Palace: 4th SONA to focus on poverty alleviation

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte will focus on poverty alleviation efforts in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), as well as infrastructure development and the peace and order situation, Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Alexei Nograles said yesterday.

“Now, we are moving towards malasakit (compassion) so you will see more of our poverty reduction programs. Yan ang magiging direction sa last three years,” Nograles said in an interview at Malacañang.

He said the Office of the President has started consolidating the accomplishment reports of the various agencies and Cabinet clusters for inclusion in the President’s SONA.

Apart from poverty alleviation, Duterte’s speech will also continue to dwell on the administration’s peace and order program, along with equally important priority programs of the administration.

Members of the Cabinet started pre-SONA activities last Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), to be followed by another one in Cebu on July 10 and on July 17 in Davao City.

The Office of the President is now working on the President’s speech, but Nograles is not discounting the possibility that the Chief Executive might deliver an extemporaneous speech.

“The pre-SONA (activities would) allow the President to speak more openly… without delving into the facts and figures anymore,” Nograles said.

“All of that will be discussed in the pre-SONA so that whatever will be the President’s message… will be policy, ano yung direction, ano yung directive niya, those things so it will free up now his speech to be more open and towards policy direction,” he said.