Amid the unsettled question of political legitimacy and continuing threats from the Left and the Right, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivered a glorious State of the Nation Address (SONA) on a stormy Monday afternoon last July 24 at the Batasang Pambansa plenary hall in Quezon City. The President delivered her sixth annual report to the nation at the opening of the third regular session of the 13th Philippine Congress.

President Arroyo’s triumphal speech lasted 62 minutes and received 166 rounds of applause. It was a fitting response to the nationally televised report which focused more on the President’s vision for the remaining three years and 11 months of her term in office than an accounting of the achievements of her administration in 2005.

FEDERALISM AND CHARTER CHANGE

Much of the attention has been drawn to plans of clustering provinces into super regions since “the major economic regions of the country are more than the sum of its parts.” Northern Luzon will become the Agribusiness Quadrangle, Metro Luzon Beltway to be the financial center, Mindanao the food bowl in the South, Central Philippines the tourism magnet and the Cyber Corridor for information technology. Massive infrastructure support projects will rise to focus the energies of the national government and its local allies towards this direction.

President Arroyo also took an openly proactive stance on the issue of Charter change. She said, “The most prohibitive red tape is in our outmoded Constitution.” She elaborated that funds are now available for constitutional and electoral changes directed at devolving the existing slow system of governance that stifles growth and development at the grassroots level.

These two pronouncements cover the essential elements of the entwined initiatives of federalism and Charter change. The super regions will be constituted from the federated provinces or “states” under a federal republic. Revising the Constitution will facilitate the shift from the present presidential set-up where Imperial Metro Manila is the de facto center of power to presumably a parliamentary regime that grants expanded autonomy to the local government units in the countryside and allows greater participation of their constituency on their own internal affairs.

PWEDE BANG BUMATI?

Throughout her SONA, the President commended specific personalities for their contributions in building a world-class image for the country. She commended Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia for constructing an international convention center, Metro Cebu mayors for concerted efforts in reducing corruption and increasing revenues, and Cardinal Vidal for his able shepherding of his flock.

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was cited for his sporting triumphs while Ms. International 2005 Lara Precious Quigaman and the Filipino mountaineers who conquered Mt. Everest were hailed for their singular achievements. The President even praised a former MNLF commander for returning to the fold of the law and an Armed Forces officer, accused of summary executions by human rights groups, for holding his ground and not giving up “until the communities in the long night of terror emerge into the light of law and freedom.”

On the delivery of social services, President Arroyo would rather speak of availability of resources to respond to needs of the swelling ranks of the impoverished and unemployed. She must have been buoyed by reports of an increase in Gross National Product, exports and foreign investment over the same period the previous year. National employment rate stood at almost 92 percent in April this year.

She said, “Finally, we now have the funds not only to pay interest but to spend for education, better roads and bridges, providing good health services, and create more jobs in the country.” Funds are also ready to be allocated in the fight against terrorism and in stamping out graft and corruption.

Classes were suspended in Metro Manila on the day of the SONA. That afternoon, anti-GMA protestors gathered along the barricades put up by the police almost a kilometer away from the venue of the President’s SONA. Typhoon Glenda must have drenched the enthusiasm of most of an estimated 40,000 rallyists expected to join the people’s assembly on the street. The militant crowd that showed up was visibly a lot less than the 16,000 police and military personnel that beefed up the internal security force of the House of Representatives.

IMEE: 'DREAM PROGRAM A NIGHTMARE'

The guests who turned up at the Presidential SONA have been described as dressed for a gala performance. High-ranking military officers came in full uniform decked with medals. The men wore either barong tagalogs or suits and the women were in traditional gowns. Missing were representatives of the poor and disenfranchised who witnessed and even participated in previous SONA from the gallery.

The official opposition including members of the Senate and the minority in the House was one in asking where the money to finance the President’s vision would come from. Some estimates place the funding requirements for the President’s grand vision to be about half a trillion pesos in three years. Later reports said the government would enlist the cooperation of the private sector to get the grand plans going.

Ilocos Norte Congresswoman Imee Marcos-Manotoc commented in jest that the President’s three-year dream program might turn into a nightmare for provinces out of favor in the present dispensation. Seriously, she questioned the need for new air and sea ports for the super regions when existing infrastructure such as the Laoag International Airport which drew tourists and foreign investors until it lapsed into disuse due to deteriorating facilities and services. Ms. Marcos argued that a small percent of the megabucks for new projects would restore once internationally known facilities to their former world-class glories.

The national employment figure was scored as misleading. The 750,000 new jobs created in 2005 was not enough for one million new entrants to the labor force. Furthermore, most of the jobs created were filled by unpaid family workers and self-employed in the underground economy.

In her SONA, President Arroyo showed her people a vision worth pursuing for the sake of the coming generation. It’s now time to face up to the hard reality.