IN his 53-minute speech last July 25, President Benigno Aquino III gathered a collection of both criticisms and praises on his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), before the joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
Former President Joseph Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and most members of the Senate commended Aquino for his ingenuity in restoring the Filipino people’s faith in the government. Business leaders also applauded Aquino for his continued march towards a clean and honest Philippine politics, and for going back to the basic values.
However, after listing all his achievements in his first year as the country’s chief executive, Aquino was still criticized by some legislators for lacking substance and depth in the figures he presented. Aquino was also questioned for not having a concrete map as to how he will lead the country and what it will be like after his term.
Aquino may have fallen short on elaborating what every figure entails, but what he displayed are real numbers. Those who understood what those numbers represent can attest to the fact that the country improved significantly within a year. These statistics correspond to the country’s march to having prudent fiscal management while ultimately spurring economic growth in the process.
In the past administrations, Filipinos were generally disappointed when most promises comprised in the past leaders’ SONA, never saw the light. But in the current government assessment, the nation achieved: reforms in budget processes, reduced prospects for corruption, increased public vigilance to daunt and defy commission of graft, and improved meritocracy in the public service.
By utilizing this opportunity to speak to the nation and the world, Aquino has captured the real essence of SONA. He was able to go beyond political party divides by highlighting predicaments challenging the country, and instigating policy initiatives to tackle such challenges. He was also able to give accountability of what has been accomplished in the previous year by maximizing the use of limited resources.
The assessment of the progress, challenges and opportunities the future holds for the country was enough to arouse and inspired people’s interest in governance. It naturally got the Filipino people to mobilize for political and development goals of the current administration.
The president was successful in delivering a passing government report card by emphasizing on his leadership’s assessment.
Ordinary citizens offer limited interest in statistics. What Aquino needs to do now is to draw a clear outline of how he wants to achieve the nation’s goals, while working with his constituents to move forward.
The president, who is enjoying a +45 public approval on his administration’s overall performance (according to the latest survey made by Social Weather Stations), has all the requisite qualities to transform a country — one that has been bruised with unfortunate events — to a resilient nation.
PNoy already lit the fire on what the country has been longing for — an office which requires the occupants to exhibit integrity, transparency and to promote methods of work that will restore faith in this leadership.
More tangible and reliable results of what his leadership is all about are yet to be seen.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek July 27-29, 2011 Sec A pg. 6)
