Statement of Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya on the 5th SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The President’s State of the Nation Address affirms Bacolod City, under our HEART Agenda, is moving in the same direction with the national government’s broader priorities.

The national focus on public healthcare and education mirrors the hard work we are doing to expand access and elevate the quality of these essential services. Similarly, our consistent efforts to reduce waste and ensure resilience, demonstrated by initiatives like Waste-To-Energy and the rehabilitation of our waterways, align closely with the administration’s goals. We share a mutual drive to strengthen our sports programs, provide opportunities to and upskill our labor force, and digitalize public services. At the end of the day, digitalization means transparency, and transparency means we become fully accountable to the public.

We are also happy to see that the President used this opportunity to call for the amendment of the EPIRA. Prohibiting the pass-on of systems loss charges and VAT to consumers is a practical and necessary measure that will directly lower the electricity bills of Filipino households. Easing this monthly financial burden can spell the difference between keeping a child in school and ensuring a family has enough food on the table.

It is a very welcome development to see this level of trust in Local Government Units to serve as active partners in nation-building. We have always said that when local initiatives are reinforced by national support, we deliver a more meaningful, tangible difference.

We remain committed to doing our part and working stronger together to translate these national goals into realities felt by each and every Bacolodnon.*