A simple and traditional State of the Nation Address (SONA).
That's supposedly the request of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to the House leadership for his first SONA on Monday, July 25.
"Ang gusto ng Malacañang maging simple lang, at very more on traditional ng SONA (Malacañang wants it to be simple, and to be more of a traditional SONA)," House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza told reporters Wednesday, July 20 during the unveiling of the new-look plenary hall.
"Simple lang talaga ang gusto ni Pangulo at the same time, para ma-address niya rin ng maayos yung ano, no more, wala masyadong glamor, basta simple lang po (The President just wants it to be simple at the same time, so he may properly address the..no more, not much glamor, he only wants it to be simple)," Mendoza added.
In the same interview, Mendoza said that over P100 million was spent on the renovation of Batasang Pambansa Complex ahead of the 19th Congress.
Monday's SONA will signal the start of the sessions in the 19th Congress. The plenary hall, the site of the SONA, is situated inside the main building of Batasang Pambansa.
Marcos's speech is expected to center on his plans toward economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as ways to tackle lingering problems of poverty, joblessness, and a looming food crisis.