Women's group Gabriela on Saturday, July 13, said that the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos will be confronted by the Filipino people's mounting anger and discontent over failed economic policies.
In a statement, Gabriela Secretary-General Clarice Palce said that "galit at diskontento ng mamamayan ang sasalubong sa ika-3 SONA ni Marcos Jr ngayong buwan (anger and discontent among the people will greet the 3rd SONA of Marcos Jr. this month).
"The administration has failed in addressing and resolving the crises and hardships faced by the people, especially women," she added in Filipino.
The group cited a recent Pulse Asia survey, which revealed that 76 percent of Filipinos disapprove of the administration's performance in controlling inflation.
"The survey results underscore the government's inability to curb the rising prices of basic goods and services, which disproportionately affect women who often earn less as contractual workers, have low-valued jobs, and are predominantly in the informal sector," Gabriela pointed out.
In the same survey, inflation emerged as the top national concern for most Filipinos, with 57 percent wanting Marcos to address this issue in his next SONA.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/12/filipinos-want-marcos-to-discuss-inflation-in-3rd-sona-survey
Palce emphasized that the administration should focus on increasing wages and lowering the prices of food, oil, utilities, and other essential goods.
"Instead of rice being priced at 20 pesos, it has gone up to 60 pesos. Prices have tripled in many communities," she said.
Marcos' third SONA will occur before a joint Congress session at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City on July 22.