A unity statement on the 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. was released by the student-led organizations of Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) after engaging in a socio-political discussion entitled “LIPON TIPON: The Ateneo Discourse for Socio-Political Discussion” held last July 26, 2023, at the LRC Conference Hall.
Led by the Social Action and Community Service Involvement (SACSI) Office and the Department of Student Involvement of El Consejo Atenista, several student organizations have come forward to share their sentiments on the matter.
Organizations in attendance included the Accountancy Academic Organization, Education Academic Organization, Liberal Arts Academic Organization, Management Academic Organization, Nursing Academic Organization, The Ecowatch Organization, SACSI, Ateneo Peer’s Circle, Ateneo Debate Union, Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy (USAD), and The BEACON Publications.
The event included a four-part discussion tackling their expectations before the SONA, impressions, commentaries, and expectations. Several points of the dialogue highlighted a dissatisfaction towards the speech due to the omission of crucial subjects, inadequate contexts, and heavy reliance on numbers without substantial explanation for the clarity of the Filipino people. Issues such as salary increases for teachers, curriculum reforms, environmental concerns, disaster reduction, labor rights, SOGIE Bill, OFWs’ welfare, and mental health care remained untouched, leaving the impression of an underwhelming address.
In the unity statement released last August 11, 2023, many of the notions that brought about during the discussion were enumerated into different sectors that each of the student leaders represented.
“We stand together with those who felt neglected, whose voices were not heard, and whose advocacies were not catered in the SONA 2023… we express our dismay with the selected issues in the speech…”
The student leaders have urged swift government action in key sectors. Their call covers education, healthcare, mental health, climate justice, agriculture, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity. Stressing the government’s obligation to prioritize citizen welfare, especially for marginalized groups.
Despite their disappointment, the student leaders remain determined and committed to working for a better future.
