Aquino’s first SONA goes direct to the point
MANILA – Declaring “we can dream again,” President Benigno Aquino III Monday outlined a program to forge public-private partnerships to raise revenues for a nation strapped for cash because of inefficiency and corruption under the Arroyo administration.
In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in a straight-to-the-point manner, Mr. Aquino denounced the “revolting” manner that the public coffers were squandered under the Arroyo administration and said that “change can come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and profligacy.”
“If we remain firm in our belief that God is on our side, is there anything impossible for us to achieve?” he said.
“The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again.”
Speaking for 35 minutes in Filipino, Mr. Aquino announced he would sign a “first ever executive order” on the formation of a truth commission that would investigate wrongdoing in the past nine years.
“If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and creative approach to our long-standing problems,” he said, according to an official English translation of the SONA. “I am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.”
The nationally televised address by the 50-year-old bachelor, who won a 5 million plurality in the May 10 elections, was interrupted 29 times by applause in the packed opening session of the 15th Congress.
Mr. Aquino said that with a budget deficit of P196.7 billion, funds would be insufficient to meet needs in education, infrastructure, health and security.
Public-private partnerships
Mr. Aquino said the solution was in public-private partnerships and shortening the paper work down to six months.
“Although no contract has been signed yet, I can say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes,” he said.
Interest has been expressed for an expressway from Manila to Cagayan under a build-operate-transfer scheme at no cost to the government.
But Mr. Aquino gave no specifics, objectives or timetables for his planned economic projects.
The President skipped any reference at all to the controversial issue of agrarian reform and what he intended to do with his family’s Hacienda Luisita. Agrarian reform is the centerpiece of social justice and a key factor fueling a decades-old communist insurgency.
Peace talks
Mr. Aquino vowed to open peace talks with the National Democratic Front, Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People’s Army, and said he was open to an immediate ceasefire.
“It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the smell of gun powder still hangs in the air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind our common aspiration for peace,” Mr. Aquino said.
“Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the crossfire persists.”
Mr. Aquino also said that he was hopeful that peace talks could resume with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main separatist force in Mindanao.
He claimed that under his three-week watch, six extrajudicial killings had occurred, but that three of them were now on the way to being resolved for a good 50-percent performance record.
“We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved.”
There was also no reference at all in the SONA to foreign policy initiatives for an administration that was likely to confront claims from its neighbors to disputed islands in the South China Sea and significant initiatives in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Upbeat on investments
The President was upbeat in his approach to the economy. He said that “many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.”
He said that investors had proposed to rent the Philippine Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
“Immediately, we will be given $100 million. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent,” Mr. Aquino said.
He said that from public-private partnerships, the economy would grow, construct tourism infrastructure and improve agriculture and possibly be a supplier to the global market.
“Creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will come from the growth of our industries,” he said.
This will come, he added, if processes are streamlined to make them predictable, reliable and efficient for those who want to invest, the President said.
Streamlining processes
“We make sure that the build-operate-transfer projects will undergo quick and efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now take six months,” Mr. Aquino said.
He also promised to expand the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) coverage and implement the national household targeting system that would identify the families that most urgently need assistance.
He said that an estimated P9 billion was needed to provide the needs of 5 million destitute Filipinos.
Zero-based budget
To put a stop to the wasteful use of funds, the government would eradicate “wrong projects” and adopt a “zero-based” approach to crafting the national budget, the President said.
“What used to be the norm was every year, the budget merely gets reenacted without plugging the holes,” he said. “Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and gives much attention on the right solution.” (inquirer.net)
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