State of the Nation Address

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo, whose diocese serves one of the country's largest Catholic populations east of Metro Manila in the Philippines, has criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying it failed to answer the concerns of Filipinos seeking accountability, justice, and hope.

Caritas Philippines President Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza has expressed disappointment over what he described as the absence of environmental priorities in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying the environment "cannot remain an empty chair" in the country's national agenda.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, a movement advocating for the preservation of the Verde Island Passage (VIP), issued a statement on July 29 expressing disappointment over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), in which he “peddled natural gas as a clean energy source.”