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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Engineer in Cong Pleyto liked what he heard in Marcos' SONA

Engineer in Cong Pleyto liked what he heard in Marcos' SONA

Published Jul 29, 2026 09:15 am

At A Glance

  • Bulacan 6th district Rep. Salvador Pleyto praises President Marcos' fifth SONA as a comprehensive record of accomplishments and plans, highlighting the proposed National Building Code to ensure disaster-resilient structures.
  • He welcomes the government's assurance that MRT-7 will finally operate, stressing its importance in easing commuters' struggles and benefiting his constituents in Bulacan.
  • Pleyto's perspective reflects his background as DPWH undersecretary from 1998 to 2003, where he oversaw nationwide infrastructure programs including roads and flood control projects.


President Marcos' recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) tickled the fancy of Bulacan 6th district Rep. Salvador Pleyto not as a legislator, but as an engineer by profession.
"It was a comprehensive record of accomplishments and the President’s concrete plans for the remainder of his term," Pleyto said of Marcos' fifth and penultimate SONA last Monday, July 27.
"Most particularly impressive to me - as an engineer - was the President's call for the passage of the National Building Code integrating and ensuring resilient typhoon and earthquake-proof structures in LGUs (local government units), which are vulnerable to natural disasters," he said.
Incidentally, within the House of Representatives, calls to pass the proposed new Philippine Building Act (PBA) have grown louder following the widespread damage caused to infrastructure in June by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Sarangani and its nearby provinces.
There are longstanding fears that many of the provisions in the current 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) are already outdated. The PBA is envisioned to fix these.
"Another reassuring good news was the government's promise to operate - finally - the MRT-7 (Metro Rail Transit-7) that was delayed for a substantial period of time," Pleyto added about the President’s speech.
"Making this transport system efficient that will significantly help our commuters in their daily travel struggle, most especially will benefit my constituents in Bulacan," he pointed out.
According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the MRT-7 is 86 percent complete, with partial operations of 12 stations targeted for the second quarter of 2027.
Marcos confirmed in his SONA that the line’s rollout is on track, with full operations expected by 2028.
Pleyto served as undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from 1998 until 2003.
During this period, he was responsible for overseeing nationwide infrastructure programs, including road networks and flood control projects. His tenure placed him at the center of DPWH’s policy implementation and project supervision, particularly in Luzon.

Related Tags

Salvador Pleyto MRT-7 New Philippine Building Act SONA Marcos PBBM
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