Thoughts on the state of the nation

Last Monday, the eyes of the country were trained on President Noynoy Aquino as he took to the podium for his sixth and last State of the Nation address. It’s not only a sentimental one for the president as he makes his exit from the highest office of the land, but a poignant one for the country as the past five years come to a culmination and we were able to take a look back at what has been accomplished and what work still needs to be done.

When it comes to P-Noy’s presidency, I was optimistic for the most part. I felt disappointed in some areas and I appreciated the hard work he did in others. It’s unfair to assume that any president, after all, will be perfect, however I know that we all had high hopes when former President Cory Aquino’s son became our leader. After all, we were just coming from the mess that former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had left the country in and we were all desperate for a change. 

I remember back when we were electing a new president, a lot of voters’ sentiment was “I’ll take anyone as long as he is not corrupt.” We had reached a point that we were tired of corruption allegations and leadership that seemed more focused on themselves rather than on the country. We were appalled by the ZTE scandal and the Maguindanao massacre (among others) and we wanted change. We needed it.

That was the state of the country when P-Noy took over in 2010. We were poised for change and we all desperately hungered for it. I know I was one of those that were feeling optimistic about “daang matuwid” and President Aquino’s stand on anti-corruption and cleaning up the government. It was something that had been sorely lacking in previous administrations that were beleaguered with corruption allegations and even impeachment woes. We wanted our leaders to be held accountable for their actions.

So now that five years have gone by, where do we find ourselves? The President’s State of the Nation Address for 2015 took a look back at the Administration’s achievements over the past five years and the president shared the growth that he was most proud of — rise in public-private partnerships, increase in revenue of government controlled corporations, improved global competitiveness, a happier labor force, higher tax collections, new infrastructure projects, education reform, and many more.

He painted a picture of the growth and progress the country has seen during his term and reminded the president and administration that would come after him that it was very important to keep the projects going and build on what the Aquino administration has started, in essence to keep on the “straight path” and continue the country’s growth.

The SONA 2015 received mixed reviews from the officials in attendance and I find myself agreeing with them in several aspects. While there has been undeniable growth in some areas, some still remain staggeringly the same. Plus I find it difficult to truly gauge success just by the rise in numbers when it comes to the country’s income or foreign investment. After all, while the Philippines is experiencing economic growth, this growth has not trickled down to the masses and that is where the change is most important. How can we claim success and growth when so many in the country still can’t afford basic necessities? This has always been a problem we have had to face. There is such a big gap between the wealthy and poor with the middle class being barely existent. Growth should be felt by everyone to truly be considered a success.

Another aspect I found lacking in the SONA was to address the problems with public transportation and the MRT issues. The president mentioned in passing that these problems were being addressed and new trains and upgrades were in progress. However, these mentions were not expounded. I feel that fixing the MRT, road infrastructure, and traffic are a very important part in improving the country and helping everyone be more productive. So many of our countrymen waste hours and hours of their day in transit just trying to get to their destination. Helping fix the roads and the MRT and LRT systems will go a long way in improving many lives.

And speaking of improving lives, the president mentioned that PhilHealth now covers even more people, which is definitely a good thing. However, despite more coverage, healthcare as well as treatment and medicine access still has a long way to go. More coverage, especially the coverage for senior citizens, is a good start but now it’s time to look at the quality of coverage and the ease with which it can be utilized. It’s pointless to be covered if coverage is disease limited or there aren’t easy guidelines on reimbursement. Healthcare reform is important and something the incoming administration really needs to address.

I don’t deny that the President has made some important achievements in many aspects of the country and government. I feel he has truly pursued his anti-corruption stand and has done what he can to prosecute those he felt were guilty of corruption, like – as he mentioned – the former senators who remain in prison. But there is so much more that needs to be done to fully eradicate corruption in the government. One can even look at it as the mythical Hydra beast. If you cut off one head, five more can easily grow back.

To help against corruption, I feel that the Freedom of Information Bill can be instrumental in helping with transparency. If information was fully available to the public then government officials and those in powerful positions would be forced to be more careful in their appropriations, in their budgets, and in their dealings. This was not addressed in this SONA though, so only time will tell if this will come to pass.

In many ways, the Philippines has indeed improved over the last five years. I can’t say it was very successful, but I also can’t say it was not successful. I didn’t expect the president to be able to turn it all around in such a short amount of time and as far as expectations go, it’s important to remain realistic. My reaction to the SONA is pragmatic at best. I recognize and give credit to the improvements that have been made, but I also understand that it is only the beginning. There is still much to be done.