Noy speech straight from the heart – Binay

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino “spoke from the heart” in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday.

“I commend him for his candor and sincerity,” Binay said.

Binay earned special mention in the SONA with Aquino recalling how they fought coup plotters in 1987 when his mother Corazon was president.

Binay said as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the housing sector has contributed in pushing forward the administration’s social agenda by providing decent homes for  Filipinos, especially those who used to live in danger zones, victims of calamities and our uniformed personnel.

“As part of the Cabinet’s human development and social protection cluster, the housing sector supports the President’s program to deliver beneficial services to the most needy among our people,” he said.

Binay said this is one of the bright spots of the country’s onward march toward inclusive growth and sustainable economic development.

He said key programs and reforms introduced by the President should be continued beyond his term.

“Congressional approval of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill advances the reform agenda, as it further institutionalizes the principles of accountability and transparency in government. These are core reform principles that I fully support,” Binay said.

Binay said that at the end of the day, the Filipino people would ask for no less than a government that is transparent and responsive to their needs and leaders who advance the people’s interests, place the nation above self, ready for the job and ensure that economic growth benefits all Filipinos.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. believes that President Aquino might have scored substantial points in his emotional SONA, since unofficial online polls the Palace conducted readily showed that the tide may have been in the Chief Executive’s favor.

Coloma belied speculations the speech was scripted, informing Palace reporters it was in fact “spontaneous,” especially in the closing part of the speech, where he mentioned his parents.

“Based on our initial tracking of online sentiments, as well as a monitoring of public commentary on broadcast channels, it is evident that those who agree with what he said in the SONA outnumber those who disagree by a ratio of two to one,” Coloma disclosed.

Likewise, Coloma disagreed with observations “that a display of emotion shows weakness on the part of a leader.”

“There is now a widely-accepted concept of emotional intelligence (EI),” he said.

Coloma said the President’s basic objectives in the SONA were to enable the people to understand the full range of important challenges facing the country and provide the essential elements that make it imperative for Filipinos to close ranks and unite to achieve their shared goals for a better future.

“It is clear, therefore, that all other speculations (health issues, coup rumors, reaction to impeachment complaints, “thinking of resigning”) are tangential and miss the essential point,” said Coloma.

He said businessmen’s concerns were tackled in the SONA, contrary to perceptions that the speech did not touch on the Bureau of Customs’ problems and power supply.

Coloma said the President delved on the wide and deep reforms in the BOC and the increase in its collection as the primary agency fighting against smuggling.

Aquino had also directed Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla to consult with all important stakeholders, including the Energy Regulatory Commission, the Joint Congressional Power Commission, the industry players and civil society organizations to find ways to ensure steady supply of power.

He also mentioned about the National Economic and Development Authority board’s approval of the Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon, fixing of the Angat Dam and improving different services in different water districts in the country.

With regards to food security, the President explained in his speech the reason why importation of additional quantities of rice has been decided upon by the National Food Authority Council.

“As decided upon by the economic cluster, the new focus in agriculture is to enhance sector productivity by focusing on other high-value and high-yielding crops while maintaining current levels of efforts to further increase productivity in rice growing,” Coloma said.

Jinggoy, Bong on SONA

Detained Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, who are facing plunder charges in connection with the pork barrel scam, have nothing bad to say about the SONA.

“While there were a lot of important issues that were not mentioned and addressed in the SONA, I feel this was his most decent,” Revilla said.

He said Aquino had focused on the programs and projects instead of flexing his muscles, politicking and making snide remarks.

Revilla said that the President would have made more significant gains in addressing the needs of the people if he took on this kind of attitude when he first assumed office in 2010.

“He could’ve done a lot more,” Revilla said.

Estrada said that the President finally came out with a SONA by enumerating the accomplishments his administration has recorded over the past four years.

“Though the past year of the administration has been rocked by numerous controversies, calamities and early politicking, we must give credit to the Aquino government for steering the Philippine economy into becoming one of the region’s most resilient and robust,” Estrada said.

“I join the people in wishing our President to succeed and to realize his promises to the people, especially during the remaining two years of his term,” he added.

If there was anything that Estrada was hoping to hear from the President in his SONA, it was a little recognition of the overseas Filipino workers for their contribution to the economy year after year.

Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad’s yesterday said that while he was pleased with the plans President Aquino has for the victims of calamities, the Filipinos are reportedly still waiting for his promises to be fulfilled.

“His SONA is good. He has plans for the victims of Zamboanga siege, earthquake victims of Bohol, Yolanda victims of Leyte, Samar and Northern Cebu. But we need results and not just plans. More Filipinos are in agony waiting for that promise,” said Jumoad.

He also noticed that President Aquino did not make any “shame attack” against any poor performing government agency.

“However, his warning to critics as enemies of progress is unhealthy in democracy. That is his problem, when he attacks it is okay but if he is criticized, he calls his critics as enemies of progress,” Jumoad added.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., who was mentioned by Aquino in the SONA, said he was surprised that even though he is part of the opposition, the President had acknowledged his support for Malacañang’s programs.

Aquino mentioned in the SONA that he had worked with Marañon, who had efficiently managed Negros.

“I am deeply humbled and surprised that the President mentioned that,” said Marañon. – With Delon Porcalla, Aurea Calica, Marvin Sy, Evelyn Macairan, Danny Dangcalan