In these times of uncertainty, when  so many  institutions, celebrations, and occasions for which we are known as a nation  have  been  upended because of the  COVID-19 pandemic, it is good to know that President  Duterte will carry on the tradition of personally appearing  before  Congress in  joint  session  on Monday, July 27,  to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The President could have chosen to deliver his SONA  via television from  the safety of  Malacañang  on the bank of the Pasig River in Manila, lest  he somehow  catch  the virus on the way to the Batasan in Quezon  City or right in the halls of the Batasan itself.  

Security is bound to be tight and health measures are bound to be thorough, but the COVID-19 virus, despite the best efforts of the world’s top scientists and health experts, has managed to spread around the globe these last seven months, infecting such world leaders as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazil’s President Jair Messias Bolsonaro. There is so much that is not known about this virus, that it is best to avoid any situation, any gathering of people, where it might somehow find a way to reach a new victim.

The arrangements for the President’s appearance at the Batasan have been carefully planned. Only 50 people will be in the vast assembly hall of the House of Representatives, which would normally have over 300 congressmen, 24 senators, their staffs, and hundreds of people in the gallery for the SONA.

The 50 on the floor on Monday, seated with considerable spaces between them, will be 13 congressmen, 12 senators, and 25 members of the executive department. All will be subjected to rapid coronavirus tests before being allowed entry into the Batasan. All will be wearing face masks.

The President’s speech will  be  aired on radio and television  over the government network  Radio Television  Malacañang  (RTVM)   and  the social media accounts of the Presidential  Communications  Office and  Radio Television Malacañang.  Private media may hook up with  RTVM.

Over the years, the delivery of the President’s SONA on the first day of the new regular session of Congress has been met by protest marches along the road to the Batasan. This year, because of the pandemic, mass gatherings of any kind are discouraged but with proper distancing, protesters should be able to stage their traditional demonstrations for their various causes.

Through  all  the  safety precautions on Monday, the nation should be able to hear the President’s State of the Nation Address  in the safety of  their homes around the country.  There is much that the President  is expected to say, including  on such issues as the recently enacted  Anti-Terror Law,  the country’s  relations with the United  States, China, and other nations,  the national budget and other national issues,  but  we expect that this year’s  SONA will focus on the pandemic, its deadly toll in the lives and health of Filipinos, the impact on the nation’s economy, and plans for national recovery .