Marcos Jr.'s SONA wins business praise, sparks political criticism

Business chambers in the Philippines—including the Makati Business Club, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, German‑Philippine Chamber, American Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Philippine Industries—welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address. They highlighted the administration’s focus on energy security, investment reforms, digital transformation, agriculture and governance, and urged faster implementation of measures such as the Right to Information Act, budget transparency, and reforms to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and bank secrecy laws. The groups also praised the proposed amendments to the Energy Performance Incentive Regulation Act, renewable‑energy expansion, nuclear exploration and plans to lower electricity costs.

In the same address, Marcos announced tax‑relief measures, including raising the annual income‑tax exemption, and outlined a roadmap for the remaining two years of his term centered on accountability, economic transformation, social protection, food and energy security, and the defense of sovereignty. He cited more than P6 trillion of investments facilitated by the “Green Lanes for Strategic Investments” and promoted the US‑backed Pax Silica Industrial Hub as an AI‑driven manufacturing project. The speech also referenced ongoing investigations into alleged plunder involving his cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, and noted the House’s dismissal of an impeachment complaint against the president.