Marcos seen trying to appease middle class
President Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) may be his most politically consequential yet as it sought to appease middle-class Filipinos, a segment of the population largely outside the reach of state financial aid yet hardly immune to soaring living costs, analysts said.
The measures the President presented in his recent Sona—from a tax relief package to power industry reforms that can lower electricity bills— will also require significant congressional backing amid perceptions that his “lame-duck” period is just around the corner, they said.
Ederson Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said the President’s penultimate address highlighted “politically resonant issues because they directly affect the middle class and vulnerable sectors that continue to struggle with the cost of living.”
Filipinos continue to grapple with rising cost of living from soaring fuel and power prices with frustration mounting especially among the middle class, which makes up 41.3 percent of the country’s nearly 114 million population.
In the 2022 presidential election, Mr. Marcos received more than 31 million votes or 58.77 percent of the total votes cast. His more than 50-percent mandate showed that he received broad support from all social classes, including Classes B and C, or the upper-middle and middle classes. But his popularity has since tumbled to a 34-percent trust rating, the lowest since July 2024, according to a Social Weather Stations survey released ahead of the Sona.
“The speech gave the impression that the achievements of the past year should translate to greater trust and support for Malacañang’s agenda—and he asks this not only of the two Houses of Congress, but also the public at large,” said Hansley Juliano, a political science lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University.
‘Easy wins’
Whether “intentional or not,” Juliano said, Mr. Marcos seems to have brought in a narrative that the country’s reclassification as an upper-middle-income economy means that “middle class issues are now centric.”
“This was not the speech of a president who has surrendered. Despite weaker approval ratings, persistent lame-duck narratives, and an embattled administration, Marcos Jr. is still making the case that his presidency has another act left,” said Cleve Arguelles, a political analyst who founded the public opinion research firm Momentum Research.
Arguelles noted that the Sona especially focused on “what are essentially political easy wins,” referring to policies that Filipinos can appreciate and carries broad political appeal.
“The speech was filled with immediately tangible benefits: expanded ‘ayuda,’ more tax exemptions, support for small businesses, and promises to reduce systemic losses that drive up electricity prices,” Arguelles said.
While some policies are straightforward, others will require broad congressional support, including amendments to the 2001 Electric Power Industry Reform Act to cut electricity costs, said Tapia.
“The Sona introduced several proposals that could become defining legislative priorities during the remainder of the administration,” he said. “Whether these proposals become lasting achievements will ultimately depend on congressional support, regulatory execution, and implementation capacity.”
True measure
These steps must be faithfully executed through concrete reforms, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) said in a statement on Saturday.
“The true measure of leadership […] lies not only in vision but in faithful execution,” FFCCCII president Victor Lim said. “Equally important is the pursuit of genuine governance reforms that go beyond words.”
The group said the Marcos administration’s ambitions must be paired with “sound policies, disciplined implementation, and meaningful collaboration between government, the private sector, and civil society.”
“As the Philippines confronts persistent global uncertainties and domestic challenges, we underscore the imperative of making electricity more affordable, preserving fiscal stability, encouraging productive investments, and creating more quality jobs,” it said.
One of the most applauded parts of Mr. Marcos’ speech was the proposal to remove electricity system loss charges passed on to consumers. But it has drawn pushback from the private sector, in particular Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distributor.
Home stretch
Despite the challenges facing the administration in its final years, the federation said it remains optimistic that sustained reforms and a “principled” leadership can still translate into lasting gains for the Philippines.
Arjan Aguirre, an assistant professor of political science also at Ateneo, said Mr. Marcos may want his legacy to be associated with “stability, continuity, and programs that address everyday concerns.”
This would entail, he said, championing reforms that address infrastructure, cost of living, education, energy and food issues that have afflicted ordinary Filipinos.
“The administration may have identified the right destination,” he said. “The challenge in the home stretch is to move beyond repeated commitments and deliver lasting reforms and measurable results that Filipinos can actually feel.”
For Tapia, Mr. Marcos’ legacy will be measured by the gains trickling down to ordinary Filipinos: “A strong Sona can shape expectations, but history is ultimately written by implementation rather than rhetoric.” —WITH A REPORT FROM LOGAN KAL-EL M. ZAPANTA
