Unlike others who were underwhelmed by President Aquino’s first State-of –the Nation address because they were expecting revelations more shocking than those he had leaked while he was still finalizing his speech, I found it just okay.
Sure, a large part of his speech was a litany of Gloria Arroyo’s sins. One cannot and should never be jaded about anomalies and abuse of power. Even if you know it’s happening all the time, who would not be shocked over the gargantuan salaries of the members of the board of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
He said, “Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos. Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon. Beinte-kuwatro porsyento lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag….
“Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta’y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.
“Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta’y otso mil.”
Those privileges become outrageous if you consider that as he said the ordinary MWSS worker just get a 13th month pay and cash gift. Much more outrageous if you heard retirees complain that they have not received their benefits after many years of retirement.
Many are disappointed that he did not touch on major concerns. Like Susan “Toots” Ople is dismayed that he did not say plans for the Overseas Foreign Workers.
Journalist Caloy Conde posted in Facebook an article from Bulatlat that expressed disappointment over Aquino’s “no mention of land reform, no promise of any wage hike, no hint that the budget for education and basic social services will be increased, no reference to the reality that debt servicing eats into the national budget.”
Com’n guys, would you have been happier if he delivered a two-hour SONA?
Another journalist Inday Varona waited in vain to hear him push for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill. Furthermore, Inday said, “That Sona was interesting as much for what was left out than what was said.”
The National Union of the Journalist of the Philippines shares Inday’s feeling about FOI. “We are disappointed that in his State of the Nation Address, the President made no mention of the Freedom of Information Bill, a long delayed legislation to ensure transparency of government transactions, which was shamefully shelved by the last Congress,” the group said.
NUJP is also concerned that aside from saying that the suspects in the killing of journalists Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen and that of Bayan coordinator Francisco Baldomero, Aquino did not issue any categorical statement about ensuring justice for victims of the Ampatuan Massacre and decisively putting an end to the continued killings of journalists.
NUJP said is also dismayed that Aquino was also silent on massive contractualization in the media industry, low wages of employees and worsening retrenchment and termination even of regular employees.
On the hand, he lectured on media: “May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of public discourse. “
He told media to “police your own ranks.” I can’t blame him. He must have had unpleasant experience with ACDC (attack-collect-defend-collect) operators in media.
Aquino once again spoke about the Truth Commission that he said “will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed in the last nine years.”
He has entrusted former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, the man who helped install Arroyo to the presidency without having been elected by the people in 2001 and had been rewarded with a United nationas ambassadorship, to lead the search.
Many are critizising the choice of Davide. Many are also are saying that the Commission would be toothless investigative body. Lawyer harry Roque said, “ It cannot have the powers to issue summons, nor will it have the power to cite individuals in contempt. “
I would not also be disappointed if the Davide, in the end, clears Arroyo of any wrongdoing.
I won’t be disappointed because I have no high expectations.
I won’t be surprised too if Davide exonerates the evil bitch sociopath but the question is, what will PNoy course of action be if it happens.
Meron pa bang vacancy sa MWSS? Apply tayo!
I also thought that Pnoy could have stressed more on how he can generate more jobs so the OFWs no longer need to leave their families. I was also glued to the SONA to hear more on how he can alleviate the conditions of the poor.
hwag tayong magmadali hindi naman pweding sabay sabay hinay hinay lang saan bat maayos din ang lahat,syempre andaming probema ang minana ng sumunod na pangulo kaya bigyan nati siya ng oras na ayusin muna ang nakakasukang ginawa ni gloria at ng aliporis niya sa kaban ng bayan,sa unang sona ni pres.pnoy ay ok naman kahit papaano nalaman ng buong mundo ang sambayanan kung paano nilimas ang kaban ng bayan,sanay silang gumastos at kumain sa mga perang hindi nila pinaghirapan butit hindi sila nagtae ng dugo o nagkaroon ng bulate na may ngipin upang kainin ang mga bituka nila.
Those people who are griping that there are no concrete plans mentioned in PNoy’s Sona is missing the entire point. PNoy gave a clear cut state of our nation which is a country tottering on disaster because of 9 years of plunder and mismanagement. We need to purge first the “landmines” of Gloria’s Kleptocracy before we can plan and move ahead. Hindi puwedeng iwalis lahat under the rug.
Sa tingin ko classic misdirection ang ginagawang ito nina Lagman et.al. na pambubuska sa SONA ni PNoy.
Para akin ok na yung sinabi ni PNoy, kesa maghabi pa ng pantasya katulad ng dating hindi pangulo, na ang haba ng sinasabing kasinungalingan at puro panloloko at palakpak ng palakpak ang mga ulul na tongressman at ngayon eh nagsipaglundagan na..
Hindi rin ako disappointed sa SONA.
Una, naintindihan ng ordinaryong tao ang Pangulo. Yung iba baka first time lang naintindihan ang sona after so many years na english ang sona. Sa mga nakapag aral ng mataas, madami kulang, para sa mga ordinaryong tao sapat na may naintindihan sila.
Pangalawa, maraming hindi isinamang concerns kaya masasabing bitin. Mas okay na hindi sinama ang lahat pero may magagawa or matutupad na ilang concerns na dapat isinama sa SONA. Kaysa naman puro pangako tapos puro mapapako.
Finally, sapat na sa akin yung pitch nya na good governance. Pag maayos ang pamamahala, sa Executive, Legislative at Judiciary, maraming magandang susunod na mangyayari.
Sige, okey lang.
Subalit katulad din ng pagmamatyag sa administrasyon ng dating never elected president at kanyang mandateless cabinet, mala musang at agilang babantayan ko ang mga kilos nila.
Walang pero pero, walang teka teka, walang ekskyus ekskyus.
Magtrabaho sila’t magpakatino tulad ng ipinangako at dapat na gawin.
Dapat nilang isipin na ang government service is a sacred vow and not a game to enjoy. It is must be treated a privilege since not everyone is trusted to serve.
Marami ang dumating. Marami ang lumapit. Marami ang tumugon. Subalit IILAN lamang ang hinirang.
Noynoy’s SONA is a third rate porn, nothing to be excited about. What else is new?
He is just following his mother’s footstep, to make the public addicted to gloria’s corruptions as his smokescreen.
Stop pimping gloria’s corruption.
Xman, sa akin kahit third rate porn, na eexcite ako. Naalala mo yung mga third rate porn nina Vivian Velez o Josephine Manuel, nakapanindig balahibo din naman. Yung snuff film lang ang hindi ko kayang panoorin.
Preng Oblak,
Pa-share naman niyong kina Vivian Veles at Josephine Manuel, o. Pampalipas inip dine sa disyerto.
xman, palagay ko, kung hindi ikaw si Lagayman, maaaring si Dato ka. Imposible kasing si Joel Salceda dahil bumaliktad na siya sa kanyang klasmeyt, eh. Di ba, kebs?
Pesteng Miriam takes indefinite leave due to fatigue
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/28/10/feisty-miriam-takes-indefinite-leave-due-fatigue
This one’s not disappointing also?
“…..Belmonte said Singson, who is in a Hong Kong jail after being caught with illegal drugs at the airport, is still presumed innocent……”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100728-283690/Speaker-says-give-Chavit-Singson-son-benefit-of-the-doubt
I do not trust this Belmonte. A trapo. A political butterfly.
If that’s what he believes in the case of Singson caught with several grams of illegal drugs, how does he see those officers ordered detained by gloria thru the ass?
Also, how does Belmonte feel for OFW’s detained in different jails particularly here in Saudi Arabia? Is his concern contained only within his colleagues in Congress?
Being the speaker of the House, next in line in succession in the presidency, anyone in place of Belmonte should also look after the cases of Filipino immigrant workers who are facing charges in their respective countries of employment and not just rely on turtle speed actions of agencies concerned. Congress must pass laws giving us OFW’s protection we need in the face of legal battle each one of us might go through during our stay in our respective destinations.
We are not asking more than this in return for their recognition bestowed in us as Mga Bagong Bayani.
Hindi kasi puwedeng kainin ‘yun o gamiting immunity from suit kung sakali dito sa ibayong dagat.
Is his concern confined only within his colleagues in Congress?
Normally I would have looked for a SONA that satisfies the SMART format in setting goals/objectives (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, REalistic, Timebound) as maybe most people with management backgrounds will expect…but the majority of the electorate are not managers, most of them are ordinary people who don’t appreciate high falluting, jargonistic, powerpoint presentations, complete with statistics, details of time lines, action plans, etc, etc..that economists (like Gloria) would like to regal everybody. We would look for this kind of expertise as we like to pretend we’re that intelligent and talk management…we like to much to pretend we’re smart that we allow ourselves to be hoodwinked with the figures…
The ordinary pinoy doesn’t appreciate all that, he just wants to know “kung nagkalokohan na ba talaga?” How much money we have on hand, how much do we need to live on, can we afford to spend for needs or wants? What good is a “road map” of sorts when all these infrastructure projects are being used as excuses to steal money from the government?
The prerequisite for a good manager should be integrity and decency foremost – as how are we supposed to know that the budget he’s proposing and getting is really spent properly?
Pnoy’s message, if you read between the lines, was mostly for the congressmen, senators, governors, mayors, etc., that this time around they should use the budget for its intended purpose.
We know that the president is close to powerless if he can’t dangle money over the Filipino lawmakers, he will not get any support, its a given fact of life in Philippine politics, these people are used to their pork and will fight tooth and nail to keep them.
The SONA’s message and even Pnoy’s wangwang initiative, is to appeal to these lawmakers for decency and an appeal for all the Filipinos to rally behind this call for austerity. The lawmakers must accept any austerity measures that will be initiated, they must take some cuts in their pork barrel is need be – as they are using their constituents as the main reason they cannot accept reduced pork barrels, Pnoy has appealed straight to the constituents also.
We can only be disappointed if we depend on others too much for our needs, dreams, aspirations, if we depend on others to fulfill these for us we will definitely be disappointed as people have a tendency to let us down. We must learn to be self reliant, to rise above our perceived limitations and achieve.
Its right not to have too high expectations on our leaders, we must have high expectations on OURSELVES and work for it. If we dream big, we can achieve big! Personally, if we want financial independence, a new car, a house, a big LCD TV, anything is possible, but we have to put some effort and time, not to mention – motivation to succeed.
If we have very low expectations form our leaders, its okay, as long as we have high expectations for ourselves, then we’ll be going somewhere…
CERTAIN QUARTERS have expressed disappointment over President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address, assailing its purported lack of vision and shock value. So-called pundits complain about feeling let down, and lament the so-called flubbed opportunity for Mr. Aquino to tell his constituents exactly what they can do to help the country on to his daang matuwid (straight path). House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman grumbles that no “roadmap of policies and programs” was presented, and boasts that he dares to swim against the tide in declaring that the Emperor clothed in “tremendously high” approval ratings is in fact naked.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20100728-283722/We-think-not
Sala sa init, sala sa lamig.
Speech ni Noynoy sa Pilipino, puring-puri siya, madali daw intindihin.
Si Erap pag nag-speech sa Pilipino, binabambo siya at hindi raw marunong mag-inglis.
Ang buhay nga naman!
Florry, tama ang obserbasyon mo. Walang kasiyahan ang tao lalo na ang may mataas na antas na pinag-aralan.
Sa kabilang dako, samantalang si PNoy ay nagtatalumpati sa wikang Pilipino, ang bagong kinatawan naman ng Saranggani na si Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao, bumigkas ng kanyang Privilege Speech sa wikang English kahit pautal-utal. Masigabo at matinding pinalakpakan ang kanyang tinanggap mula sa mga kapwa kinatawan. Kung ito’y papuri o lihim na pangungutya dahil alam nilang hindi nakatungtong ng kolehiyo si Dr. Pacquiao, sila lamang ang nakakaalam.
This is the SONA I wanted to hear! God bless us all!
Pareng Oblak, di ko kilala yong mga binanggit mong pangalan.
MPRivera, dapat ang sinisikap na sundan o tingnan ng tao ay kung ano ang totoo. Walang mabuting ibubunga ang kasinungalingan, kapahamakan lang ang destinasyon nyan.
XMan, hindi mo generation sina Vivian Velez, Josephine Manuel at Amanda AMores siguro. SI Pareng MPR nga tumutulo ang laway ng malaman at gusto magpadala kaya lang mahirap na baka mahuli ng Arabo.
Pareng MPR, pag uwi mo na lang dito, pahiram ko sayo yung mga betamax tape ko.
Ms. Flory, si Erap kasi college drop out kaya parang kinekwestyon yung kakayahan nyang mag english. Si NOynoy naman, dati nang naririnigang na nag eenglish kaya alam na ng tao na okay sya pag english.
Sa pinakikitang support ni Erap kay Noynoy, bilib na ako kay Erap.
dapat ang sinisikap na sundan o tingnan ng tao ay kung ano ang totoo. Walang mabuting ibubunga ang kasinungalingan, kapahamakan lang ang destinasyon nyan. – xman.
Sino ba ang sinungaling? Bakit tayo nagkakaganito?
Ibig mo bang sabihin xman, naging tapat at mahusay ang pamunuan ni gloria?
Sus!
Oh, yeah? Go forth and dream. Be led by a dreamer who just bark and bark and bark – too much whining wala naman solution. Lumalabas na mali pala siya. Ngek! According to today’s Tribune” Malacañang yesterday admitted that there was nothing anomalous after all in President Aquino’s claimed “shock and awe” expose against his predecessor, former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, with her budget appropriations and expenditures when she was still the Chief Executive, as all these have all been accounted for by the 14th Congress.” Dada at nganga lang pala alam niya, eh. Baka akala niya nasa campaign period pa siya. hehehe
Hindi kaya ang kanyang pangarap ay nakasakay sa bangkang papel ni Ate Glo? What a nightmare!
“Lumalabas na mali pala siya.”
Pwes, ang tama ay si Lagman? Bwahahahaha!
Ooops sa Tribune daw, well hindi mo kami mabibiktima, mag-isa kang magkalat ng virus.
Granting na nabasa mo nga yan sa Tribune (wag kayong pupunta, pleeeeeze! May Malware doon.) Yung approved budget ng 14th Congress is for the whole of 2010, hindi para sa kalahating taon lang. Sabi nga ni Lagman, “Whatever she did was legal” wala namang nagsasabing illegal, sabi lang inubos na, hakhakhak!
Hindi porke’t legal, moral.
Legal ngang gumastos si Gloria ng P2B sa kakabiyahe, kakain ng halagang isang milyon para sa isang hapunan lang, pero para sa isang bansang milyon ang nagugutom, moral ba yan?
Ngayon ko na naintindihan yung pangmamaliit sa “shock and awe” na sinasabi ng mga ipis at anay. Na-shock ako na meron pang nagtatanggol sa garapal na nakaraang gobyerno. Gaya nitong isang ito, I’m awed na meron pang naniniwala sa mga tuta at pang-uunggoy ng mga matsing ni Gloria.
Gising na, naiwan ka na ng biyahe, may muta ka pa, di ka pa nagmumumog.
Mukhang magulo ata ang usapan dito.
MPRivera, kailan man ay hindi ko ipinagtatanggol si gloria dahil puro pagnanakaw ng kaban ang ginawa non at illegitimate president na katulad ni Noynoy.
Ang punto ko ay sinusundan lamang ni Noynoy ang footsteps ng nanay nya na si Cory. Noong panahon ni Cory ay ginagamit lamang nya ang mga corruption ni Makoy para itago ang sarili nyang corruptions. Ganoon din ang ginagawa ni Noynoy ngayon, ginagamit yong corruptions ni gloria para itago ang pagka incompetent nya bilang illegitimate president ng smartmatic.
Sa nakaraang Sona, ano ba ang solusyon ni illegitimate president Noynoy o plano nya para kahit kaunti ay mabawasan ang problema ng Pinas? Mayroon ba?
Si morningrain ay wala akong nabasa sa mga nakaraan nyang post na pinagtatanggol nya si gloria. Kahit yong post nya ngayon ay wala akong makita na iyon ay pagtatanggol nya kay gloria.
Ang sabi ni illegitimate president Noynoy ay 100 Billion pesos na lang ang natitira out of 1.54 Trillion pesos budget for 2010 national budget. Totoo ba yan?
According to records of National Treasury only 949 Billion pesos was released or about 61% of the 1.54T national budget. So, that’s about 750 Billion pesos is still in the National Treasury.
750 Billion pesos cash in the National Treasury
– 100 Billion pesos na natitira daw sabi ni Noynoy
=======================
650 Billion tongpats for Noynoy
Mas grabeng nakawan ang mangyayari ngayon kesa noong panahon ni gloria. Umpisa pa lang yan. Ibig bang sabihin ay pinag tatanggol ko si gloria?
Correction:
600 Billion pesos cash in National Treasury
( 1.54 Trillion multiply by 39% unreleased funds)
So, 500 Billion tongpats for Noynoy.
hay naku, xman, este, mikee, ibalik mo na lang kaya binilli mong mga bahay sa us?
Dalawang klase ng tao lang ang nagsasabing dissappointed sila s SONA…
1. Nagmamagaling – mga taong hindi naiintindihan kung gano kahirap ang maging presindenteng sumusuong sa giyera laban sa korapsyon!
2. Naninira – eto ang mga taong natatakot makulong at mawalan ng tongpats
E kung yung 2 former presidents ang 1 former first lady.. satisfied sa SONA eh…
A SONA for the Filipino
By Jose Ma. Montelibano
Twenty-five years ago, it dawned on me that when my friends and I agree on something spontaneously and unanimously, most other Filipinos would think very differently. That is the natural consequence of belonging to the top one percent of Philippine society usually referred to as Class A & B. With members of these upper economic classes being the most blessed and privileged, their way of thinking is not shared by their counterparts in D & E as much as their lives are almost complete opposites.
When the elite make demands from their government, or their government officials, the nature and form of these demands are quite different from their counterparts among the poor. I remember the insults that Noynoy Aquino received from members of the elite who were for other candidates, insults which tried to portray Noynoy as unintelligent, even moronic. An allegedly intelligent supporter of a losing candidate either fell for the lie that Noynoy had been treated for some psychological disorder,or was deliberately trying to convince others to fall for the lie. To think that he was once the head of a major government agency overseeing the power industry.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/viewpoints/columns/view/20100729-283891/A-SONA-for-the-Filipino
Bhay na buhay na naman si Luli at yung piglets! Naku, manahimik na nga kayo. Tsupi!
A bunch of thanks, Xman, and have a great weekend. I’m truly glad to see that you’re up and kicking. Hehehehe
And to the rest of you, salamat din sa reactions ninyo at ganu’n na rin, have a pleasant weekend, folks. No, I’m not pro-Gloria, please. If you only knew how I despised her and FG, and Mikey, and Dato, and Luli, and Iggy! Eeeiiiiiwwww!!!
Tongue-twisted, sorry if you got hurt/offended by my reading Tribune (to each his own, though I read also Inquirer, Star, Bulletin, Standard, Times, Abante, etc., and I also enjoy visiting various blog sites like this). So far, wala namang virus whenever I go to their site. I will not react to your “other comments” as I understand your feelings. So long, and peace!
Cheers!
Hindi ako nasaktan dahil nagbabasa ka ng Tribune, ako din Tribune fan. Gusto ko lang sabihin na you are putting Ellen’s blog at risk and those of her readers’ by visiting Tribune then coming here.
Actually, medyo magulo lang ang pagkaka-organize ko ng comment at yun ay patungkol kay Cong. Lagman, hindi sa iyo. Napanood ko kasi yung interview ni Karen Davila kay Lagman.
Kilala kita bilang anti-Gloria. At anti-Noynoy, Tribune na Tribune talaga.
Hi, Tongue-twisted,
Oooops! No problem. Double peace and double cheers!
All the best
narinig na natin ang tunay na kalagayan ng ating bayan (he true state of our nation)..let us all help and SOON NA! ang sabi nga sa kanta..”beguine the beguine”!