MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should "go beyond" his call for unity in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The platform of unity was Marcos' main campaign message in the lead-up to the May elections that he won by a landslide.

"For the SONA, we expect na mag-go beyond na siya doon sa empty rhetoric ng unity kasi kung taumbayan naman, actually, we have lots of unity," Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel told ANC's Dateline Philippines.

(For the SONA, we expect him to go beyond the empty rhetoric of unity because among the people, actually, we have lots of unity.)

Manuel believes that Filipinos are "united" in a call to bring down the prices of goods and improve government services.

"It is the burden now and the responsibility of our government officials na mabigay 'yon sa mamamayan (to deliver it to the people)," he added.

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Marcos will unveil his economic “game plan” when he delivers his SONA on Monday, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said.

Manuel urged the Marcos administration to reject new taxes for the already "overburdened" public.

"Dapat din hindi i-deny 'yung mga statistics, dapat kilalanin 'yung mga statistics, 'yung ganung figures kasi puwedeng nagre-reflect na 'yan kung 'Kumusta na ba nagugutom na ba 'yung taumbayan?' Ang daming walang trabaho," he said.

(Statistics should not be denied, these must be recognized. Those figures may reflect the people's situation, "Are they suffering from hunger?" Many have no jobs.)

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As government eyes full face-to-face classes, Manuel urged it to build confidence among students and parents as the threat of COVID-19 lingered.

"Sa part natin sa legislation, na-file na natin 'yung Safe School Reopening bill to outline kung ano 'yung mga pangangailangan for immediate and safe reopening of campuses," Manuel said, adding that he hoped Marcos would identify it as a priority measure.

(For our part, we have filed the Safe School Reopening bill to outline the needs for the immediate and safe reopening of campuses.)

"'Yun 'yung ating babantayan (that's what we will watch out for)."

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