SONA Trivia: Presidents And Their State Of The Nation Addresses

SONA Trivia

On July 26, 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III delivered his first SONA. It was the first SONA in history delivered entirely in Filipino. Past presidents have either delivered entirely in English or included some portions in the vernacular, starting with President Manuel L. Quezon, who used the single Tagalog word “kasamas” in the first SONA in 1936—the address wherein he proposed the creation of Filipino, the national language.

On July 25, 2011, during the second SONA of President Benigno S. Aquino III, an English translation of the address was delivered in real time for the benefit of the Diplomatic Corps. Thus, on his second year in office, President Benigno S. Aquino III has introduced two new innovations in the SONA tradition: the delivery of the address purely in Filipino and real-time translation.

The President who has delivered the most SONAs was Ferdinand E. Marcos, who held power from December 30, 1965 to February 26, 1986. He delivered 20 SONAs. Second to him is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who stayed in power for nine years and delivered nine SONAs.

Two presidents did not deliver SONAs because the constitutions during their time made no provision nor requirement for a report to Congress: Aguinaldo and Laurel.

The president who delivered the least number of SONAs was President Sergio Osmeña, who delivered only one SONA upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945.

President Ferdinand Marcos was the only President who did not deliver SONAs in front of Congress. He did this in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1977.

President Elpidio Quirino was the only President who delivered a SONA via a radio broadcast, which was aired live in Congress while in session. At the time, he was confined at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States.

Upon her ascension to the Presidency in 1986, Corazon C. Aquino did not deliver a SONA, making it the only year since 1945 wherein a SONA did not take place. From 1942 to 1944, the years of the World War II occupation, there were no SONAs delivered.

Originally posted on the Official Gazette website.