Rainy days and Mondays

While there are those who would say that rain is a source of depression, for the gloomy look that it brings to what would otherwise be bright and sunny days, conversely, there are those who say that it is uplifting, serving to wash away the dredges that have gathered since the last shower, leaving the world clean and refreshed in its wake.

On July 24, a Monday, while Typhoon Glenda (aka Gloria) battered away at our country, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivered her sixth State of the Nation Address. In spite of the weather, she appeared to be upbeat and at times, even cheerful, as she gave her speech before a crowd predictably packed by administration supporters at the Batasan Session Hall.

Declaring early on that her speech was not to be about politics, the President instead chose to focus on the economic progress as well as the agricultural and infrastructure projects undertaken by her administration. She cited plans for railway systems, ports and presented her plans for the years ahead. Her speech and delivery, as some pundits term it, was "bagyo," so apropos during that stormy Monday.

The administration’s master plan involves grouping sections of the Philippines into so-called "Super Regions", with each one to be distinguished by its resources. Both northern Luzon and Mindanao in the south are to be developed further in their roles as agri-business centers, and will see the construction of roads, irrigation projects, port facilities and airports. The roll on-roll off port system which the administration introduced three years ago, to speed up the delivery of products will be expanded regionally, connecting Quezon to Marinduque, and Bohol to Leyte. A Subic/Clark corridor will offer a seaport (Subic), airport (Clark) and an expressway connecting them to Manila.

The central Philippines, which already receives 50 percent of foreign tourists, will be likewise developed as the tourist hub for the country. Cebu, a prime tourist destination, has already begun construction of a new international convention center which will be open in time for the ASEAN summit, to be hosted here in December.

GMA’s plans for creating "Super Regions’ were met with enthusiasm by the business community, and this was reflected by the Peso’s jump the following day to levels it hadn’t seen for quite a while, thereby proving that our economy, and by extension, our Administration must be doing something right, despite all the oppositionists, rabble-rousers and prophets of doom out there.

Like a fickle lover who jumps to the worst possible conclusion, assuming that you have arrived late for a date out of spite, rather than trusting you enough to assume you did everything you could to make it on time, oppositionists were so intent on looking for flaws, they were less focused on what was actually said, as they were on what wasn’t said.

For example, they harped on there being barely a mention of the proposed Charter Change, which would shift our governmental model to one more resembling a parliamentary system, but honestly, would there really have been a point? Would it have made them happier to hear more about something they had no intention of supporting anyway? If it had been part of the speech, are we seriously expected to believe they wouldn’t have taken the chance to accuse her of trying to extend her term in office by any means necessary?

If they really have the country’s best interests at heart, how could they choose to ignore the fact that the gross national product and gross domestic product reached 5.8 percent and 5.5 percent respectively in the first quarter, an improvement from the 4.9 percent and 4.2 percent of last year? Did it not matter to them that foreign direct investments in the Philippines were up to P63.5 billion, more than double what they were last year?

There, too, is the matter on everyone’s lips, that one moment during her speech, when the President singled out for praise Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, commander of the Philippine Army’s 7th Division, saying he would "never retreat until he shall have freed the villages [in the Central Luzon region] from the night of terror" brought about by the communist insurgency. Then, without missing a beat, she added: "In the harshest possible terms, I condemn political killings."

This would prove to be the most controversial moment of the SONA, due to the number of allegations put forth against Palparan, but not unexpected, considering his hard stance on communists and leftists. Just what Palparan’s effect will have on the ever-growing number of political killings remains to be seen, and certainly bears watching.

President Arroyo’s sixth SONA was designed as a battle plan for the direction our country needs to take in order to survive in today’s modern world, and true enough, some of the projects she mentioned are already under construction. She called upon the people and the two houses of Congress, to support government’s efforts to develop the country, reiterating the need to work together towards a common goal, rather than engage in the backstabbing, theatrical grandstanding and pontificating that usually pass for political activity in the Philippines.

A fortunate side-effect of Typhoon Glenda was that it provided us with one of the most peaceful SONAs in recent memory, as the omnipresent protestors and rallyists were sent looking for dry shelter, away from the Batasan. The increase in positive economic activity the following day showed that there is still hope for our country, despite what some would have us believe.

The typhoon of July 24 may have long since gone, but if their current behavior remains true to form, it is painfully clear that some of our politicians will never know enough to come in out of the rain.

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Amiable entrepreneur and Alay-Lakad head Frank Evaristo and Time correspondent Nelly Sindayen gave an intimate dinner party for columnist Jullie Yap Daza in Frank’s pad in Rockwell. Frank’s daughter Carol cooked the sumptuous roast turkey, and son JunJun helped entertain the guests. Among those who attended were Israel Ambassador Yehosha and Hana Sagi, Ambassador Raul Goco, Matthew McHorris, political officer, US Embassy; Fernando Berguño, deputy head of mission, Chile; Doris Serban, second secretary, economic affairs, Embassy of Romania. Bulong Pulong members and participants present were Aida Sevilla Mendoza, Chay Santiago, Domini M. Torrevillas, Corito Fiel, Saeed A. Daof, and Rod Cornejo.