the sona and gma's fairy tale

In the 2009 State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as expected, the president enumerated her administrations accomplishments and not admitting any mistake or shortcoming, which is not unusual.

The SONA have always been an abundance of figures and percentages boasting the country’s economic growth under her administration, and featuring common citizens and popular icons who benefitted from government projects or brought international pride as part of his accomplishments as well.

President Arroyo is known as a trained economist; hence, everybody expected a lot of economic progress upon her reign as the country’s most powerful person. Where is the Philippines now in terms of economy? What about the poverty level? What about the livelihood and employment status? What about the national budget and its disbursement? What about education? What about the hostilities of terrorism? All these should be answered and addressed appropriately to fulfill her promise of a “strong republic”, which is still an elusive dream today.

The administration certainly achieved many – particularly on the fiscal, financial and monetary side, as well as on the infrastructure side. But these are just mere normal function of the administration.

What the people want is an economic reform, abolishing poverty and corruption and focusing on financially viable and cost-effective projects and policies. What the people want is transparency on governance and ensures that the taxes they paid are going to useful infrastructures and projects uplifting our way of life. It is not a question of how well our revenue produced, it is how well we utilized the budget and the economic returns it managed to obtain. What the people want is quality and affordable education. What the people want is a stable job to provide their family’s needs. In nine years, the country should have moved up the ladder of progress and every citizen should have felt that. Maybe she should have thought of these upon reporting her annual speech.

One may note that she’s not solely responsible for all these crisis and national issues. True. But the most powerful and influential person of the country should have at least boost up every Filipinos perspective on national development and pride. She at least served the Filipinos with no issues on “Hello Garci”, “ZTE-NBN Deal”, “Charter Change”, “Macapagal Highway’s Overpricing”, etc. These issues have greatly affected our economy and even put the president’s integrity to a negative level, thus, positioning the country in an appalling circumstances. A sad truth indeed.

She can’t end her term with the “they live happily ever after” conception. Her fairy tale has ended and yet the country is still poisoned with the apple from the evil witch. Maybe it’s time to call the country’s knight and shining armor.