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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider PerSONAlly speaking

PerSONAlly speaking

Published Jul 29, 2024 04:03 pm

MEDIUM RARE

Jullie Y. Daza

How do you reduce the President’s SONA (state of the nation address) – from 90 minutes to a summary of bite-size facts, figures? Thanks to the bad weather that kept most of us home, I made it my homework to make that summary, if not for others, then for myself.

Every SONA is perSONAl to the orator, even if it is intended for the whole of his audience, i.e., People of the Philippines from the tip of the Batanes isles to the bottomest part of Tawi-Tawi. For easy reading, I divided the topics into four groups: land (L), sea (S), air (A), and people (P). To illustrate, roads and bridges under Land, the West Philippine Sea under Sea, airports and internet connectivity under Air. People come under the fourth grouping, although everything conceived and achieved is ultimately for the good of the people.

Under land, the President’s challenges, achievements, plans – for farmers, for example – take up the most space: 14 items, including focus on rice production, release of vaccines to protect farm animals against African swine fever, irrigating 45,000 ha of new agricultural lands. Not just for farmers, more Kadiwa stores, 5,000 flood control projects, 12,000 km of roads and 2,000 bridges, and a “railway renaissance.”

Under S for sea: “The West Philippine Sea is not a figment of the imagination. It is ours and will remain ours.”

A for air: Air transport, tourism to “enhance the tourist experience”; 70 airport projects completed. Power and internet capacity and connectivity upgraded or enhanced. Digitalization to upgrade government services.

P for people:  POGO out. Bring down prices. Reduce rice tariff. A trillion pesos in renewable energy, digital infra, food security, manufacturing. Distribute CLOA to more beneficiaries. PhilHealth benefits doubled against certain diseases. Enhance feeding programs, focus on “sports for all,” technology for educational reform. Progress in job placements, with 98 percent success rate. Continue promoting OFW welfare.

A close look of this newspaper’s front page photo by our Noel Pabalate on July 23, the day after SONA, showed PBBM gesturing with his hands, his right palm clearly marked with a single line crosswise in the middle. His father had the same “iginuhit ng tadhana” (mark of destiny) on his palm. That’s all I’m saying, ’cause I’m no palm reader. 

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opinion Jullie Y. Daza Medium Rare SONA 2024
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