Simplicity to mark Marcos' fifth SONA: House SecGen

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address will be a simple affair.

During the House's first inter-agency coordination meeting for the event on Tuesday, June 9, House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Garafil assured that the SONA will be modest and understated.

"The operative word for this year [will] be a simple SONA, in keeping with the times," she said. Her remarks came a day after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook parts of Mindanao, claiming 41 lives as of June 10.

“There will be no red carpet, no long gowns,” Garafil continued, adding that the guidance will be indicated in the official invitation to the event.

Nevertheless, Garafil encouraged guests to wear simple but dignified clothing fit for the occasion. 

The meeting was attended by officials from the House of Representatives, Senate, Office of the President, security agencies, local government units, and other concerned offices to discuss logistical, security, protocol, and operational arrangements for the President’s annual address before Congress.

The SONA, scheduled on July 27 at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, is President Marcos’ fifth since assuming office in 2022.

In 2025, Marcos delivered his fourth SONA at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, where he called out perceived failures and corruption in the government—even acknowledging his administration's shortcomings.

"Mahiya naman kayo sa mga kabahayan nating naanod o nalubog sa mga pagbaha," he notably said about corruption in anomalous flood control projects. "Mahiya naman kayo lalo sa mga anak natin na magmamana sa mga utang na ginawa ninyo nang ibinulsa niyo lang ang pera."