MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos now await the latest state of the nation address of President Benigno Aquino III, his fifth since assuming the presidency in 2010.
For the past few years, Aquino's SONAs, like his predecessors, focused on what his administration has achieved, and what he is planning more to do.
Last year, however, Aquino used his speech to reprimand erring agencies and officials for sloppy job.
Among those called out by Aquino were the Bureau of Immigration, National Irrigation Administration, the Bureau of Customs, and the Civil Service Commission.
For this year, leaders and members of the House of Representatives hope Aquino addresses a number of pressing issues, including what the agenda would be for the remaining two years of his administration.
"I want him to outline his must-bills including the Competition Promotion bill, and (measures) to attract FDIs (foreign direct investments), etc.," House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said.
Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, Majority Floor leader, said he would like the president to discuss the preparations the government has undertaken for the full implementation of the K-12 program, which begins in school year 2016-2017.
Particularly, Gonzales said Aquino should report on additional classrooms and additional teachers.
"And how would government address the anticipated loss of employment of higher educators in the light of the fact that there will be no high school graduates to go to college in 2016 and 2017," Gonzales said.
For Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares, Aquino's SONA will contain the "same tall tales of eradicating poverty and anti-graft campaign, all of which have been proven untrue."
"A president who is genuinely concerned with the plight of the people should make categorical statements that says no to Charter Change, that declares the abolition of pork barrel, assures the people that there is no pork barrel in the budget for 2015, that the budget for health and education are doubled," he said.
Additionally, Colmenares said the administration should push for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill, among others and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) of 2001.
"But none of these will finds its way to the SONA speech," Colmenares added.