Tell us the true state of the nation

The Philippines is no longer a group of islands surrounded by bodies of water. It is already a huge body of water sprinkled with inundated islands. Despite billions allocated to flood control, the funds were stolen, the floods were left to destroy lives, livelihoods, and jobs. There is gloom and doom hovering over the nation. The state of the nation is in very bad shape.

Politicians are busy squabbling for positions in the Senate and House. The people are hungry, angry, and agitated. Millions are homeless, jobless, and hopeless. The trapos' favorites continue to receive ayuda forcibly taken from the overworked, underpaid, and overtaxed middle class. The whole Metro Manila is under water from Muntinlupa to Quezon City, Caloocan and Valenzuela, from Navotas in the west to Marikina and Pasig in the east. Floods always oppress the poor while the rich, powerful, and influential are safe and happy in their mansions.

Workers have to walk into waist-deep water to earn a minimum wage which is way below the living wage. Millions of Filipinos don’t have regular jobs. They remain casuals, contractuals, and even the government violates the law on security of tenure by hiring more than five million job-order workers in the agencies, GOCCs, and local government units. Cebu Province and Cebu City are also violators of the Constitution's mandate of security of tenure.

Callous government officials force small, medium, and even micro enterprises to absorb regular employees even if these small businesses cannot afford the taxes and corrupt practices in the LGU's business permit and licensing offices. But the government itself has millions of casuals who have been working there for more than 10 to 20 years with no permanent appointments while politicians come and go controlled by dynasties. If the job-order workers die while doing their work or are injured or become sick, they are not covered by GSIS, SSS, PhilHealth, or Pag-Ibig. This is the government that asks the people to sacrifice.

Funding the pockets of the politicians and their cohorts falls on the tired and sick shoulders of the middle class whose salaries and wages are taken away from them in the form of unfair and unreasonable taxes without due process of law. Even bank savings' interests are taxed. When the poor buy food and medicines they pay VAT. When they earn honest wages they are being taxed until death. When the poor take transport systems they are also being taxed.

Whenever poor citizens move, they are being taxed. And trapos evade taxes, and steal the taxes of the poor. This is the true state of the nation. The millions of poor people who work are paid starvation wages. Only the politicians, taipans, and tycoons who fund election campaigns enjoy all the bounties. The poor are condemned to oppression and social, economic, and political injustice.

Our national territories are not safe. Our military cannot defend the state without the weapons of superpowers. Our foreign affairs are in disarray. Our trade and commerce are lopsided. The president gives zero tariffs to all U.S. goods entering our markets but we are only given an insulting one percent discount from 20% to 19%. America gives Japan only 15%. Japan invaded and destroyed Pearl Harbor and pulverized the Philippines. Filipinos fought Japan upon the pressure of America. But today, the Pinoys in the U.S. are being coerced, pressured, and threatened while Japanese are given red carpets because of their money.

The president will again ask for a national budget to be funded by foreign and domestic borrowings. The future generations are condemned to pay for the debts of the past administrations. The former presidents, especially presidents Cory, FVR, and PNoy, have practically paid off all the past debts of Marcos Sr.’s 20 years of excesses. Today Marcos Jr. is going to ask for more money again to fund a government that doesn’t care for the people. The budget will just go to confidential and discretionary funds, corrupt trapos, and their contractors and suppliers. The people will continue to bleed in utter poverty and hopelessness.

The true state of the nation is very bad. The president should tell the truth and stop lacing his SONA with hyperbole. The people are sick and tired of lies. For once in his six-year term, he should tell the people the truth. What we heard yesterday were figures of speech, words crafted to cover up sad and hard realities. What do you think?