SONA: Trapik, Rally, atbp

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is the President's self declared report card.  This is where he provides the people of what the government has done specific to the political, social, and financial platform of his presidency.  However, in so far as the past SONA's (not only that of PNoy's) have gone, it only gave me artificial hope as to the TRUE state of the nation is.  I guess giving hope (where there seem to be none) is part of the president's job description.  No one said it would be an easy job.   


Personally, I don't care anymore.  I let the critics sift through the ridiculous numbers and the idealistic tasks.  What I'm concern more of is how to get to work without being late and then sleep off the traffic going back home.  


The SONA will not be complete without the rallies by the militant groups.  Actually, without them, there would be no need for traffic enforcers to block off the other half of Commonwealth Avenue.  As the cliche goes, "You can't please everyone."  Another part of the presidential package.  


It's the day after the SONA and all the news broadcast is getting on their own take about the 1 1/2 hour speech.  What did he say?  What he should have said?  What he did not say?  Where did he get those figures?  The discussion goes on and on and on!  Would you believe the event is also treated like a red carpet event?!  Parang awards night na meron pang Best Dressed!  


Oh well, that's Philippine politics for you!  

Painting the Future Bright

Benigno Aquino III's state of the nation address last July 26 pictured a country mired by so much corruption. Many people listened and sat aghast at the unscrupulous practices of various government agencies and the luxurious lifestyles of government officials. It was despicable at the least! Many would have thought our country to be doomed towards a destiny of "the favored few" and I don't blame them. But in despite of this I still believe that we can still rise up to becoming a financially competitive nation.

One of the rule of whitewater rafting is, "when you fall overboard, you need to be an active participant in your own rescue". Pnoy cannot weed out corruption on his own. That's a fact. Don't blame him if after his term corruption is still in place.

In order for our country to come out of the shadows of corruption each and every Filipino should start practicing integrity in all our transactions: take that traffic ticket, fall in line, buy that concert ticket from a certfied ticket seller. The problem is that we are fond of the "areglo" and "lagay" system. The thing is, we let our children bear witness to this and impressionable that they are---they imbibe this practice as part of the normal day-to-day transaction. Now these children are our future lawyers, police officers, bankers, government officials, president of the republic---so what do we expect our future to be?

As the Bible would say, "as you sow, so you shall reap". Let us sow goodness in our daily life and reap a bright future.