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SONA Promise Tracker

VERA Files tracks the promises President Marcos Jr. made during his State of the Nation Addresses.

2024

2023

2022

SONA 2022 Scorecard

Top Promises

Upgrade and create more international airports to help decongest Manila airport

Status: In progress

“To boost our tourism industry, we will first and foremost make basic developments such as road improvements for easier access to tourism spots. We will also upgrade our airports and create more international airports to help decongest the bottleneck in the Manila Airport.”

(SONA 2022)

Update: 07/19/2024

Four projects for airport construction and upgrades have been added to the current list of IFPs: the new airports in Baguio City and Cagayancillo in Palawan under pre-project implementation and the upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, and the Laguindingan International Airport that have been approved for implementation.
On March 15, the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority signed a concession agreement with the SMC-SAP & Company Consortium for the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Still under the pre-construction phase, land development works for the project have started. The new Manila International Airport project, handled by San Miguel Aerocity Inc., has started its land development.
In 2024, the government allocated P7.5 billion for the construction, upgrade, expansion, or rehabilitation of 22 airports across the country. In a Senate hearing last May on the issues surrounding the country’s international and domestic airports, former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri described the airports as “the weakest links” in the government’s tourism efforts.

Update: 07/17/2023

Of the 194 IFPs, 14 are for the building and enhancement of air transport infrastructures. These include the creation of new airports – the P735.63-billion New Manila International Airport PPP project, the New Zamboanga Airport, the P17-billion New Dumaguete Airport and the New Siargao Airport.
The rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is among the priority projects. Last April, the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) submitted a P267-billion unsolicited proposal for NAIA’s rehabilitation to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). On June 2, the DOTr and MIAA submitted a joint proposal for the solicited Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project for NAIA’s upgrade.
Airport development projects in Naga, Busuanga, Bukidnon, Antique, Laoag and Tacloban are also undergoing project preparations, while the Air Traffic Services – Air Navigational Services project and the airport development projects in Southern Palawan and Masbate are under the pre-project preparation stage.
On Sept. 28, 2022, Marcos officially opened the P19.25-billion New Passenger Terminal Building at Clark International Airport, which broke ground in December 2017.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said the target is to complete several airport projects worth P1 trillion this year.

Increase energy production; build new power plants.

Status: In progress

At present, our demand for energy far exceeds our reliable supply. We must increase the level of energy production. We must look at every possible option that would be appropriate for the Philippine situation. There is some room to expand our present power supply through existing power sources, but this is only to a very limited extent. We must build new power plants. We must take advantage of all the best technology that is now available, especially in the areas of renewable energy.

(SONA 2022)

Update: 07/19/2024

The energy department is expecting an additional 4,164 megawatts to boost the country’s power supply by the end of 2024, through a mix of traditional and renewable energy power projects.
Key among these power projects is the Mariveles Power Plant, a coal-fired thermal power plant composed of four units of 150-megawatt installed capacity of electricity.

Update: 07/17/2023

Power production in the country increased from 106,115 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2021 to 111,516 GWh by the end of 2022, based on the latest power statistics report of the Department of Energy (DOE).
Electricity still relies on coal power plants, which generated 59.57% or 66,430 GWh of the total 111,516 GWh consumed in 2022.
Two renewable energy resources saw a decrease in electricity generation in 2022.
- Power production in geothermal power plants decreased to 10,425 GWh from 10,681 GWh in 2021.
- Wind power production was down to 1,030 GWh from 1,270 GWh in 2021.
The DOE reports the construction of 113 private sector-initiated power plants, 48 of which are set for commercial operations starting this year.
- 74 private-funded power plants will be constructed in Luzon, 16 in Visayas, and 23 in Mindanao.
Majority of these greenlighted projects are 24 solar power plants in Luzon, five geothermal power plants in Visayas, and 16 hydroelectric power plants in Mindanao.

Get rid of of educational materials and school supplies of poor quality

Status: In progress

Keep inflation at between 2.5% and 4.5% in 2023; return to target range by 2024 until 2028

Status: In progress

“The average inflation for 2022 is projected to range from 4.5 to 5.5 percent, following the uptick in fuel and food prices as a result of the ongoing Russia Ukraine conflict and the disrupted supply chains.
It is slightly adjusted to 2.5 to 4.5 percent in 2023, and is seen to return to the target range of 2.0 to 4.0 percent by 2024 until 2028.”

(SONA 2022)

Update: 07/17/2024

The annual average inflation rate in 2023 stood at 6.0%, higher than the annual average inflation rate of 5.7% in 2022.
The average headline inflation as of May 2024 was 3.5%, lower than the previous year’s 6.1%.

Update: 07/17/2023

Headline inflation as of June slowed down to 5.4% from 6.1% in the previous month, the PSA reported. From January to June, the average inflation rate was 7.2%. The slowdown is attributed to food and non-alcoholic beverages, transport and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels.
The Development Budget Coordination Committee has adjusted its inflation assumption range to 5.0% to 6.0% in 2023 from the previous 5% to 7% range “partly due to a consistent slowdown in inflation” in the first quarter of the year.
Marcos signed Executive Order No. 28 that renamed the Economic Development Group to the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO) on May 26. The IAC-IMO serves as an advisory body that will keep inflation “within the government’s targets,” especially food and energy. It is co-chaired by the Department of Finance (DoF) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Amend Section 26 of RA 6657 to condone P58.12 billion debts, including loan amortization and interest payments, of 654,000 ARBs

Status: In progress

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