Preparations for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. first-ever State of the Nation Address (SONA) next Monday, July 25, in full face-to-face capacity, a first since the pandemic hit in 2020, is in full swing as invitations were sent out and minor renovations were made at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
House of Representatives Secretary-General Mark Llandro Mendoza said that everyone who will enter the plenary hall will be required to present a negative Covid-19 test taken within the last 48 hours to ensure the safety of all attendees.
He told the media that some of the 1,365 invitations have already been sent out starting last week, while the rest will be distributed this week.
Among the invitees are Vice President Sara Duterte, members of the Marcos Cabinet, members of the diplomatic corps, former presidents, vice presidents, speakers of the House, and Senate presidents.
While the plenary hall only has a limited capacity of 1,200, the secretary-general said they will make adjustments to accommodate more people.
“Mga minor revisions na lang tayo (We’re down to doing minor revisions). So far okay naman na tayo (we’re okay already), coordination with different agencies and with Malacañang, okay na po tayo (we’re okay),” he said.
Renovation inside the House session hall is already finished, he said.
Mendoza said the Presidential Security Group (PSG) will check the premises after the cleanup.
He also shared that director Paul Soriano will direct the SONA while an individual from Ilocos will sing the Philippine national anthem.
Marcos’s SONA will be the first to be held in-person in over two years after former President Rodrigo Duterte held his last two SONAs in 2020 and 2021 in a hybrid or mixed live and virtual set-up because of the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.