President Duterte’s 4th State of the Nation Address on Monday should spell out the  “second half game plan” of his administration, “and the things he wants the nation to achieve in the last 1,000 days” of his six-year term, Sen. Sonny Angara said.   

“I think that is what the people will be looking for in his speech. For him to state the vision, set the target and explain to us how to get there,” Angara said. 

“It would be better if it is a goal-setting speech. More looking forward than looking back. Ilista nya ang urgent things to do,” he added. 

Saying that “a great SONA is a frank SONA,” Angara expects Duterte “to be candid in telling his countrymen the problems which have not been solved  and the areas where the government has performed poorly.” 

“Hindi naman pwedeng all roses ang isang SONA. People are mature enough to hear the real score. 

And I think the President will not shirk from telling it as it is. 

In mobilizing the people, the right approach is first to admit the problem, then rally the people to get behind the solution,” he said.

Angara said the key element in realizing the “second half game plan” of the Duterte administration is the proposed 2020 budget, “the first for the next decade and one which will kick off our plans for the Twenties.”

“Dapat ang 2020 budget may 20/20 vision. Ang framework ay 10-year development plan. Sa susunod na dekada, ano ba talaga ang gusto nating makamit? Ano ba ang estado at kalagayan ng Pilipinas pagsapit ng 2030?” he said.

“Of all the bills he will send to Congress, I think the most important is the 2020 national budget. It will set the direction for the next 10 years. It is the next decade’s kick-off budget. The one that will jumpstart the activities crucial to our mid-decade and end-decade goals,” Angara said.