Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano delivered his Kontra-SONA — the traditional response to the president’s annual State of the Nation Address — on Tuesday, urging Filipinos to rally behind a common national vision that should guide government policies and future reforms.
Speaking at the Senate a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Minority Leader said the country must first agree on where it wants to go before crafting policies and programs that can bring lasting progress.
“Vision is contingent on actions. Kailangan [natin] ng national discussion, pag-uusap tungo sa isang vision or pinag-kaisahang vision. If we agree on a common vision, then we have something to truly give to the next generation,” Cayetano said on July 28, 2026.
The senator said the Philippines continues to face serious challenges but remains a country with vast potential that can be unlocked through long-term planning, sound governance, and collective action.
“What is the state of our nation? Ang ating bansa ay dumaraan sa kahirapan. Mahirap, ngunit may malaking potential, may mga pagbabago ngunit puno ng pagsubok,” he said.
Addressing the country’s biggest challenges
Cayetano said realizing the country’s potential begins with confronting long-standing problems that continue to hold it back, including child malnutrition, the decline of agriculture, inadequate wages, and corruption.
Citing child nutrition as one of his long-standing advocacies, Cayetano urged both government and communities to work together to address stunting, which he said is a threat to the country’s future as it affects one out of every four children.
He also called for renewed focus on agriculture, saying the sector has been neglected as political disagreements continue to dominate public discourse.
“Kung sino naman po magsasabi na OK naman ang takbo ng ating agriculture, it’s OK to disagree. Parati kasi tayong nag di-disagree kaya napapabayaan y’ung [ating] agri [agriculture],” he said.
The Minority Leader likewise said many Filipino workers continue to struggle because their earnings no longer match the rising cost of living.
“Nahihirapan na po ngayon ang ating mga trabahador. We have a minimum wage, but we do not have a living wage that the Constitution envisions,” he said.
While acknowledging that some challenges are beyond the country’s control like natural calamities and global conflict, Cayetano said the government should aim higher in responding to national issues instead of settling for what is merely acceptable.
“We could’ve reacted faster and better. Having said that, how do we prepare ourselves to really achieve what we can achieve through our potential [at] hindi y’ung ‘pwede na’?” he said.
Despite the issues mentioned, Cayetano expressed confidence that the Philippines can still achieve meaningful progress if Filipinos unite behind a common purpose and work toward shared goals.
“Malaki kasi ang potensyal ng mga Pilipino, maabilidad kasi ang mga Pilipino. Kaya po natin. May pag-asa [tayo, at] hindi [natin] kailangang maghintay ng matagal,” he said.
“Let us believe, but let us act,” he added.