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Governing a nation is not a simple task. Myriad of problems await the chief executive and he has to prioritize which among the issues should be resolved first.


But there are concerns that must be dealt with immediately before things get out of hand. Former president Rodrigo Duterte provided a short-term solution to rising rice prices during his term by easing the importation of the commodity. Philippine rice stocks were low and the clear solution was to address the lack of supply. True enough, rice prices went down quickly—leading to a lower inflation rate.

In about a week’s time, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. will deliver his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the Congress of the Philippines. It is one of the Constitutional duties of the Chief Executive expressed in Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution: “The President shall address the Congress at the opening of its regular session.”

No one will argue that the Philippines made significant steps to reopen the economy this year. The easing of restrictions stimulated business activities and generated jobs for millions of people.