Paul Soriano to direct Marcos Jr.'s first 'simple, traditional' SONA
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s longtime campaign collaborator filmmaker Paul Soriano will direct his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25.
Soriano succeeds Joyce Bernal and Brillante Mendoza, who oversaw the SONAs of Marcos Jr.'s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
“I am grateful and honored for this rare opportunity," Soriano told ABS-CBN News on July 19. "Anytime the President needs me, I will deliver and do my best."
He said Marcos Jr.'s first SONA will be "simple and traditional" and will only focus on the message, which he described as "concise, clear, and direct to the point." The president is also "hands-on in the crafting of his speech," Soriano noted.
Soriano will reportedly rehearse the SONA with Marcos Jr. alongside Radio Television Malacañang and cinematographer Odie Flores on July 24.
The filmmaker first worked with Marcos Jr. during his Ilocos Norte days as vice governor and governor.
His father Jeric Soriano is a cousin of Marcos Jr.'s wife, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos.
Soriano's wife Toni Gonzaga, meanwhile, was one of the faces of the Marcos Jr. presidential campaign, present on every occasion as she also sings for him.