P-NOY VS PGMA

I believe that Political maturity was unattainable in the time of PGMA’s administration because of not possessing the qualities of good governance which includes the factors that marked her downfall. Questions of Transparency and accountability especially during the issues of ZTE, and “Hello Garci” scandal have been a continuing issue that according to our new President Benigno Aquino, should be tackled in order to see the root causes of those cases. On our former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s first Sona she spoke about her visualization of winning the war against poverty within the decade, A food on every table, create 10 million jobs from 2004 to 2010 and to summed up her vision, she proposed it on an appealing phrase which is called “BEAT THE ODDS”: which means B as balanced budget, E as education for all, A as an automated elections, T for transport and digital infrastructure; T for terminating NPA/MILF hostilities, H for healing the wounds of EDSA 1,2 and 3, E as electricity and water for all; O as opportunity to create 10 million jobs; D as decongest Metro Manila; and DS as develop Subic-Clark hub).

After almost nine years, she was found at the losing end to her war with our country’s poverty. It worsened from 2003 to 2006. She also promised to create almost 10 million jobs from 2004 to 2010. But we faced the worse, decent jobs continued to lessen while there has been more part –time jobs or in other words unsecured jobs were created. On the other hand, she promised food on every table, but that also did not happen. Instead, the Philippines became the world’s number one importer of rice. Poverty, hunger and unemployment are interconnected and the hunger incidence is a problem that has been aggravated by the country’s ongoing economic crisis, and has gradually worsened under her administration. On a lighter mode, she also included the promotion and attainment of economic security through the mobilization of eternal resources for economic advancement, preservation and enhancement of national diplomacy and lastly protection and welfare of rights and interests of OFWs which make her SONA more distinctive than that of Noynoy’s domestic policies, She focuses on a wider scheme which is directing foreign policies.

On the other hand, P-Noy’s first SONA was creditable for his tactful and honest speech about the recklessness and bad deeds of the past administrations. But I believe that His speech is lacking of significant discussions on foreign policies, agricultural issues such as the land reform for the Hacienda Luisita , and other aspects that are more important than the issues of corruption. As I have noticed, when I watch his speech it was more or less 35-minute speech but he spend more than half of his time on corruption cases and not focusing on resolution which is I believe a more important thing to discuss in order to give better solutions as well as alternatives to our growing problems. But I think that he has a point in doing domestic policies first, I believe that we must first solve our problems domestically and be able to improve locally before engaging onto the international level. I foresee that his administration will bring political maturity because his extending his hands to the people of all walks of life, promoting accountability and transparency during his first few weeks on his position. However, I’m doubtful that six years was not enough for him to do his entire job and maybe he will tend to just focus only to the corruption cases that will hinder us to move forward and find new ways to evade the growing problems of our country.