House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin said that the House of Representatives is eyeing a simple State of Nation Address (SONA) after the country was devastated by floodings and typhoons.

In an online press conference on Thursday, Garin Garin said that House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has expressed the desire to keep this year’s SONA modest and focused on its true purpose: communicating directly with the Filipino people.

“Sa dami ng sakuna dapat talagang magkaroon ng shift ng priorities, not a total shift but a partial shift na kung saan ang ating austerity measures should be in place para mas malaki ‘yung pondo na mapupunta sa pangangailangan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” the Iloilo First District Representative said.

“Napag-usapan doon na dapat simple lang sa SONA, hindi na marangya, hindi parang fashion show because at the end of the day ang pinakaimportante kasi is serbisyo sa taongbayan,” Garin added.

Garin added that the tone and presentation of the SONA should reflect solidarity with the people.

“Ang importante doon is maliwanag, maririnig ‘yung mensahe ng Pangulo. ‘Yung simbolo kasi niyan is to simply dress during the SONA para alam ng tao na kaakibat natin sila…It is an event for our people to know ano ang plano ng gobyerno,” Garin said.

The 2025 State of the Nation Address is scheduled for July 29, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expected to lay out his administration’s key priorities moving forward.