HOORAY FOR PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO III

One year later, after the inauguration of Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III, the republic of the Philippines’ current president once again stepped into the podium of the Plenary Hall of the House of the Representative in Quezon City. On the very height of the afternoon of July 25, 2011, audience around the country switched their television set on and prepared for another special event of the Philippine history. Every Filipino around the world waits for his fruitful words incorporated in the State of the Nations Address also known as SONA 2011. His very theme for SONA is called TRANFORMATION.

Our beloved president started his speech with the quote “Walang wang-wang sa ating administration”, and with it he discussed his points throughout the entire duration of his State of the Nation Address. He said that his administration, together with the full forces of his senate congress, has been doing their best to bring the new face of transformation over our country, erasing those bad remnants of the previous administration before him. He mentioned on his address that the government is doing whqat they ought to do to serve their people. In the inauguration of President Noynoy Aquino, he promises to reduce unemployment rate, erase wang-wang mindset and up to now he’s been sticking to that promises resulting to the correction of ways for DPWH, the reduction of unemployment rate. On political grounds with conviction, President Noynoy Aquino clearly believes that in order to fight hindrances to the Philippines’ progress, we must believe in his key-points, which includes the following:

§                 Erasing the “wang-wang” mindset of those in power which over the years has come to symbolize abuse of authorities. In his very speech he clearly identifies that wang-wang mindset is the cause of great graft and corruption that happened around nationwide. Even in the local areas, many had been abusing countrymen. We face different façade of bribery and hoax as a result of wang-wang minded leaders. He mentioned: “Ang aking pahiwatig sa lahat ng gusto pang ilihis tayo sa matuwid na landas: Kung mang-aagrabyado ka lang ng mahirap, huwag ka nang magtangka. Kung sarili mo lang ang papayamanin mo, huwag ka nang magtangka. Kung hindi iyan para sa Pilipino, huwag ka nang magtangka.”

§                 Hunger rate dropping down for the past few months of 2011. From 20.5 percent of self-rated hunger form March, it decreases into 15.1 percent this month of July. It is tantamount to one million Filipino families that has been suffering from hunger before, but today, they been eating three times a day.

§                 better economy as observed by the Philippine Stock market reaching several record highs in 2010. For just one year of service, the Aquino administration commits four times upgrade by the different rating agency. Pnoy stated: “Alam naman po natin na hindi madaling ma-upgrade sa panahon ngayon. Itong mga ratings agency, nabatikos na mali raw ang payo bago magkakrisis sa Amerika, kaya ngayon ay mas makunat na sila sa pagbibigay ng magagandang ratings, at nakikita nga natin ito sa sunud-sunod na pag-downgrade sa ibang mga bansa. Pero tayo po, in-upgrade pa nila.”  He also said with conviction that all the rating agencies agreed that the Philippine economy is now better and will be going much better.

§                 Construction of a power plant in Luzon which will provide a cheaper source of energy for Filipinos. Just that Friday before his SONA, it has been approved that a new agreement for one new power plant in Luzon will be build so that when 2014 come, there will be more cheaper and reliable source of energy in the Philippines.

§                 Zero-cost budgeting to put an end to wasteful programs. In his speech, the president said that in order to stop the “wang-wang” curroption in the national treasury, they venture and scrutinized the existing program and they say the zero based budgeting will serve as the armor from the wasteful and useless cost of the programs

§                 Proper allocation of taxes. President Aquino said “Ang budget po ang pinakamalinaw na pagsasabuhay ng ating tuwid na landas”. When the president mentioned this words, no offense, many government leaders had been wrongly allocated budgets for the project wherein those budgets came from the taxes the countrymen paid. As I had observed, not only in the public sector had been corrupting, but also those in private once.

A more honest and transparent DPWH. DPWH has been continuing their traditional transactions since they had been in position. Because of the lump-sum of giving the funds, there had been no question of the details and plan for the project but instead they give and give budgets even like president Aquino said “Miski yata—sabi ng iba—bahay ng gagamba ang ipapatayo, bibigyan ng pondo, basta may padrino.”

End over-importation of rice and make the country self-sufficient on rice supply. This is a very clear proof of president Noynoy Aquino’s cliam on reducing wang-wang mindset. Before the Aquino administration seated on the presidency throne, the country exports more than 2.3 million metric tons of rice in which only 1.3 million metric tons are needed to be export. Just as what President Noynoy Aquino exclaimed: “ngunit pinasobrahan pa nila ito ng isang milyong tonelada. Dahil nga sobra-sobra ang inangkat, kinailangan pa nating gumastos muli sa mga bodegang pagtatambakan lang naman ng barko-barkong bigas.” Now as thery seated in the supremacy of the presidential seat, Pnoy said “Ngayon, ang dating 1.3 million metric tons na kakulangan natin sa bigas, halos nangalahati na; 660,000 metric tons na lang po ang kailangan nating angkatin. Kahit dagdagan pa natin iyan ng panangga laban sa sakuna at gawing 860,000 metric tons—na ginagawa na nga po natin—mas mababa pa rin ito sa tinatayang taunang kakulangan na 1.3 million metric tons.”

§                 More benefits for military and police officers, upgrading military defense equipment. As I observed from our police force today. They lack of necessity and budget for their basic needs. Some, I saw from the news, many had made some empty prison cells their temporary lodging. Is it how they will be served when the police our doing their best to stop criminal records? Well, the president Aquino had answer on that. During his SONA he mentioned that many police officers and army had been given lands and houses. Budget for them were properly allotted unlike what the previous administration had left them

Finding a resolve to protect the country’s share in Spratly islands. Aquino said in his SONA: “Wala tayong balak mang-away, pero kailangan ding mabatid ng mundo na handa tayong ipagtanggol ang atin. Pinag-aaralan na rin po natin ang pag-angat ng kaso sa West Philippine Sea sa International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, upang masigurong sa mga susunod na pagkakataon ay hinahon at pagtitimpi ang maghahari tuwing may alitan sa teritoryo.” I know that the president know that soon enough, our care for our nation will bear sweet fruits of success.

§                 Tighten enforcement of Anti-Human Trafficking Act. Yes, Human Trafficking had been the most common crimes happening not only in our country but also in the entire globe. For the first year of his term, the president claimed that he had identified many traffickers and charged them guilty with the case. Soon enough, I believe the president together with the Philippine government will locate all this human traffickers and put them behind the prison bars.

§                 Creating more jobs for Filipinos so that unemployment rate will going down

§                 More health programs for the poor and untouchables.

§                 Congress passing a law synchronizing ARMM elections with the National Elections

§                 Stewardship of tree-planting programs to alleviate flooding problems

§                 DOST-UP Team up to develop a monorail system that provides a cheaper fare compared to the current mass transit system.

§                 New Ombudsman that will be more lenient in fighting corrupt and abusive government officials

§                 Encouraging Philippine citizens to stop ‘crab mentality’ once and for all

There’s a point that President Noynoy Aquino made that makes me ponder, when he said that “Marami pa pong malikhaing konsepto na inilalapit sa atin, at ang atin pong ipinatupad na”. it means many Filipino people had given ideas towards the government for the betterment of the whole country. Examples of this are, as President Noynoy Aquino mentioned, the mosquito trap that kills mosquito larvae on stagnant puddles of water which has to do with almost 14 percent of the decrease of dengue incidents. Pnoy also mentioned the use of coconut thread which are normally thrown but can also be a solution for easily-cracked thoroughfare and highways; landslide detector that will alarm anyone who possessed it that a body of land will soon give up and went into a walking landslide; and other things that emits signals and alarm that water will soon overflow and will cause to a harsh flash flood.

If I had to give yet another technology that will help our president and government control and improve our country’s recent situation and problems, I would suggest the following:

• The THEFT-PROOF car protector. In order to help the government achieve their goals in minimizing the car and motorcycle theft into the lowest possible level, I came up with this idea. This device will basically help the owner monitor his car or motorcycle from being car-napped. By attaching the device on any hidden or arcane part of the car or motorcycle, you can activate its potentials and features. First, it turns on the alarm in which if any part of the car will be touched it will resonate. Second, this device releases a specific chemical that will cause a undetectable chemical change of the cars metal surface. This chemical change will cause no damage to the car; instead it will only increase the heaviness of the car into 20 – 30 times so that anyone who attempts to steal the car will not able to move it by any means. One of it’s functionalities is that it adds extra elements to the glass composition particle so that the windshield will not be easily broke by a punch or a hammer. The only person who can deactivate the technology is the owner itself, by just pushing the button of the detachable part of the device. For me I think this technology will help the government achieved their aims. One of the other solutions for this car and motorcycle-napping, are give wider employment oppurtunity for the people because if without jobs, people will commit crimes and will be doing so. By having job opportunities to those jobless and under the unemployed status.

The president’s State of the Nation Address speaks all about the good news and his administration’s achievement and accomplishments in cleaning the problems caused by the previous administration. Indeed, it was refreshing and heart-boosting to hear this improvement, but sad to say, I was not totally impressed with his state of the nation address because it was not that meaty compared to what I had expected. I expected his State of the Nation Address to be more specific in terms of justice, peace and equality. I was very expectant to the fact that I want to hear him talk about the budget cut for every state universities but it seemed like he forgot to include it in his state of the nations address. Nevertheless, the Philippines current president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino the third had did a very great job. The state of the nation address is intended for the reports of the congress progress during the year. And I am proud for our president that he had did a great job, not only on decreasing the hunger rate and the unemployment rate but also promising and believing that the Philippines will grow and will straighten the sinuous path we are taking. His speech though, not that as meaty as I expected, proves to be the concrete evidence that their administration had achieved. I just hope that for the 6 years term of the Aquino administration, it will not stop right here but will go on even after the term had expired.