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MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will not be rolling out the red carpet during the opening of its session on Monday, an official said.
“No red carpet. As in the previous years, there will be designated areas where the media would have ample opportunity to cover the opening session,” Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. told reporters yesterday.
Bantug said he was instructed by Sen. Francis Escudero to prepare contingency plans in case of heavy rains.
He added that the Senate would ensure smooth traffic flow and safe entry and exit for guests and employees should bad weather occur.
During the opening of the regular session of Congress, senators convene in the morning at the Senate session hall in Pasay City to formally mark the start of the 20th Congress. The proceedings typically include the election of officers and ceremonial remarks from the Senate leadership.
In the afternoon, senators proceed to the House of Representatives in Quezon City to join their counterparts for the joint session of Congress, where President Marcos will deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) before lawmakers, members of the diplomatic corps and other invited guests.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also scaled down its usual red carpet setup, removing the traditional carpets from the South and North Lobbies as part of austerity measures and in solidarity with communities affected by recent calamities.
House spokesperson Princess Abante said the move follows a request from Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and was outlined in a memorandum issued by House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco.
The changes aim to reflect empathy for disaster-stricken areas and preserve the solemnity of the national event.
“In view of the recent calamities affecting several regions of the country, the following adjustments will be implemented for the Opening of the 20th Congress and the State of the Nation Address on July 28,” the memo read.
“The red carpet will still be laid out for official protocol, but it will no longer be a platform for ceremonial arrivals or media spectacle,” Abante clarified.
She added that there will be no staged ceremonies, fashion coverage or photo setups, and only brief doorstop interviews will be permitted.
Media access will be limited to accredited personnel and designated areas, including the North and South Wing lobbies and press booths.
House members are also encouraged to exercise discretion in their attire. While formal wear such as the Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana remains encouraged, lawmakers have been “respectfully urged to avoid ostentatious displays.”
‘SONA not a fashion show’
This move from the Senate and the House received strong backing from several senators and House lawmakers, who also called for toning down the usual pageantry of the President’s SONA.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said it would be inappropriate to flaunt fashion during the SONA while many Filipinos are reeling from recent storms and monsoon flooding.
“Let us not be shameless or numb to the situation of our fellow Filipinos. We should stop this red carpet fashionista walk – complete with diamonds – and instead pay attention to those who are wading through floodwaters and being exposed to leptospirosis,” he said in Filipino.
Sen. Loren Legarda, known for wearing indigenous textiles during the SONA, agreed with Zubiri.
“The Senate opening and the SONA must be made simple, as it should be, attuned with the times,” she said. “Our people are suffering from the floods. We must use the occasion to solve the problems, to be part of the solution to this longstanding problem, and not to be out of touch with the real state of the nation.”
Sen. JV Ejercito also called for “less of the pageantry,” saying his long-standing position has been against turning the SONA into a fashion show.
“My position on the SONA has always been the same – it should not be turned into a lavish occasion when so many of our countrymen are still suffering. I honestly don’t understand why this event has become a fashion show and a contest of clothing and accessories, like the Oscars,” he said in Filipino.
‘No to extravagant SONA’
In line with these sentiments, members of the House of Representatives have expressed support for Romualdez’s appeal to scale down pomp, pageantry and expenses in the President’s fourth SONA this Monday.
“I fully support the call of Speaker Martin Romualdez to simplify the conduct of this year’s SONA. It is a respectful and compassionate gesture, one that recognizes the pain and hardship that many of our kababayan are going through because of the recent flooding,” Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said in a statement.
“In times like this, the government must lead not only with policies, but with empathy. By toning down the pomp and ceremony, we send a powerful message: that our focus is, and must always be, on the people, especially those who are suffering. This is leadership with a heart, and I stand firmly with the Speaker in this decision,” he added.
Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor agreed, saying a simpler SONA is also in keeping with the constitutional command for public officials to lead modest lives.
“It is just right that SONA will not be extravagant. It should reflect the constitutional duty of those in public office to act with utmost integrity and lead modest lives,” he said in a statement.
Echoing the sentiment, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said he supports making the SONA simple.
“What is important in SONA is we hear the direction of the administration to help our country and each Filipinos,” he said.
Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun said what is important is that the President’s SONA focuses on where the country is going.
“We fully support Speaker Martin’s call to keep the President’s 4th SONA simple. The significance of the occasion lies not in grandeur, but in honoring the achievements of the administration and focusing on the goals still ahead for our country,” Khonghun said.
“In response, we’ve chosen a simple and meaningful attire and approach – one that reflects respect for the occasion and highlights the message of unity and hope that the President aims to deliver to the nation,” he added.
“It’s the right call. The SONA isn’t about spectacle. It’s about substance,” La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V, meanwhile, said.
“Stripping away the pageantry puts the spotlight where it belongs: on the real state of the nation and the roadmap for action,” he added.
Bulacan Rep. Agatha Cruz, for her part, said she appreciates the “sentiment expressed by our Speaker and supports his call for simplicity.”
“I view the SONA as a working joint session and it is only appropriate that it be observed with formality but without unnecessary extravagance or pageantry,” Cruz said.
Several other lawmakers echoed this position, including Iloilo Rep. Jam Baronda, Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal, and Las Piñas City Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, who urged attendees to focus on unity and symbolism.
“I agree with the Speaker and my colleagues for a toned-down SONA 2025. I have no qualms about it as I have always dressed decently sans the grandiosity these past SONAs. And I shall continue to do that or even be more simple to honor the sanctity of the event,” Baronda said.
“I fully support the call to keep the SONA simple as a show of solidarity with those affected by the recent floods. In times of crisis, leaders must act with empathy and genuine concern for the people. This is not just symbolic. It sends a clear message that the government must stay sensitive to the struggles of ordinary Filipinos and focus on serving them, especially in their most difficult moments,” Nazal said.
Santos also expressed full support for Romualdez’s call, emphasizing the need to prioritize unity and ceremonial dignity over divisive rhetoric.
He echoed Romualdez’s call to highlight the traditional elegance of the red carpet and preserve the symbolism of the occasion, instead of dwelling heavily on polarizing policy debates and controversies – such as the ongoing issues.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña of the progressive bloc, on the other hand, thanked the House leadership for listening to calls to hold a simple SONA.
“At this point in time, there is an important question to ask. Who are you wearing? Let us ask how we can uplift the situation of our countrymen who were devastated by the typhoon,” he said.
For her part, ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima expressed her support to keep the SONA simple.
“We joined the call to make the preparation and holding of SONA simple. It should not just be made simple this year because we have a calamity, but make it simple every SONA,” said De Lima. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
