Marcos Jr.’s 2026 State of the Nation Address: Policies and Reactions

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. State of the Nation Address tax relief poverty survey DSWD LAWA BINHI

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 29 July 2026. He announced tax‑relief measures, including raising the annual income‑tax exemption threshold to ₱350,000, exempting micro‑ and small enterprises from the minimum corporate income tax and a one‑time tax amnesty. Energy‑sector reforms were pledged: an amendment to the EPIRA, scrapping of system‑loss charges, a declaration of a national energy emergency on 24 March, suspension of excise taxes on LPG and kerosene effective 17 April, and a temporary rice price cap of ₱50 per kilogram imposed on 13 May.

Critics note the delays between the crises and these actions. Fuel prices rose sharply after the address, with gasoline up ₱53.72 per litre, diesel ₱57.73 and kerosene ₱52.69 YTD. A Social Weather Station survey in March 2026 found 52 % of Filipino families (14.5 million) living in poverty, a rise of one percentage point, while unemployment reached 4.8 % (2.5 million jobless) in May.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported its LAWA and BINHI projects reaching over 184,000 farmer‑fisher beneficiaries in Luzon, building 1,650 small farm reservoirs and 831 irrigation repairs, and generating more than ₱227 million in fish and vegetable value. Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro attended the SONA, defending her presence as a duty to national authority and disaster‑recovery efforts.

Entities: Department of Social Welfare and Development · Ferdinand Marcos Jr. · Pamela Baricuatro · Philippine Statistics Authority · Philippines · Social Weather Station

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Marcos proposed exempting micro and small enterprises from the minimum corporate income tax and a one‑time tax amnesty. (Tax proposal in SONA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] May 2026 unemployment in the Philippines rose to 4.8 % with 2.5 million jobless people. (Philippine Statistics Authority data)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Marcos declared a national energy emergency on 24 March 2026, suspended excise taxes on LPG and kerosene on 17 April, and imposed a temporary rice price cap of ₱50/kg on 13 May. (Executive actions cited in SONA analysis)
[○ 1 SOURCE] President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised the annual tax‑exempt income threshold to ₱350,000 from ₱250,000. (Tax proposal in SONA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro attended the SONA, citing respect for authority and disaster‑recovery assistance as reasons. (Governor’s statement)
[● 2 SOURCES] Domestic fuel prices rose by ₱53.72 per litre for gasoline, ₱57.73 for diesel and ₱52.69 for kerosene in 2026. (Fuel price data cited after SONA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] DSWD’s LAWA and BINHI projects reached over 184,000 farmer‑fisher beneficiaries in Luzon, building 1,650 farm reservoirs and repairing 831 irrigation facilities. (DSWD report on project outcomes)
[○ 1 SOURCE] A March 2026 Social Weather Station survey found 52 % of Filipino families (14.5 million) classified as poor. (Survey results)