State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2 Sets Clear Government Direction - Gains Praises

The Philippines President Benigno Aquino III delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Monday, July. 25, 2011.

President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) drew praises from congressional leaders and other sectors not only for his statesmanship but also for the inspiration it gave to the Filipino people.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the SONA was inspiring to Filipinos, who now see clear and new directions on good governance in the Aquino administration.

“The speech of the President was good and inspiring because he said we have the power of change. We all can do it,” Belmonte told reporters, noting that the SONA was not “vengeful.”

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the SONA was very clear “on what the President wants, that is to stop corruption and abuse in government so that government funds can be used for the poor.”

“But Filipinos must pay the correct taxes, too. It’s every Filipino’s responsibility to help our country. Congratulations also on the initiative to make Filipinos accountable to the planting of trees and the support government will give to this initiative,” Nograles said.

“Thank you to the President for instructing DOJ (Department of Justice) to go after extrajudicial killings. The President wants a change in the character of Filipinos – that is very noble,” he said.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said the SONA “was very consistent in his good governance and pro-people agenda. The litany of concrete achievements that he mentioned can be summed up into one: there is hope for every Filipino. His agenda of good governance was highlighted by his announcement of the new ombudsman,” Evardone said.

Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez, vice chairman of the National Unity Party, said the SONA “was an instruction to Congress and a bugle call to the people on what must be done.”

“In so far as the need to provide a sense of direction, the speech achieved it. It dealt with the future instead of dwelling on the past,” Alvarez said.

Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said the SONA “reflected his parents’ legacy of deep moral upbringing,” while Valenzuela City Rep. Rex Gatchalian, who is also spokesman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition in the House, said “the President showed us his firm grasp of the country’s economic, and national security programs.”

“In the national security front he showed us significant investments in equipment that bolsters our capacity building efforts, while at same time pursuing international legal efforts to secure of territorial integrity,” Gatchalian said.

“P-Noy justified very well running after grafters in the past administration as this would result in better services for the poor,” Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said.

Misamis Occidental Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos said Aquino showed his determination to rid the government of graft in his speech.

Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao rated the SONA at 85 percent. “I thought it was very substantive and the dollop of humor made the speech alive and interesting.”

Former Philippines’ Presidents were satisfied- SONA is Clear

Former President Fidel Ramos said Aquino’s SONA “was better” than last year’s.

“But we need to move faster because, although he (Aquino) show it, we are already at the bottom in the whole of Southeast Asia and in the whole Asia-Pacific region,” Ramos told reporters.

“We need to work now,” he said.

Former President Joseph Estrada also commended Aquino for his “clear” SONA.

“We need to give P-Noy time in restoring faith in government because of the immeasurable and insurmountable acts of corruption of the past administration,” Estrada said.

“So while we are eliminating corruption, we should also be empowering our citizens through nation building. I hope that in his second year, we see more results in the fields of peace and order, food security and social services, especially education,” he said.

The Black and White Movement renewed its support for Aquino’s year-old government but said it needs to know the President’s vision.

“We want to know what his vision is. He needs to spell it out,” group leader Leah Navarro told reporters. “Where does this government want to take us?”

Navarro said while the government had been coming up with tag lines like “Daang Matuwid” or “Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap,” it has yet to lay down plans on how it plans to achieve it.

In a statement, the group also noted that “corruption goes unabated” and that “the President’s message of matuwid na daan has not cascaded down to government’s subordinate offices.”

Navarro, who was part of the volunteer movement that campaigned for Aquino for the 2010 polls, reiterated that her group continues to support the President but they would appreciate it if the government could fast-track programs that will eradicate poverty and produce educated youth, among others.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) all praises for the President Aquino

Meanwhile, the military yesterday called President Aquino “a good planner” and is optimistic that he would remain supportive of the armed forces’ capability upgrade program.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said they are inspired by Aquino’s vision for the country as well as his drive to implement reforms.

“The plan of the President on where he would lead us is very clear. The President is a very good planner and he wants us to tread the straight path,” he said in an interview.

Rodriguez said Aquino has given them direction through the internal security plan Bayanihan, which seeks to curb armed conflict through development.

“We also have a clear marching order to step up reforms. He brought back the honor and commitment of soldiers. The soldiers become more enthusiastic under his term,” he said. Rodriguez said they are confident that through Aquino’s guidance, the internal conflict with armed groups would eventually come to an end.

“We are optimistic that we will finally put an end to internal strife. We are considering the primacy of peace process. We’re making inroads in the peace negotiations with CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” he said.

Rodriguez also praised Aquino’s commitment to upgrade the capabilities of the military.

“He is providing us the necessary support. Under his leadership, we expect the upgrading of armed forces so we can be respectable force,” the AFP spokesman said.

Rodriguez said the AFP would remain supportive of Aquino’s development programs.

“We’re looking at being able to contribute to the development of the countryside especially in conflict areas.

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State of the Nation Address (SONA) Philippines 2011 - President Benigno Aquino III

The Philippines President Benigno Aquino III delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Monday, July. 25, 2011.

The Philippines President Benigno Aquino III stressed on the economic gains and anti-corruption efforts of his one-year-old administration in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), but industry participants believe much remains to be done to sustain the country's growth.

"This is Aquino III's first year in office so he's still in the preparatory stage. But we expect that in the next few years, he will be able to improve the country's investment climate," Miguel Varela, president of the Employers' Confederation of the Philippines, said.

Varela said that with more investments, more jobs will be created, unemployment and poverty reduced.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, also has modest expectation of Aquino's first year in office. But in the next 6 months, Ortiz-Luis said that businessmen "expect some improvements" under Aquino's leadership.

Jobless, poverty and lack of investments are some of the problems that beleaguer this developing Southeast Asian country. Aquino tackled these concerns in this year's SONA.

In his speech delivered Monday (July 25, 2011) at the opening of the 15th Congress' second regular session, Aquino said that under his term, the government was able to reduce hunger incidence, attract more investors and boost the local stock market.

Aquino said the credit upgrade extended by international credit rating firms such as Moody's, Standard and Poor's, Fitch and Japan Credit Ratings Agency is proof of the government's "prudent use of funds and creative financial management."

"These improved credit ratings mean lower interest on our debts. Our innovative fiscal approach has saved taxpayers ₱23 billion ($542.45 million) in the first four months of this year. This is enough to cover the 2.3 million conditional cash transfer beneficiaries for the entire year." Aquino said.

Aquino added that as of April this year, the unemployment rate stood at 7.2 percent, slightly lower than last year's 8 percent. He said in the past, most Filipinos foremost ambition was to work in another country. Now, Filipinos can take his pick. As long as he pursues his dream with determination and diligence, he can realize them.

However, the President pointed out problems such as job mismatch in local market. Aquino quoted figures of the Philjobnet website as saying, every month there are 50,000 jobs that are not filled because the knowledge and skills of job seekers do not match the needs of the companies, adding, "we will not allow this opportunity to go to waste."

But more than that Aquino, who ran and won on an anti-corruption platform, noted his administration remained committed in pursuing the "straight path" - of fighting corruption.

He listed down several efforts done by the government to stem corruption including probing questionable deals made by the previous administration, implementing a transparent bidding process for government infrastructure projects and improving tax management by slapping charges against tax evaders.

"We are not leaving anything to chance; good governance yields positive results. Think about it: We have realized our promise of providing the public with the services that it needs and implementing programs to help the poor without having to raise our taxes," Aquino said.

Evita Jimenez, executive director of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, said, "it is not yet late for the President to take another route to address the strong clamor for change for which he was elected, he has five years to go in the presidency."

The President Warned China over Spratlys

President Benigno Aquino III warned China in a major national speech the State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday (July 25, 2011) that the Philippines was ready to defend its Spratly Islands claims by acquiring more weapons and would elevate the territorial feuds to a U.N. tribunal.

In his State of the Nation Address to Congress, Aquino also announced a Ombudsman new chief anti-graft prosecutor and said his year-old government plans to file its first major corruption case this year against corrupt officials and their accomplices. He did not name the officials but vowed punishment for the guilty.

"We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours," Aquino said, drawing loud applause at the packed House of Representatives. The address also was televised live to the nation.

Aquino noted the efforts to bolster the military's capability, citing the recent purchase of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and plans to acquire more patrol vessels, helicopters and weapons in deals he guaranteed would be aboveboard.

Aquino did not name China in his speech but clearly referred to it in laying a clear claim to the South China Sea feature called Recto Bank, also known as the Reed Bank, where the Philippines alleges China has intruded.

"There was a time when we couldn't appropriately respond to threats in our own backyard," Aquino said. "Now, our message to the world is clear: What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue."

Recto Avenue is a popular street in downtown Manila. The Philippines has said Chinese forces have repeatedly intruded into Manila-claimed areas in the sea since February, including at the Reed Bank. Filipino officials said two Chinese patrol boats threatened a Filipino oil exploration ship into leaving the Reed Bank, which 84.77 Nautical Miles territorial waters and not part of the nearby Spratlys.

Two military planes were deployed during the March 2 incident, but the Chinese boats have left by the time the aircraft reached the Reed Bank, 97.55 miles (87.77 Nautical Miles or 150 kilometers) from the Philippine coast.

Chinese officials have said there were no intrusions because those in the Philippines shore are belonged to China.

The chain of barren, largely uninhabited islands, reefs and banks in the South China Sea or West Philippines Sea are claimed entirety or partly by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei.  The Spratlys is said to be the 4^th largest oil and Gas deposit in the World and straddle a busy international sea lane.

The Spratlys have long been regarded as Asia's next potential flashpoint for armed conflict.

Washington has said the peaceful resolution of the territorial disputes and ensuring the freedom of navigation there were in the U.S. national interest, a position that irked China.

The Philippines has said it intends to bring the Spratlys disputes before the U.N.'s International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. China opposed the plan and wants to negotiate bilaterally instead but the Philippines commented how could we sit together with China when we will face them, they will just say We owned everything the that sea.

Aquino said bringing the case before an international arbiter would ensure that "all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forbearance."

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