State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Last year, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gave her state of the nation address which is summarized below.

The president started her speech with an introduction which stated the reason for the gathering and urged the members of the congress to serve unselfishly, and lead undauntedly. She also mentioned about governing with wisdom, compassion, vision and patriotism.

She bragged what she had achieved like tax reforms and physical and human infrastructure.

According to her, investments in physical, intellectual, legal and security infrastructure increase business confidence which could result to millions of employment opportunities.

She also mentioned about investments in a stronger and wider social safety net in health, housing and education.

She also espoused bringing peace to Mindanao, crushing terrorism, and paying tribute to the fearless fourteen who were savagely massacred at Tipo-Tipo.

She created a Philippine model for reconciliation built on inter-faith dialogue, expanded public works and more responsive social services.

She also unveiled the so called “Super Regions” namely; Mindanao, Central Philippines, North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, Luzon Urban Beltway, and Cyber Corridor intended to spread development away from an inequitable concentration in Metro Manila.

In these super regions great reforms would take place. She mentioned about agribusiness investments, mariculture , farm to market roads,better airports, new bridges, housing, tourism, and ample energy.

She mentioned about electrification, irrigation, and rehabilitation and protection of the environment. She also boasted of more sky ways, and flood controls.

In education she talked about centers for learning and technology, ladderized education program, and improved quality of education through quality textbooks and teachers.

She also urges the congress for creation of laws to protect witnesses from lawbreakers and law enforcers, laws to guarantee swift justice from more empowered special courts, laws to impose harsher penalties for political killings, and laws reserving the harshest penalties for the rogue elements in the uniformed services who betray public trust and bring shame to the greater number of their colleagues who are patriotic.

She also expressed her plans on hunger and poverty alleviation. She talked about election reforms such as computerization, and modernizing voting, counting and canvassing

She vehemently expressed antagonism against corruption.

She ended her speech with, as how I look at it,a threat.

“I stand in the way of no one’s ambition. I only ask that no one stand in the way of the people’s well being and the nation’s progress.

Make no mistake. I will not stand idly when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision.”