JULY 23, 2011 DATE

NR # 2474C
REF. NO.

House ready for PNoys SONA: Belmonte

With enthusiasm, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. today declared that the House of Representatives is ready to receive President Benigno Aquino III for his 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. I am gratified by the efforts and close coordination among the concerned agencies of both the national and local governments, the military and police and our own House Secretariat to ensure the success of the SONA, Belmonte said. At the same time, Belmonte stressed that the Presidents SONA message would be an important guidepost for Congress to consider and work on during the coming 2nd regular session in line with the peoples expectations for transparent and good governance, as well as socio-political and economic resurgence in the next five years under the PNoy stewardship. While we await a clear national direction from the President, we in Congress will continue policy reforms already set during the 2010 SONA, Belmonte assured, adding that most of the 23 presidential legislative priorities are in their advanced stages in the legislative mill with some already enacted into law. Aside from the especial guests of the 285 members of the House and the 23 Senators, also in attendance are members of the Presidents Cabinet and their spouses, the Judiciary, the Diplomatic Corps, and religious groups, among others. For sure, Belmonte said, the SONA would be a special annual media-event which could be heard and watched even worldwide as more than 2,000 media representatives from national, provincial and foreign print, television and radio networks, including the web-media, will be covering the event live and direct from the Batasan plenary hall. Preparations have been ongoing for weeks under the guidance of the Task Force SONA, created by the Speaker, composed, among others, by key Officials and staff from the House of Representatives, the Senate, Malacanang and the Presidential Security Group, the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Metro Manila Development Authority. Military and police authorities, in coordination with the Task Force SONA, have declared a one-kilometer No Fly Zone over the area of the House of Representatives complex from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on July 25. Likewise, House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap, who co-chairs the Task Force SONA with the Senate Secretary (Atty.) Emma L. Reyes, reminded the public that all business transactions with the House Secretariat and Congressional offices are suspended on SONA Day. Although Speaker Belmonte will spearhead the formal opening of the 2nd regular session of the House of Representatives on Monday morning to approve a Joint Senate-House Resolution declaring the readiness of Congress to receive the President for his SONA in the afternoon, regular business will resume on Tuesday with its plenary session. (30) dpt