‘Noy’s SONA sincere’

MANILA, Philippines - Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Antonio Trillanes IV found sincerity in President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.

Prior to the SONA, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Aquino must start working on the future as he spends his last two years in office. 

“The future, not the past,” he said.

In the SONA, Aquino paraphrased his father, Sen. Benigno Jr.’s statement that “Filipinos are worth dying for.” 

Angara said he saw in Aquino the desire to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). 

“The fact that he sought supplemental budget for DAP-funded projects, he is acknowledging the decision of the Supreme Court regarding its ruling on the DAP,” he said.

However, Angara said he would have wanted to hear about how the administration would address the energy crisis.

“I would have wanted to hear more about the concrete solutions of the administration in addressing the looming energy crisis. But otherwise, it was a direct-to-the-point and sincere speech,” he said.

Angara cheered Aquino over the good news on jobs and scholarship programs.

Trillanes said Aquino’s speech was very moving and gave a powerful message.

“I think many would go along with his tuwid na daan,” he said. “The President also made clear his goals to continue working for the good of the people as his term ends in 2016.””

Trillanes said he respects Aquino’s views, although the two of them might differ on the K-12 program. Aquino showed that he is “just human” amid   adversities in his political leadership faced with threats of impeachment, he added. 

Tesda training cited

Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo acknowledged the administration’s gains in retooling tens of thousands of young Filipinos through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“We have to keep on investing incremental funds to arm high school graduates as well as college undergraduates with the skills that will guarantee them gainful employment in labor-intensive industries,” he said.

Romulo is House committee on higher and technical education chairman.           

Early in his 5th SONA, Aquino presented a video showing the success stories of two TESDA scholars who were able to obtain jobs in the automotive and business process outsourcing sectors.            

“It was also reassuring to hear the President report that the public school system’s basic resource shortages are now being addressed ahead of the initial operation of the K to 12 program by 2016,” Romulo said.            

On the country’s critically low electricity reserves, Romulo welcomed the President’s directive for Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla to promptly conduct consultations with the Joint Congressional Power Commission, the Energy Regulatory Board, industry players and consumers, in order to find ways to avert a menacing power crisis by the summer of 2015.

“This early, we have to assure both foreign and local investors that no effort is being spared to ensure the country’s short-term as well as long-term power requirements,” Romulo pointed out.            

Meanwhile, Romulo lauded the President’s push for the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project, which will help ease flooding in Metro Manila through the installation of a 15-meter high embankment.  

In Zamboanga City, Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar expressed gratitude to Aquino for affirming assistance on the rehabilitation of a district devastated in last year’s siege.

“We are not forgotten,” she said, citing the Z3R (Zamboanga Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction) plan. “On this holy day of the Eid’l  Fitr this would be a blessing to all families suffering as consequence of the siege.” – With Roel Pareño, Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Louella Desiderio, Cecille Suerte Felipe