HELLO, TORONTO!
A WEEK AFTER THE Philippine President’s State of the Nation address where he enumerated his leadership’s accomplishments and his vision for the country in the near future, most Pinoys remain aglow with inspiration- ‘May bukas pa,’ we utter as we hope that we will feel the boon of progress in our very own homes where we can afford to buy our necessities without grimacing with the thought that our resources are fast depleting, finally see with our own eyes that our dinner table is filled with food that the whole brood can partake of, where our children can wear decent clothes, and where we can buy medicine for some sick member of the brood.
For indeed, PNoy gave a rosy picture to show that government is moving fast, exercising prudence in spending, targeting concerns close to the citizen’s life, and addressing by providing long- term solutions, many long- standing problems that have beset this nation.
Even without the sandamakmak na applauses which I suspect were rehearsed at the Batasan gallery a few days before Monday, July 23, SONA day, nagging katanggap tanggap daw to the masang Pinoy ang para sa kanila, ay sinserong paglalahad ng mga nagawa na at mga plano pa para sa bayan ng panguluhang kasalukuyan. As the President stood at the rostrum inside Session Hall and delivered his address, maraming tao ang nakapansin ng malaking pagbabago sa ‘dating’ ni PNoy- that day, he seemed to stand more erect, more sure of his words though he fumbled a few times with medyo malalim na Tagalog- yes, he was full of confidence in the belief that he is leading this country towards the right path.
SABLAYS- Realistically, may ilang sablay sa mga data ng ilang concerns prompting the President to make questionable claims. As he talked about a lowered crime rate, heto namang nakaplaster sa front pages ng mga daily broadsheets and tabloids ang pagnanakaw at pagbaril sa isang pamilya sa isang housing subdivision that included Nixon Kua, formet head of the Philippine Tourism Authority and a reporter of a national daily. Kua died a day after the incident. Wala naman yatang naniniwala na bumaba ang crime rate dito sa bansang ito if one were to base his assumption on news reports that broadcast and print, including the internet news services provide daily. Sablay din daw the President’s claim that unemployment is now reduced dahil dumami man ang nagkatrabaho, most of these had to go overseas because of the dearth of available jobs in the country.
But hopeful the whole country remains- PNoy promised that ‘pagbaba ko sa pwesto, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program shall have been fully accomplished. That’s the timeline that the administration gave para pagtagumpayan ang CARP,the centrepiece of his mother’s, the late former Pres. Cory Aquino’s administration. Marami pang naipangako si PNoy to the masa with the deadline ‘pagbaba ko sa puwesto’or earlier- on education, military capability, the economy, and alleviation of poverty.
Mesmerized kami at marami pang iba sa talumpati ni Presidente na tumagal ng isa’t kalahating oras, the longest report of his about Sona. This is his third and by far, the best- so say many national leaders, including the minority party. This includes former Pres. Erap who expressed ‘sana matupad lahat’ ang mga ito. His son Sen. Jinggoy ay umamin din na maganda at naiintindihan maski ng ordinaryong Pilipino ang talumpating ito.Pinakamaganda, as for myself, ang ipinalabas na komento ng minority party (who is led by ex Pres. Gloria Arroyo) a day after SONA.
Through its spokeperson, the congressman from Quezon Danilo Suarez who delivered the minority report a day after SONA, the minority vowed to support the President in his pro- poor and reforms plans for the country. It promised to be constructive in its criticisms. It added that it will continue to block administration policies and plans that are harmful and illegal.
Natumbok ni PNoy ang puso ng marami sa kanyang State of the Nation address. Kudos to the writer who crafted his speech- I am sure the ideas were contributed by many but the speechwriter’s style was perfect- easy- flowing statements, smooth transitions, Pilipino that is very understandable even to the man-on-the-street…these plus the sincerity of the speaker in his delivery made the day quite good for most.
