President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is hopeful that Filipinos will realize that the country has already made "significant progress" as they listen to his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PTV screenshot)

Marcos said this a week ahead of his second SONA on July 24.

In an interview with reporters in Pampanga, the President said people can now see the difference in how the government works compared to before his landslide victory in the 2022 elections.

"That's what I want to explain to people that we have made significant progress," he said on Monday, July 17.

"We can see the difference now, not only in terms of how the systems work, how the government works, it is also how we are seen or judged in the international community. That's equally important," he added.

According to the President, his upcoming SONA will entail the plans and programs he discussed last year, their progress, what else the government will do, and his plans moving forward.

"It's just a performance report for Filipinos to see na sa dami ng mga pronouncements, sa dami ng mga salita, kung ito ba ay talagang may kabuluhan [o] salita lamang (that among the many pronouncements, the many words spoken, if they bore fruit or were just words)," he said.

Meanwhile, Marcos said that he has yet to decide what to wear during the highly anticipated event as he was "worried about writing the speech."

Last month, President Marcos expressed confidence that he will have something to present to the public in his second SONA, saying they had already started preparations for the annual event.

"Sa palagay ko naman, mayroon naman tayo ipapakita (I believe we have something to show the people), and that's what the content of the SONA, I think, will probably be," he said.

The President said they started collecting materials needed for his speech but did not disclose further details.

While he failed to mention the country's illegal drug situation in his first SONA, Marcos discussed his administration's plans to address the country's post-pandemic economic recovery.

The President also mentioned the food crisis, healthcare, bridging the country's digital divide, and continuing the previous administration's infrastructure program.

Marcos also bared his foreign policy, saying the Philippines would remain friendly to all countries, but he would not cede an inch of its territory to foreign powers.

He capped his first SONA by enumerating his 19 priority bills.