STATE of the Nation Addresses (SONAs) rarely place language itself at the center of political discussion. Presidents typically devote their annual addresses to the economy, infrastructure, education, health care, foreign policy and national security. Language, despite underpinning almost every aspect of governance, usually remains invisible. One notable exception came in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first SONA in 2022, when he argued that Filipinos’ command of English has long been a competitive advantage in the international labor market and suggested that