In the twilight of her presidency, President Arroyo is hoping the next leadership would build on her administration’s gains on economic growth, education, climate change, and good governance, including political reforms.

In the 2009 State of the Nation Address (SONA) technical report, the President has promised to sustain her glowing record of achievements towards the end of her tenure next year and expects her successor to develop these programs that would ensure the country’s peace and progress.

The Arroyo administration has given itself a pat on the back for the achievements it has made over the last eight years, particularly on economy, infrastructure development, and social services, despite all the political and economic challenges.

“Even as it nears the end of its term, the Arroyo administration remains firmly resolved to bring to completion or at least close to completion its project initiatives. Thus, President Arroyo shall leave with the next leadership the gains her Administration has stocked; gains that have kept the economy afloat and the country’s hopes up,” the report said.

“However, development as a continuing process entails continuing work. The trust is that the next leadership shall build on the gains that have been achieved including, among others, accomplishments in Economic Resiliency Program, Education, Climate Change, Volunteerism, and Good Governance,” it added.

The technical report prepared by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) was released ahead of the President’s delivery of her annual address before the joint session of Congress Monday afternoon.

On good governance, the SONA technical report said the next administration should consider rewriting the 1987 Constitution “for the legality of all policies, legislations and other measures that facilitate or prevent reform and development.”

“Constitutional reform will allow the removal of unnecessary further barriers to agriculture, trade and industry, information exchange, among others, as well as redefine economic geography,” the report said.

It said constitutional reform can be an important channel in promoting good governance, such as governance with accountability, transparency, participation and predictability.

“It is also a process of reconstructing the country’s institutions that are barriers to national harmony and peace, and development,” the report said.

Another program the Arroyo government hopes the next administration would sustain is the Economic Resiliency Program “for 2010 and beyond.”

The P330 billion fiscal package sought to spur economic growth through accelerated government spending, tax cuts and public-private sector projects, and eventually prepare the country for a possible global economic rebound.

“The global effect operates through global systems such as the financial system and is thus, likely to impact on the local economy. Finally, guarding against any further negative effect of the global crisis compels the optimization of individual-country resources such that discontinuing what has been started under the ERP means wastage of precious government resources,” the report said.

Also, the Arroyo government expressed hopes its successor would also pursue its “Philippine Main Education Highway,” a program meant to help Filipino youth land a good job and have a steady future.

The program includes enhancing basic and higher education especially in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, benchmarking the basic education cycle with international standards, improving technical vocational education, financing education, strengthening institutions in the development of higher-level scientists and engineers, reinforcing academe-industry linkages, and internationalizing of education.

On climate change, the Arroyo administration hopes the incoming government would also rally behind the 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gases, assistance on climate programs, and more concrete incentives for financial and technology transfer to developing countries like the Philippines.