The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is one of the most anticipated events in the Philippines every year. It is an annual address given by the President of the Philippines to a joint session of Congress.
The second SONA delivered by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on July 24, 2023, elicited varied responses from the public. To objectively assess the public’s sentiments, Capstone-Intel Corporation carried out a research study from June 27, 2023 to July 27, 2023 to collect information from different social and non-social media platforms.
Capstone-Intel is a high-impact research company that uses innovative research technologies, tools, and methods to convert data and information into breakthrough insights and actionable intelligence outputs. It is committed to helping its clients solve problems, find solutions, grow markets and constituencies, build reputations, navigate risks, manage crises, and be the country’s leading private research and intelligence agency.
Background
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., commonly known as Bongbong and identified by the initials BBM, was born on September 13th, 1957, in the locality of Batac, Ilocos Norte. BBM is the only son and namesake of the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.
Prior to assuming his current position as the 17th President of the country, he held various public service roles, including Governor of Ilocos Norte from 1983 to 1986 and from 1998 to 2007. In addition, he served as a congressman from 1992 to 1995 and again from 2007 to 2010, and subsequently as a Senator from 2010 to 2016.
Since his inauguration on June 30, 2022, the public has been closely monitoring the direction of his leadership, particularly amidst the peak of the pandemic, which has significantly impacted the nation’s economy. This observation is particularly evident during the President’s SONA, where he reports on the country’s current state.
Methodology
To conduct a comprehensive analysis, Capstone-Intel utilized an advanced sentiment analysis tool, which enabled the agency to collect and evaluate public sentiments expressed across various platforms and categories both prior to, during, and following the SONA. Through the utilization of this technology, Capstone-Intel seeks to obtain significant insights into the public’s reactions and perceptions regarding President Marcos Jr.’s speech.
BEFORE SONA 2023 Mentions per Category
During the analysis, the term “SONA” was utilized as a keyword to assess the prevailing public sentiment leading up to the national event.
The sentiments expressed prior to the SONA were negative, accounting for 68.10 percent of the total, while positive sentiments comprised 31.90 percent.
Upon further analysis, it has been determined that Twitter is the predominant platform for discussing the SONA, accounting for 48.7 percent of the total discussion. Facebook and Videos share the same percentage of 8.6, whereas News has 24.1 percent, Tiktok has 6.4 percent, and Blogs have a 1.6 percent mention.
Before SONA Sentiments
Before the SONA, the general public’s outlook appeared to be pessimistic, with 68.10 percent of posts containing unfavorable or adverse opinions. Conversely, 31.90 percent of posts express positive sentiments, indicating a fraction of individuals who endorse or commend. This distribution of viewpoints could potentially provide enlightening insights into the public’s attitudes and expectations towards President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address.
DURING SONA 2023 Mentions per Category
In this study, Twitter revealed that 27.5 percent of all mentions were related to the second SONA of President Marcos. Additionally, news sources and videos accounted for 21.3 percent and 20.7 percent of the conversation, respectively. TikTok and Facebook also played a significant role, with 15.7 percent and 9.5 percent of total mentions, respectively. Forums, on the other hand, had a score of 1.8 percent of total mentions.
The analysis conducted has observed that the SONA delivered has been accompanied by a notable proportion of negative sentiments, accounting for 53.60 percent of the total sentiments expressed. In contrast, 46.40 percent of the posts reflected positive sentiments. This distribution of sentiments is indicative of the diverse range of perspectives and opinions held by the public.
During SONA Sentiments
According to the findings of the study by Capstone-Intel, President Marcos Jr.’s second SONA has an array of opinions, with negative sentiments representing 53.60 percent of the total feedback while 46.40 percent of the posts conveyed positive feelings.
AFTER SONA 2023 Mentions per Category
The analysis of social media mentions following President Marcos’ second SONA provides significant revelations regarding the way the populace engaged with and reacted to the discourse. A comprehensive analysis and reportage from reputable outlets were sought by individuals, resulting in web-based sources having 40.0 percent of the total mentions. Video-based sources account for 19.2 percent, and blogs account for 17.9 percent of the discourse. News outlets represent 14.8 percent. The real-time nature of Facebook attracted users to engage in discussions, with this platform accounting for 4.3 percent of the mentions. On Twitter, this garnered 2.9 percent of the conversation.
After SONA Sentiments
The analysis of social media posts following the SONA is significant in understanding the public’s response to the speech. The data shows that 69.5 percent of the posts conveyed positive sentiments, indicating a widespread feeling of support, approval, and satisfaction with the President’s address and the content of the SONA. On the other hand, 30.5 percent of the posts expressed negative sentiments, reflecting criticism, dissatisfaction, and disagreement with various aspects of the address. It is essential to comprehend the prevailing sentiments to assess the public’s perception of the government’s performance and priorities following the SONA.
Categories Share
The data analysis showcases the distribution of various categories of internet sites utilized in discussions regarding SONA. Facebook emerges as the most dominant platform category, with a share of 42.7 percent in the discussions. Twitter contributes 20.8 percent to the discussions. News sources hold a significant share of 25.9 percent, providing in-depth coverage and analysis of SONA. Interestingly, TikTok, a platform that is not commonly associated with political discussions, has a noteworthy presence, accounting for 2.9 percent, indicating its growing influence in engaging younger audiences. Additional categories, including videos (4.1%), web-based sources (1.8%), blogs (1.6%), forums (0.1%), and podcasts, have smaller yet significant contributions in shaping public discourse regarding the SONA.
This story: Analysis of public sentiments on President Marcos’ 2nd SONA was originally published on Capstone-Intel Corp.
