President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 will be “simple,” with no red carpet or long gowns, in keeping with the times, House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil said on Tuesday.

According to a report by RH Milky Rigonan, during an inter-agency coordination meeting on preparations for the upcoming SONA, Garafil said this year’s event is being organized with simplicity in mind, in light of ongoing national concerns such as high fuel prices and the rising cost of basic goods.

“The operative work for this year I think would be a simple SONA in keeping with the time,” Garafil said.

“So there will be no red carpet, no long gowns. As you can see in the invitations that we’ve prepared we’ve specifically mentioned that we’ve encouraged everyone, especially the ladies, to just wear simple Filipiniana dress,” Garafil said.

She said the overall tone of the preparations reflects solidarity with the public amid economic challenges, while still maintaining the dignity of the annual constitutional address.

“Even some of the preparations that we’ve done are all geared towards keeping it simple but still dignified. Of course, this is a major event for the administration and for the Filipino people,” she added.

Garafil also noted that physical arrangements for the event will not be lavish, consistent with last year’s approach of a more modest ceremony.

This year’s SONA will be held at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, the traditional venue for the president’s annual address and the seat of the House of Representatives.

Officials from various government agencies attended the coordination meeting, including representatives from Malacañang, the Philippine National Police, and newly installed Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., among others, to ensure security and logistical preparations for the event.