The Philippine Online Chronicles

How refreshing, a  State of the Nation Address (SONA) that isn't self-congratulatory. I suppose this can be expected, given that this is President Noynoy Aquino's first. He doesn’t have a laundry list of accomplishments to trumpet. Instead he has a laundry list of things the previous administration did wrong. It is always good to juxtapose his administration from the last one. That is a gift that will keep on giving. He reminds us of the horrors of the Arroyo reign, and anything compared to that can only be good. Of course he makes special mention of Pampanga, just to remind us in case we’ve forgotten.

As with his inaugural speech, PNoy makes it clear he takes his job seriously and he considers it a responsibility and a burden. He reiterates his message of good governance and anti-corruption. His use of the metaphor "tuwid na daan" versus "baluktot na daan" is simple and easy to grasp. After GMA's reign, these reassurances are a soothing balm to a festering wound.

Like GMA, Aquino mentions figures. He says majority of the P1.54 trillion budget for 2010 has already been used. He says there is very little left in the calamity fund. This may well be true, but in a way it also eases the pressure from government by reducing people’s expectations. PNoy is counting on Filipinos to be patient and to be forgiving.

The speech has a balance of populist elements as well as things the business sector might want to hear. His mention of the ludicrous bonuses enjoyed by the MWSS’ Board of Trustees earns him cheer from those in the metro who made do without water for weeks. Then he mentions the DPWH. This is not an accident as infrastructure has been (and probably always will be) a great source of corruption. Then he mentions other important bodies regulating services such as NAPOCOR, the MRT system and NFA. The message is clear and on point – government under the Arroyo administration has been phenomenal at rent-seeking if not outright stealing. PNoy’s promise is that this will no longer be the case. It isn’t an ambitious message, but it echoes his election campaign. At this point, maybe a clean government is all the People expect really.

I’d like to call him a fiscal conservative, his messages in the past seems to confirm this view on public finance. The same is probably true about his personal life as well. PNoy takes pride in being “matipid.” If being a fiscal conservative plugs the hole on “leaks”, well and good. But if he scrimps on social services – then we can be critical. Late last year he kept mentioning the budget allocation when asked about the reproductive health bill. A delicious tidbit is his potshot at a certain pawnshop owner who hasn’t been paying his taxes. In keeping with the message of plugging leaks, PNoy wants to make sure government is paid what it is due. As prompt direct and indirect taxpayers – all of us should be happy. He also made sure to mention smugglers. For years there have been rumors about certain individuals who are politicos-by-day but are also smugglers-by-night.

In the economic front, he says private-public partnerships offers solutions. I am a wary about this. Remember Manila’s water industry is a public-private partnership. Privatization is supposed to guarantee efficiency but look what happened to that. If government plays the role of regulator, then perhaps a disaster like Manila’s water crisis can be avoided. I have not been hearing these messages from the Aquino administration however. In my initial assessment of his economic platform I also made note of this. I hope he remembers he is an economic liberal – not a neoliberal. There is a difference.

His answer to agricultural woes seems to be modernization. This idea is not new. There have been plans of modernization for decades. But the Department of Agriculture can be as corrupt as DPWH. If he thinks we can export to world markets - that is an ambition worth striving for. However I do not think it can be done in a single term. It worries me when he says food security can be achieved "with the help of the private sector." If it is big business, what does he propose to do with small farmers? Is big corporate farming his solution to food insecurity? These are worrying questions.

A true liberal, PNoy wants to make it easier for people to engage in business. This is a good thing. If government can assure a true “leveling of the playing field,” well and good. If businesses truly flourish according to merit – that is, those that provide the absolute best in goods and services at the lowest price – well and good. We need world-class entrepreneurs, not entrepreneurs who stay in the game just because they have the protection of people in public office. Which is why “Kamag-anak Inc.” is such an important concept. If PNoy aims to deliver on the role of government as leveler of the business playing field, he may have to alienate people close to him. Conflict of interests? Going against the interest of his own class? Can he do it for progress? Can he do it for the economic good?

His only concession to social spending in this SONA is education and health. It must be said however that the PhilHealth system only benefits the middle class – taxpayers. What about those who work in the informal economy - the vast majority of the laboring class? Many people on Twitter have mentioned the glaring omission of the reproductive health bill and land reform. On RH I am willing to give PNoy the benefit of the doubt. If the bill makes it in the lower house, then I have little doubt he won’t veto it. Speaker Belmonte’s Quezon City made RH services available at the height of the Church’s campaign a couple of years ago.

On land reform, well, he will sound like a hypocrite won’t he? But some sort of reform has to be introduced, and here he is smart to mention the National Land Use bill. This means our century-old land codification will be made up-to-date. Hopefully it also means we can finally institute a land code – making rules clear about land ownership and use. The key to a capitalist transition is unlocking productivity of land. If we don’t sell it all to foreigners who want to cash in on biofuels or who simply want to plant food for their own populations, the National Land Use bill will be extremely useful.

In line with the Liberal Party’s vision, PNoy wants to champion the entrepreneurial class. If this creates Filipino entrepreneurs in the caliber of Bill Gates, instead of, ahem, people like those who provide water to the eastern part of Manila, then I am all for this. But, dear President Noynoy, the logic of capitalism tends to monopolies, is this why you mention the Anti-Trust law?

In the security front, PNoy wants negotiations with rebel elements. For decades past administrations have been trying to do this. My solution is this – make people rich. Have them be able to eat thrice a day, send their kids to school, own a house. Problem solved. Because I seriously doubt any more of those nice people around are truly fighting for ideology. I rather doubt they know what the ideology entails exactly. But hunger makes a convert of any church that promises salvation.

Unlike GMA's pat-on-the-back speeches, this SONA sounds like a report to the people. At least it is framed this way. It sounds like it was meant to address the nation, not just those in power as GMA’s reports were wont to do. It was delivered in Filipino like most of the inaugural address. He sounds most authentic when he speaks in the vernacular. He should continue thus.

In conclusion, this SONA is exponentially better than any of the past SONAs. Mainly because it is not GMA reading the teleprompter. I look forward to hearing more from the President. You asked for intelligent discourse of public issues, the ball is always in your court.

Photo by Peter Baltazar of Creativoices.net. Some Rights Reserved.