MANILA — A lawmaker has voiced dismay over the absence of a proposed legislated wage hike and a plan to reduce value-added tax from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2026 State of the Nation Address.
Akbayan Party List Representative Percival Cendaña said the measures the President mentioned fall “short” of what is needed to tackle the rising cost of food and basic commodities. Marcos had acknowledged the problem of high prices, Cendaña said, but stopped short of offering the necessary package of solutions. It was disappointing, he added, that there was no mention of raising workers’ wages through a ₱200 wage hike or of bringing down prices by cutting VAT from 12 to 10 percent. He said he had no illusions that the President would back the reforms, but vowed to continue fighting alongside workers to have them enacted into law.
Senior Citizens Party List Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes was likewise saddened by the lack of any mention of the proposed universal social pension for elderly Filipinos. There was no clear, specific programme for senior citizens in the address, he said. While he welcomed the expansion of VAT-free medicines and the YAKAP programme, both of which could help many older Filipinos, he had hoped to hear concrete commitments on a universal social pension, geriatric healthcare, and easier access to benefits already guaranteed under existing laws. This was not a rebuke, he stressed, but a respectful appeal for clearer attention to the needs of the elderly. He expressed hope that the administration’s next steps would bring a clearer direction and concrete programmes showing that the welfare of senior citizens is a national priority, and pledged to remain a partner in advancing measures for a more comfortable and dignified life for them.
House Deputy Speaker Jefferson Khonghun, meanwhile, said he believed the President had focused on unifying both chambers of Congress, which was why he did not mention the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in his address. This is a unifying President who does not want conflict, Khonghun said, and so he emphasised his unifying presence in the Senate and the House. He did, however, applaud the President’s remarks on the West Philippine Sea, praising Marcos’s deep love for the country and his defence of the rights of Filipino fishermen and the military personnel who have stood up for the country’s rights there. It was heartening, he said, to hear the President himself provide the primary direction on how to discuss the country’s sovereignty and rights in the West Philippine Sea.
NCRPO Probes Possible Links Between SONA Protesters and Sept. 21 Unrest
MANILA — The National Capital Region Police Office is investigating whether the 51 individuals arrested during protests held alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address have links to those involved in the violent protests in Manila on 21 September 2025.
NCRPO chief PMGen. Anthony Aberin said investigators are comparing the identities of those arrested with individuals allegedly involved in last year’s unrest, noting that police had obtained their identities and faces and would match them against the personalities behind the September disturbance. Authorities arrested the individuals for alleged violations that include vandalism, wearing balaclavas to conceal their faces, and holding a rally without a permit. Those were the violations police saw, Aberin said, adding that the cases would go through the proper process and be filed with the prosecutor’s office, which would determine whether the arrests were lawful.
Police are also trying to establish whether those arrested belong to an organised group, given the alleged lack of a rally permit. Aberin questioned why some protesters wore black clothing and covered their faces if they intended a peaceful demonstration, saying that alone pointed to a violation. The NCRPO is further verifying whether one of those arrested was the person who allegedly punched a police captain during the protest; if confirmed, the suspect will face an additional charge of direct assault. Of the 51 arrested, 45 are in the custody of the Quezon City Police District, while six others are being investigated at Quezon City Police District Station 6.
Investigators, Aberin said, are also backtracking CCTV footage to identify those responsible for an improvised explosive device that exploded near the Department of Justice in Manila and another suspected IED recovered near the Senate on Monday. Police have yet to determine whether the two incidents are connected or to establish a motive.
Despite the arrests and the bomb-related incidents, the NCRPO described the overall security situation during the SONA as generally peaceful, with Aberin saying the arrests were part of law enforcement’s duty to uphold the law. In a separate statement, Philippine National Police chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said this year’s address concluded without any untoward or violent incident. The PNP had deployed more than 20,000 officers across Metro Manila to secure key government installations, manage traffic, and maintain order. “Our sacrifices from planning to the implementation of security measures up to the last hours paid off, and this would have not happened without the dedication and hard work not only of our personnel but also of our partners from other agencies,” Nartatez said. He thanked other government agencies, the Quezon City government, and protest groups for their cooperation, saying the orderly conduct of demonstrations had contributed to the peaceful outcome, and directed all police units to maintain heightened vigilance.
Marcos Assures More Comprehensive Health Coverage Through YAKAP and GAMOT Programs
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used his State of the Nation Address on Monday to promise more comprehensive Universal Health Care coverage for Filipinos.
Speaking at the Batasang Pambansa, Marcos said the expanded coverage forms part of the government’s YAKAP, or Yaman ng Kalusugan, Program, which he said has already benefited 4.5 million registered Filipinos. The aim of the programme, he said, is to keep Filipinos away from illness and to address looming health conditions early, and he expressed hope that more clinics would join YAKAP to give the public more options.
Adding to those benefits is the government’s GAMOT Program, which covers members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, or PhilHealth. Under the scheme, members receive up to ₱20,000 worth of essential medicine a year. The list now includes 75 essential drugs, Marcos said, covering antibiotics and treatments for asthma, hypertension, and cholesterol, and the annual limit has been raised to keep pace with rising prices. He also noted that PhilHealth now covers treatments for HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart problems, and tuberculosis, and said the state insurer would double its support for children with developmental disabilities in terms of consultation and therapy. Through the Department of Social Welfare’s “Project Aruga,” he added, the government has been able to extend PhilHealth benefits to more than 7.5 million families.
Marcos also highlighted the success of the Zero-Balance Billing programme, run through the Department of Health, and the eGovPH app. Since the programme’s launch, he said, nearly 3 million Filipinos have received medical care at government hospitals and wards without paying a single centavo. The Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients programme has also been expanded to more hospitals, with the application process made easier. There is now an “e-MAIFIP” available at DOH hospitals, he said, offered online and through the eGovPH app, requiring just two documents and no guarantee letter, so patients no longer need to queue or plead with any politician for help.
