BEFORE President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26, 2021, it may be appropriate to review the valedictory SONAs of the past presidents after the EDSA People Power Revolution, except for President Joseph Estrada's because he did not finish his term.

The delivery of the SONA before the joint session of the House and the Senate at the start of each regular session of Congress is the president's constitutional duty. The first SONA is an overview of the new incumbent's philosophy of governance, legislative priorities and commitments under which his or her administration's accomplishments would be measured and failures assessed. The valedictory SONA is the outgoing president's final report on the cumulative state of the nation viewed from the presidential prism. It may include the president's assertion of legacy, which is better left to the judgment of the people and history.

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