26/07/2025
The “New Normal” Is a Surrender, Not a Solution
President Marcos Jr. has declared that the floods, typhoons, and disasters engulfing our nation are now the “new normal.” But let us be clear: this is not a declaration of resilience—it is an admission of defeat.
🛑 The President Has Given Up
• When PhilHealth was defunded in 2025, millions of Filipinos lost access to life-saving care. The administration claimed “sufficient reserves” while ignoring Supreme Court petitions and the cries of the poor
• The flood control system collapsed, despite ₱1.14 trillion spent since 2015. The DPWH admitted there is no national master plan, only scattered, outdated basin strategies
• The budget deficit ballooned to ₱765.5 billion in the first half of 2025, breaching government targets
Yet billions were spent on foreign trips and pork insertions
• The President traveled abroad 28 times since 2022, with a ₱1.05 billion travel budget for 2025 , while classrooms flooded, hospitals lacked medicine, and farmers begged for aid.
• Political bickering has paralyzed governance. The Marcos-Duterte feud has escalated into impeachment, ICC investigations, and dynastic power plays
The Filipino people are caught in the crossfire.
💬 “Ganito na talaga ang buhay natin kahit ano pa ang gawin natin.” —President Marcos Jr.
This is not leadership.
This is surrender.
🎯 Who’s to Blame?
• President Marcos Jr., for failing to lead with urgency, vision, and moral clarity. The buck stops at his office.
• Congress, for approving a budget that defunds health, education, and disaster resilience while protecting pork and patronage.
• Political dynasties, for treating public office as inheritance, not service
• Corrupt contractors and agencies, for ghost projects, budget layering, and unfinished infrastructure.
📢 What We Demand
• A national flood control master plan rooted in science, not politics.
• Restoration of PhilHealth subsidies and full implementation of Universal Health Care.
• Transparent budget reforms that prioritize people over power.
• An end to political dynasties and bickering—we need servant leaders, not family empires.
💬 “Hindi ito ang bagong normal. Ito ang lumang problema na hindi nila kayang solusyunan.”
Let this SONA be the venue to admit accountability
The Filipino people deserve more than resignation.
We deserve reform, resilience, and real leadership.
Tony Leachon