Mixed reactions in Davao for Pnoy’s SONA

The State of the Nation Address (SoNA) of President Benigno S. Aquino III got mixed reactions from the Dabawenyos but these reactions were generally favorable to the President.

“I like the SONA. Its straight forward and at least this time the President discussed the accomplishments of the administration,”  Al Qalam Institute of Ateneo de Davao University director Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan said.

Lidasan said the whole speech talks about social transformation. “How we must mature as a nation,” he added.

Glan municipal councilor Atty. Cyril John Gido Yap said Aquino’s SoNA was just like all the other SoNAs. “Fair lang its always been rhetorics sa SoNA,” he said.

On the other hand, Davao city councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, who is chair of the council committee on Finance, Ways and Means and Appropriation, said the President’s speech was so far okay.

“So far the President’s has specific example on his campaign against corruption such as the syjuco and pagcor case,” he said.

The President slammed former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco Jr. for the disbursement irregularities during his stint at TESDA. Aquino specifically mentioned several overpriced items as cited by the Commission on Audit including a P14-incubator jar which was priced at P15,375 and a P120-dough cutter which was priced at P48,507.

Dayanghirang however said “what is lacking was the policy direction on how to curb the increase of prices on commodities., fuel, water etc and the salary adjustment for the labor sector.”

Pnoy's 4th State of the Nation Address: SONA or SANA?

The country will be at a standstill for most of the day as the people wait for the 4th State of the Nation Address (SoNA) of President Benigno S. Aquino III at around 3:30 today.

Pnoy's past SONAs have been well-applauded primarily for his choice of the Filipino language. However, the past SoNAs have been much criticized because he always found a way to blame the past administration for how the government worked.

With Pnoy halfway towards his Presidency, it is time he stands up for all the faults and successes of his administration. No more finger-pointing this time Mr. President!

MBC Chair gives PGMA an 8.5 rating

Mindanao’s business sector has given President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a high passing rate if only for her contribution to the development of Mindanao’s infrastructure.

“If we are to rate her for her performance for the past nine years I would give her an 8 or an 8.5,” Mindanao Business Council chairperson Vicente Lao said yesterday even before the President could deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Lao said the President has been performing quite well in the areas of infrastructure, economy and human capital development.

“We never had a president who has very pronounced policies on human capital development and who has focused so much in solving the infrastructure problems of Mindanao,” he said.

Arroyo, he said, has given specific instructions that all infrastructure projects in Mindanao be completed before her term ends. Economy-wise, he added, Arroyo has also performed well considering that her administration has been unlucky with the global economic crisis.

Lao cited Arroyo’s scholarship programs for human resources development to prepare the Filipinos skills-wise. He said the President’s program ensured that even if the government can’t provide jobs for all its people, then they are properly trained for work abroad.

However, Lao cited the lack of livelihood opportunities for Mindanao. Without livelihood, he added, there will be no development and no peace at all. “People do not even know where to look for jobs,” he said.

This is the reason why it is hard for these people to appreciate what the government is doing for them, he added.

Arroyo stressed the completion of various infrastructure projects specifically in Mindanao during her term. She said the Davao International Airport has been completed during her administration

Text Messaging Cost Slides Down To P0.50 Per Text

The only people who were perhaps smiling ear to ear after the State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are habitual texters and that's about millions of Filipinos! PGMA announced that she has requested the telecom firms to lower the texting rate and they have agreed to lower text messaging at P0.50 per text message.

This means a lot of work for the marketing people of telecom firms like Smart and Globe. Smart's best-selling All Text 20 with 90 Smart-to-Smart text and 10 other network text will now be rendered obsolete because at a rate of P.050 per text message, smart texters would rather get the regular load and get longer periods for their load unlike the All Text scheme where it is good only for a day or two at most.

SANA or SONA?

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's SONA should have been dubbed as SANA because it contained all the wish-list of the government under her administration: more budget for the kawawang housewife, more income generating enterprises for the 41-year old padre de pamilua, etc, etc.

In fairness to PGMA, this year's SONA was more in touch with reality such as the worsenign economic crisis and the poverty facing even the unborn Filipino. However, with her honesty came the glaring realization that the Philippines is indeed a country in desperate need of economic reform but VAT should not be one of them.

On the contrary, PGMA even highlighted the Value Added Tax as the enactment that saved the country from further economic crisis. PGMA should say this to the millions of Filipinos who have to pay an extra 12% VAT for their Jollibee meal everyday and for every Filipino who has to pay the additional VAT slapped on by professional like DOCTORS to their patients.

The reality is that while the government has been using VAT allegedly to subsidize the poor, the same VAT is making life HELL for millions of Filipinos. And if PGMA is true to her words, then the VAT is subsidizing ARMM officials who are living in sheer abundance despite the region being the poorest in the country. Check our their homes---sorry ----mansions at Juna Subdivision and you will see that every Muslim in the ARMM should not be living in poverty at all.