and Filipino athletes.

03:39Do you think these sectors have been given substantial attention so far,

03:43or has it been more symbolic?

03:45Well, I think among, you know, among these sectors in our society,

03:51the sectors that you mentioned,

03:53I'm not saying that they've been the most neglected,

03:56but less attention have been given to them in the past several years.

04:01Say, for example, in the, our athletes,

04:03our athletes, even though he mentioned that,

04:05you know, some of the, some of the athletes that have excelled,

04:09you know, in, in, recently,

04:11we cannot deny the fact that some of these,

04:15most of these athletes receive,

04:18say, less compensation,

04:21or not enough assistance from the government.

04:24Now, in terms of the teachers,

04:27the public school teachers who play a crucial role,

04:31you know, in molding the, you know,

04:33the minds of our youth, our students,

04:36unlike the other, you know, government employees,

04:38say, for example, the soldiers, the policemen,

04:41the public school teachers have been left behind

04:44in terms of being given, you know,

04:48competitive salaries or adjusted salaries.

04:50So, I hope that the president would go,

04:54would not be satisfied with just giving them,

04:58you know, symbolic help or token, token help,

05:04but he should go as far as increasing their salaries.

05:07Okay.

05:08When the president said the Philippines is a friend to all

05:11and an enemy to none,

05:12what does this tell us perhaps about his approach to foreign policy

05:16in an increasingly global, complex landscape?

05:20Well, it simply means that, you know,

05:23his foreign policy is to be friendly to all countries

05:27and not to, you know,

05:28just to achieve our national interest

05:31as we relate with the other countries.

05:34We should not be confrontational

05:36and we should be diplomatic as much as possible

05:40or in all situations.

05:41And this has proved very helpful

05:43when we, you know,

05:45as we navigate the several issues and challenges

05:48confronting our country

05:50with respect to the,

05:52to our OFWs in the Middle East.

05:54I think, as the president said,

05:57these Middle Eastern governments

05:59have been,

06:01have accommodated our request,

06:04you know,

06:07most of our requests

06:08because we have been friendly to them

06:09and we do not, you know, interfere.

06:11we remain

06:12the conflict

06:23or the issue in the Middle East.

06:24The challenge

06:25when it comes to foreign policy

06:26is with regard to, you know,

06:28to the two

06:29major powers

06:31in the international community

06:34and we're talking about China and the US

06:36because we have been,

06:38I think, caught in the middle,

06:38you know,

06:39in their race for supremacy

06:40and it has been,

06:42you know,

06:43very difficult for us

06:44to navigate the issue,

06:47especially issues

06:48that affect our country

06:50like the West Philippine Sea issue.

06:52Okay.

06:53Last question

06:54in Professor Dennis.

06:55Looking ahead,

06:56based on this year's sauna,

06:58what challenges

06:59or pressures

07:00do you think

07:00the Marcus administration

07:02must confront

07:03or tackle

07:04to turn these promises

07:05into actual results,

07:06especially

07:06that we only have

07:08a few years left?

07:12I'm sorry,

07:12can you please repeat?

07:14Yeah.

07:15To repeat my question,

07:16what challenges

07:17or

07:19pressures

07:20do you think

07:21this administration

07:22must confront

07:23to turn all of these promises

07:24into actual results?

07:28Well,

07:28every,

07:29I think,

07:30every sector,

07:30every,

07:31you know,

07:32every area

07:34of governance

07:34that the president

07:35has included

07:36in his speech

07:38has,

07:39you know,

07:39has its own set of,

07:41has its own set of challenges.

07:43Say,

07:43for example,

07:44when it comes to

07:45education,

07:47it has its own set of challenges,

07:49although he has

07:49so many dreams,

07:50he has so many

07:51programs

07:52in the field

07:54of education,

07:55but we know

07:56for a fact

07:57that there are

07:58so many challenges

07:59confronting

08:00our educational sector.

08:01like if the president

08:03would like to expand

08:04the scholarship

08:05program of the government,

08:07then the question there is,

08:09do we have enough budget?

08:11Does the government

08:12have enough money

08:13to fund the

08:14expanded scholarship programs?

08:17So,

08:18and now,

08:19apart from that,

08:19there's also,

08:21you know,

08:21there are also challenges

08:23that you can find

08:25in the much larger areas.

08:27Say,

08:27for example,

08:28I think

08:29this is going to be

08:30a persistent challenge

08:32for the Marcos administration

08:34in the last three years

08:35of its term.

08:37I'm referring here

08:37to the,

08:38you know,

08:39to the political dynamics

08:40involving

08:41the administration

08:43and,

08:43of course,

08:44the major

08:46opposition group.

08:47And I'm referring here

08:48to

08:49the Duterte bloc.

08:51So,

08:52this is going to manifest,

08:54this is going to,

08:55yeah,

08:55I think this is going to affect

08:56the president's

08:58legislative agenda

08:59because

09:00the pro-Duterte

09:03allies

09:04are definitely

09:05going to,

09:06you know,

09:07to,

09:08to scrutinize,

09:10to challenge

09:11the president

09:11in,

09:12you know,

09:13in,

09:13in every proposed measure

09:15and in every

09:17proposed bill

09:18that the president

09:18would like to,

09:19you know,

09:21realize.

09:24peace.

09:26All right,

09:26thank you so much

09:27for your insight,

09:28Professor Dennis Coronacion

09:29of the University

09:30of Santo Tomas.

09:31Good evening, sir.

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