𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩. 𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 𝐆. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨
𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

The speech was partly a lecture on the Medium Term Development Plan.

For those expecting SONA as theatre, what he delivered instead was a teach-in. He traded oratorical flair for as many facts as he can squeeze in such a short time.

He was not fishing for applauses, choosing fewer sound bytes so he could mention more sound programs. 

It was a speech designed not to get us excited, like the ones that will make us jump to our feet, but to get us thinking for a long time on the hard work ahead.

He dropped a big payload of plans, and to Congress, a huge consignment of bills to be passed, some of which could be unpopular.

Overall, it was a good accounting of the state of the nation.