Gwen on SONA: Performance, not speech, matters most

CEBU, Philippines – While everyone has been pitching in his thoughts on President Benigno Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA), Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia prefers not to comment.

"There are enough comments already. In the end what would really matter to our country and to our countrymen is how President Aquino will perform as our president," said Garcia.

The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), for its part, submitted to the President an agenda outlining demands for changes in the debt and public finance policy, the power industry, the water sector, and government's responses to climate crisis.

In a press statement, the FDC said they sent their demands amid a looming fiscal crisis because of a record-breaking deficit and empty public coffers left by the Arroyo administration, electricity prices soaring past major Asian cities and other pressing concerns.

"We believe that the Aquino administration should stop Arroyo's practice of using band-aid solutions to the country's chronic problems. A business-as-usual approach will only delay the inevitable descent of the economy to oblivion, but it will not change its course," the FDC said in a statement.

The FDC hopes that their suggestions would be included in the government's medium term development plan for 2011 to 2016.

For Gov. Garcia, she said she can empathize with Aquino in having to deliver such an important speech, as she also has to deliver her own state of the province address (Sopa) for Cebu Province.

It is always easy to comment or praise and criticize but for her, what is most important for all the people is their performance as public officials.

Meanwhile, Garcia expressed pride as Cebuano and as family member after her father, Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, second district) was elected Deputy House Speaker for the Visayas. Her younger brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third district) was also elected chairman of the House committee on public order and security.

Former senator John "Sonny" Osmeña was earlier reported as complaining why the two Garcias were given high positions while his cousin, former Cebu City mayor and now Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, is only vice chairman of the appropriations committee when he was campaigning hard for Aquino.

"The thing is, you just do not get any position, especially a major position, like that. That is agreed upon by your peers or your colleagues in Congress which, you like it or not, is an assembly of the best and the brightest of the land and therefore, it is a recognition of my father's and my brother's capability and ability," said Gov. Garcia.

She said the chairmanship was earned through respect, for one cannot buy a chairmanship or the position of deputy speaker.

"I am talking about the pride that gives the Cebuanos, where the entire house of congress has chosen to recognize the capabilities of two Garcias who came from Cebu. Secondary na nang ako nang amahan ug ako sad nang igsuon," said Garcia. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/Jessan Guillemer/JPM (THE FREEMAN)