The opening of the 15th Congress was characterized by flashy and grandiose preparations by the staff of the House of Representatives. The HOR was said to have allotted P200 million pesos for the renovation of the Congress alone. Even representatives prepared for this event as if they will be attending an awards night – female representatives were clad in their usual expensive gowns, males wore barongs and tuxedos that cost thousands of pesos. All these were sheer contrast to the glaring reality of crises confronting the country. In the midst of the unabated prices of oil, skyrocketing price of rice, the people’s demand for increase in salaries and wages, and the continued discontent of the people, what is SONA really for?
Days before SONA, the broad coalition of anti-GMA forces promised to counter GMA’s SONA by holding their own “People’s SONA”, a congregation of leftist groups— workers, peasants, government workers, health professionals, youth and students, church groups, and civil society groups. This event was meant to counter the lies and flowery speech of the President. A twenty meter effigy patterned after the capsized MV Princess of the Stars was used to illustrate the sinking popularity of GMA.
On that day, protesters were the earliest to greet the day with the different sectors of the society expecting a plenty of lies that will once again be spoken by this anti-people President.
It was very important to listen to what Gloria would say as a handful of very serious problems confront the country. Unemployment rate is at its highest in the history of the Philippines, which was recorded at 11.9%. Rice is fast becoming a priced commodity. From last year’s P25/kilo of rice, it soared to P39/kilo. Prices of oil continue to increase. It has increased 19 times already despite the .50 cents rollback before SONA and P1.50 after SONA. Some transport groups continuously demand for fare hike in the midst of incessant rise in diesel and oil, further adding to the already unbearable load being passed on to commuters. In the meantime, some transport groups legitimately demand that Value Added Tax imposed on oil be scrapped.
The President defended the imposition of VAT. Even her Cabinet members are in unison in defending the culprit of high prices of oil and basic commodities. GMA stressed that VAT is for the people. Its revenue will benefit the people. The President ordered that a P500-peso subsidy be distributed to deserving poor Filipinos. But even the Department of Social Welfare and Development issued a statement stating that the subsidy alone cannot lessen the already sorry state of the Filipinos. In fact, from the P80 billion expected revenue from oil in VAT, only 10% actually goes to the people. While it may be true that all sectors of the society are being affected by high prices, small consumers are still the most that will be affected.
To further add the burden, the President pushes for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law that has many loop-holes in-favor of landlords. Political-killings was not even address on her speech, culprit still at large. On the other hand, the GMA-anticipated cut on the price of text turned out to be just a promo.
No amount of publicity can salvage the President’s sinking ship. If Joey Salceda, one of the President’s economic advisers, gave the President a passing score of 8 out of 10, despite his own admission that GMA failed to meet last SONA’s ten-point agenda. The basis should still be – was the President true to her promise of food in every table, more jobs for the Filipinos, better life promised by revenues collected from VAT? Remember last year’s SONA. The President painted a picture of a better life for Filipinos. Super Regions, Farm-to-market roads. All these she said, would pave the way to the Philippine’s journey to becoming a “first world country” by 2010. The real condition of the country can be determined by people’s economic condition and discontent. History will judge this regime.
