State of the Nation 2006

The Future Is So Bright


I listened to GMA’s SONA without expectations and much interest. I barely remember her previous SONAs, except for the fabulous gowns, the defensive demeanor, and her charms wearing thin. This time, however, I had to smile.

In a trainer’s perspective, the President did rather well. She kept the speech interesting, using clear and comprehensible language and effective visuals. Her gown, again, looked fantastic. Her confident smile reached from ear to ear.

And why not? She claims to have the resources to implement the projects she enumerated in her speech. She had the firm support of the military and local government officials so crucial to her success.

When she began her speech with a roll call of thank yous, she exhibited the grace of a powerful woman who understands the true meaning of teamwork. She is willing to credit the elected and the appointed, not only for their efficient cooperation but also for their effective initiatives.

When she emphasized the need to focus the country’s resources on regional development by building up SUPER-REGIONS, I almost gave her a standing ovation myself. She laid out plans for long-term success through ecotourism, agri-business, infrastructure and vast improvements in transportation and ICT.

I was all smiles after GMA’s speech. I was looking forward to doing what I can to support her.


I Gotta Wear Shades

I couldn’t help, though, but listen to commentaries about her speech. Some critics sounded like sore losers, while some expressed valid concerns.

Some politicians immediately criticized her roll call of who’s who in pinoy politics, her crash course on Philippine geography, and her use of human props in the person of the everest climbers, the miss world beauty titlist and the ultimate pinoy champion, many pacquiao. They sounded to me like trapos who had such sour (or should I say bitter?) tastes in their mouths.

The concern that I did find real and valid came from Atty. Dong Puno when he expressed his pessimism with the success of her mega-projects as far as funding is concerned. The President could simply insist that “we now have the funds” but, likewise, she could easily enumerate excuses at the end of the day. Yes, she seems sincere enough and determined enough to work hard and do her best. But is that enough? Can she be trusted?


The End Does Not Justify the Means

Later that week, I was in a heated battle with an officemate who said her praises to GMA. When another officemate insisted that a cheating president is not a president worthy of any trust, the GMA fan replied that it shouldn’t matter anymore that she cheated considering her job-well-done.

Of course, I had to join that debate. Disclaiming that I likewise admired her speech, I also explained that I am not for a leader who justifies a successful job only by its final merits. GMA’s overall success is yet to be seen, considering that this SONA consisted mostly of promises begging to be officially funded. For now, we can only judge her by her means to that success.

When the GMA fan compared the “great” president to our “unfair” boss, I enumerated to her the similarities in their Machiavellian leadership. They both take pride in successful endings, without much care how they got there. They took pride in their efforts to work terribly hard but displayed fake attempts to build relationships. They’re also both, uhm, vertically challenged women who held their husbands by the neck. The GMA fan was stunned. Perhaps she had something to think about now.

What I failed to mention to her, however, was that I understand the need to at least support GMA because, indeed, she had great plans for the country. And if I may say so, I have the opportunity to do my part in my office’s efforts to contribute to the business of tourism by conducting ecotourism trainings for DENR staff supervising protected areas in the country.

There is hope for the Filipino people -- at least for now. GMA still has much to prove and there is much work to be done. Hopefully, those who watch her with critical eyes would also do their part.



****************
Links:
Complete SONA Technical Report and Executive Summary
Sen. Edgardo Angara's opinion on GMA's 2006 SONA at Manila Bulletin Online
A rare criticism from administration Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago