Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA — the Philippines' annual presidential address to a joint session of Congress), a panel of voices from outside the capital is set to offer a regional perspective on his performance and promises. The online discussion, hosted by Rappler, will feature a law professor from Davao, a newspaper editor from Iloilo, and a local official from Camarines Sur, all assessing whether meaningful progress has been made — particularly on flood control corruption, which Marcos publicly condemned in last year's address. The conversation reflects growing calls to broaden political accountability beyond Metro Manila, which critics have long dubbed "Imperial Manila" for its outsized influence on national discourse.