To cut costs for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week, the government will utilize its own personnel to perform the National Anthem and direct the program, rather than hiring external contractors.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters in an interview last Tuesday that the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Chorale will sing the National Anthem during the next SONA on 27 July 2026 in the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
She also noted that the Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) will direct the upcoming SONA.
In the previous SONAs of the President, some celebrities participated in the said events. Among them were filmmaker Paul Soriano, who directed Marcos’ first SONA, while The Voice USA Season 26 champion Sofronio Vasquez sang the National Anthem in the SONA last year.
For this year, Castro said Marcos wants preparations for the SONA to be austere as the government cuts its expenses since it requires additional funding for its response to the Middle East crisis.
‘That is indeed the plan, and that is also what the President wants,’ she said.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier said the government will use the savings under its National Budget Circular 602 and 603 to finance the P12.38-billion expanded United Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) assistance.
When asked if the government can sustain its UPLIFT programs in case the Middle East conflict will continue to drag on in the coming months, Castro said it will depend on the availability of funds for it.
But even with the said cost-cutting measures, Castro said the upcoming SONA of the President will remain dignified.