AS President Rodrigo Duterte prepares to deliver his second State-of-the-Nation Address on July 24, we hope that he and his speech writers can take some lessons from the past.
Just ahead of the President’s first Sona in 2016, his Communications secretary promised an eager nation that the speech would “awaken the patriot in each Filipino” and that it would take no more than 38 minutes, sans any adlibs Mr. Duterte might make. On a personal level, he added, the speech moved him to tears. These promises alerted us that we would see history in the making when the President took to the podium at the Plenary Hall of the Batasang Pambansa to inspire us all to be better and to do better with a well-focused address that would speak directly to us, without the superciliousness and self congratulation of his predecessor.
History will remember Mr. Duterte’s first Sona somewhat differently, however. The address, which was highlighted by a declaration of a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels, turned out to be a rambling talk that took an hour and 32 minutes, the longest first Sona in history. If any tears were shed that day, they were probably for that lost hour and a half, and the missed opportunity to see and listen to a truly inspirational Sona that would go beyond a dry narration of achievements and statistics, but move us all to action toward building a better, more progressive, more equitable and just society. An address that would speak to all, not just to those who supported the administration in power, and one that healed rather than exacerbated the divisions caused by our fractious politics.
Mr. Duterte’s predecessor, President Benigno Aquino III, was known for using his annual addresses to Congress to boost his own political stock by making inflated claims—such as his hollow promise of self-sufficiency in rice—and viciously attacking his opponents. The net effect of this tiresome routine was that by the end of his term, nobody took Mr. Aquino’s yearly address very seriously. We had seen and heard it all before.
Mr. Duterte does not have to fall into the same trap. With his emphasis on change, he could use his annual address to the nation as a way to truly inspire all Filipinos, not just his supporters and allies, into achieving great things for the common good.
His administration’s decision last year to put an end to the vacuous and tasteless fashion sideshow among lawmakers was a step in the right direction. Now all Mr. Duterte and his advisers need to do is to hone the message and talk simply, and sincerely, to us all.