TO BRING President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) closer to Ateneans, two student orgs presented and analyzed the implications of the President’s address.
The Assembly, a socio-political organization, and Matanglawin, the official Filipino publication of the Ateneo, organized activities related to Arroyo’s SONA last July 28.
The Assembly’s live telecast of the SONA started with a brief national situationer and an open forum. The event, held at Escaler Hall, started two hours before the actual SONA, which went on air at 4:00 pm.
Matanglawin’s Ang Pagkilatis sa SONA, held July 30 at the Faura AVR, had Political Science Instructor Rene Raymond Rañeses Jr. and Economics Department Chair Fernando Aldaba, Ph.D., as speakers who gave insights on the SONA.
Drama
Aldaba said that Arroyo’s SONA failed to reveal the true situation of the country.
He said that although the economy has improved, it is felt only by the top 10% of the country. “While we are growing, [our] investments are declining,” he said.
In addition, Aldaba said that with the President’s low trust rating and the unrealistic statistics she gave during the SONA, it is hard to believe what she said.
Rañeses said that the SONA did not show the truth, but was more of Arroyo’s drama to the public. “The 8th SONA again confirmed that such is just a political theater.”
For Rañeses, the SONA was “more on economics and data.”
Aldaba said that Arroyo failed to address the current cases where she is involved, like the ZTE-NBN deal scandal during the early part of the year.
The SONA
According to the SONA, the year 2007 ended with strong economic growth, but was pulled down due to the global economic crisis and increase in gas and food prices. Arroyo added, however, that the global crisis did not catch the government unprepared.
“We have the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel despite price spikes,” she said.
She also said that she is worried about the Filipino citizens and their welfares—the farmers who work hard to feed their family, the lone breadwinners with no stable jobs, the OFWs who send money to their loved ones.
Arroyo concluded that these problems can be solved through food self-sufficiency, less energy dependence, and greater self-reliance in the Filipino’s attitude as a people. She also said that different tax policies, like the Value-Added Tax, should be maintained.
Listening despite the lies
“Kritikal sa tingin ko ang pakikinig kahit marahil bola ang kanyang sasabihin… Paano tutuligsain kung hindi pakikinggan ang mga sinasabi ng Pangulo? (It’s critical for me to listen to her even if what she will say are probably lies. How can we attack if we don’t listen to what the President says?)” said Rañeses.
Rañeses also said that whether the SONA is true or not, students should be aware of it.“It is more dangerous to describe our country without us knowing or validating,” he said.
The Assembly Research and Advocacy Head Lievj Raoni Alimangohan (IV AB PoS) also emphasized that although politics shouldn’t be violent, this is not the case especially with the present political situation.
“Politics need not to be violent…but to sustain politics, we should not be apathetic,” said Alimangohan.
“You cannot be detached; dapat makialam tayo [we should be involved],” said Aldaba.
