President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on July 27, 2026.
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'We are Filipinos, and we do not yield,' President Marcos says in his 5th SONA, as he spoke of an unnamed 'common threat' days after the China Coast Guard harassed Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea
MANILA, Philippines — Weeks after a China state-run publication released a video depicting the Philippines and Filipinos as monkeys in criticizing the 2016 Arbitral Award, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to remind “our friends and our detractors” that Filipinos are “not greedy, not racist, and not liars.”
“Our unity and collective consciousness are challenged now greater than ever before. A common threat lies before us, directed against our dignity and self-respect as a people. Of late, our very humanity has been called into question. Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race,” Marcos said in his 5th SONA on Monday, July 27 before an audience of legislators, officials from the executive, and the diplomatic corps.
