Good luck Mr. President!

It’s another SONA day! Will we get a clear picture of the state of the nation this time? Or is it going to be the same old SONA we’ve heard in the past four years, vindictive, full of accusations, big dreams and big promises? Nothin’ much has changed to the naked eye, Mr. President, what’s happening?

I bet you P-Noy will make a run down of his “in good faith” list of DAP projects.  He will highlight how the DAP did the country good.  How his brilliant idea of the DAP has given our less fortunate brothers a new lease in life. And how the magical DAP has turned the country into a better society.  So, help us God!

Of course he will never bow down to the rule of law and will continue ranting about the SC’s ruling on the DAP. But more than this DAP issue, the President needs to do a reality check. He has been too cooped up in his office that he seems to be no longer in touch with what is happening on the ground. Perhaps it is high time he experiences the life of an ordinary citizen as he goes through the everyday ordeal of heavy traffic, expensive commodities, escalating crime, poor health service, housing problems, etc.

I thought that it is the moral duty of a President to ensure that the basic needs of the citizens are met. That is the first thing he should have accomplished.

When P-Noy took his oath of office on June 30, 2010, he told the Filipino people: Kayo ang boss ko. We are here to serve and not to lord over you. The mandate given to me was one of change. I accept your marching orders to transform our government from one that is self-serving to one that works for the welfare of the nation. If indeed we are his boss, how come he refuses to heed our cry to fire his incompetent Cabinet members?

Four years have passed, and despite P-Noy’s unwavering determination to lead the nation towards the straight path, the progress that he has been boasting of has not actually trickled down to the marginalized society. The basic needs of the citizens such as food, shelter, clothing, education, health service, etc. have not been met. Up to this time, the so-called improved government services, reforms in the education system and uplifting the lives of those below poverty line remain elusive to many.

The Commission on Population (PopCom) reported last week that shortly after midnight last Sunday, the country’s population will hit 100 million. This count is based on the linear analysis of the mid-year population estimates of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III said that this could be a “benchmark” for development. This means that all our development goals will use this number as the denominator of development activities for education, health and other services. He added that people and not only infrastructure should be at the center of growth and development.

Perez emphasized the need to address the “high dependency ratio” of the non-working population on workers to cope with the soaring population. Right now, the ratio is 65 percent working, while 30 to 35 percent are dependents. This, according to him is not a good ratio. PopCom said that there should be at least one dependent for every two people who are working.

Given these figures, it is no wonder then that poverty remains a big problem in the country. A family of four with only one member working with minimum wage will surely have difficulty coping and making both ends meet much more pay for basic needs -— food, shelter, and clothing. What about the education and health of the children? Our public education and public health is actually not free at all.

On health care: Five out of six government hospitals in Manila are now charging patients. Only indigent patients and holders of Orange Cards are exempted from paying fees. The DOH has approved Manila’s initiative saying that such steps are necessary to improve healthcare around the country. Fees collected from patients will go into the rehabilitation of hospital facilities, including the replacement of hospital beds and insect extermination. Dr. Ernesto Acosta, director of Ospital ng Maynila said that if they don’t get funding or get reduced funding, the services will suffer.

Government hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have gone beyond its total bed capacity. You can see patients along the hospital corridors, some without even a decent bed to lie on. 

Whatever happened to the proposed P56.8 billion budget for DOH in 2013? I wonder how much of the approved budget went to the maintenance and upkeep of government hospitals.  By now, the present administration should have looked into the budget execution, monitoring systems and accountability structures to meet the standards of medical care, sanitation and comfort for patients.

On Food: In the proposed 2013 budget P74.1 billion was allocated for the Department of Agriculture. Today, the DA is faced with problems left and right. The appointment of Sec. Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization, and with Cabinet rank at that, says it all. The DA is surely in deep water. I hope these issues will be resolved soon before hunger strikes us.

On Cost of Commodities: What is happening to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)? Price control can’t seem to see the end of the tunnel. By the way, has any of the DTI staff or sanitation inspectors been to the major markets in the city and seen how dirty and smelly they are? What happened to those days of “Mr. Palengke?” In other Asian countries, after market hours, you see people cleaning the stalls and washing the floors before packing up for the day. Is this difficult to do? This extra time may save lives one day.

On Transportation: The long line of commuters at the MRT station in North EDSA is a glaring example of how inefficient our transport system is. Added to this is the traffic problem getting worse everyday.  And when it rains – gridlock! Sanamagan!

On Education: What is happening with the K-12 program? It hasn’t even started yet and it is already a disaster.  There seems to be no direction, no plan. Schools are inching their way through it.

I had high hopes for P-Noy but somewhere along the road he lost this way.

Good luck on your 5th SONA today Mr. President, I shall pray for you.