President Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa Complex on Monday, July 28, received 124 rounds of applause and two standing ovations, when he declared war against those who profited from the failed flood control projects in the country.
Marcos' fourth SONA applauded 124 times, lasted 70 minutes
Published Jul 28, 2025 08:04 pm
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. at the Batasang Pambansa Complex to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 28, 2025. (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)
This was comparable to his 2024 SONA that received 125 rounds of applause and two standing ovations in its 82-minute run. In his second SONA in 2023, he was applauded 68 times.
The first standing ovation out of a more-than-25-page, one-hour-and-ten-minute speech was given by a crowd of legislators, cabinet secretaries, and the diplomatic corps after the President called out the corruption in the country’s flood-control projects.
He said that a recent inspection after the southwest monsoon and typhoons Crising, Dante, and Emong showed substandard flood-mitigation systems.
“Mahiya naman kayo sa mga kababayan nating naanod o nalubog sa mga pagbaha (Shame on you as our fellowmen suffered from the floods),” he said, earning applause and standing ovation among attendees at the Plenary Hall.
“Mahiya naman kayo lalo sa mga anak natin na magmamana sa mga utang na ginawa ninyo sa binulsa n'yong pera (Have some shame, especially to our children who will inherit what you’ve done, and the money you pocketed),” he added.
The crowd applauded, cheered, and chanted “BBM!“ repeatedly after his remarks.
The President promised that “this will not happen again” because he has tasked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Regional Project Monitoring Committee to inspect flood-control projects from every region that were either started or completed in the past three years.
The list of failed projects and those alleged to be ghost projects will be made public, he stressed.
“Isasapubliko natin ang listahang ito. Kaya ang publiko na saksi sa mga proyektong ito ay malayang suriin ang listahan at magbahagi ng kanilang nalalaman para makatulong sa ating imbestigasyon (We will publicize this list. The public will act as witness and can freely inspect this list so they can share their knowledge and help in our investigation),” Marcos said as the crowd applauded once more.
“Sa mga susunod na buwan, makakasuhan ang lahat ng mga lalabas na may sala mula sa imbestigasyon. Pati na ang mga kasabwat na kontratista sa buong bansa (In the coming months, we will be filing cases against these people, including the contractors they connived with),” he furthered.
The President vowed that any proposed General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for the 2026 budget deliberations will be returned if it is not fully aligned with the National Expenditure Program.
This will be done, he insisted, even if the government ends up with a reenacted budget.