“We expect this fourth SONA to give Filipinos a glimpse of what challenges need to be hurdled in the next three years”
A leader, it is said, must keep looking over his shoulder all the time to see if his followers are still there. It they are not there, he’s no longer a leader.
But that’s not all. The final test of a leader, so we’re told, is whether he leaves in his people the conviction and the will to carry on.
We’re sure that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is well aware of all these.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 28, therefore, he will no doubt touch on what his administration has accomplished in the past three years to see for himself whether he has the support of the people behind his policies and programs.
But more importantly, he is likely to focus on what he intends to do until the end of his term in 2028, to see whether he can instill in the Filipino people the conviction and the will to carry on.
We recall that in his inaugural speech in 2022, the President said he wanted to be his best not only as a person but as the leader of the nation. He concluded this inaugural address with this assurance: “The changes we seek will benefit all and will shortchange no one.”
Three years later, we have seen him personally checking on the progress made in his administration’s key projects and seeing to it that these will benefit everyone.
Recently, the President visited the ongoing Malampaya drilling operations off Palawan province. There, he reaffirmed that his administration is committed to the goal of energy security by signing the agreement governing the drilling operations.
He emphasized that by tapping the immense wealth beneath the sea, the nation can pursue economic development at a faster pace, and thus ensure a better future for all Filipinos.
It does not end there.
Remember his campaign promise to deliver P20 per kilo rice? Skeptics scoffed at this, saying that would not be possible at all given prevailing market forces and stiff resistance by both the farmers and sellers of our staple food.
Slowly but steadily, however, the promise of P20/kilo price is coming true, benefiting especially those in the margins of society.
Hand-in-hand with a clean and self-reliant energy future and affordable rice supply for the masses, the administration is also determined to deliver efficient mass transportation.
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Part and parcel of good governance is listening to the actual needs of the people.
After the Department of Public Works and the Metro Manila Development Authority announced that they were ready to undertake a two-year rebuild of EDSA, the vital artery connecting four cities in the National Capital Region, the President suspended project implementation until such time that planners can come up with a shorter time frame and alternative routes for motorists and commuters.
There should be a quicker way, he said, to fix EDSA and adopt new technology that would not unduly burden the people.
To actually experience what commuters go through every day, the President even took the Metro Rail Transit train with his family.
After this, he announced the 48 trains made in Dalian, China and procured more than a decade ago but had lain idle due to problems in compatibility with existing train tracks, would soon be operational and provide much-needed relief to harassed daily commuters in the city.
The President pointed out this would enhance commuter convenience and safety, apart from decongesting EDSA that has seen monstrous traffic jams over the years.
Later, the Department of Transportation headed by Secretary Vince Dizon also announced a 50-percent train fare discount for students, persons with disability and senior citizens.
In another project aimed at boosting domestic and foreign tourism, the administration has already completed the state-of-the art international airport in Caticlan, Aklan province, that serves as the gateway to the world-famous Boracay beach.
The President himself led the inauguration of this facility recently.
We expect the President to cite the government’s achievement in the economic, political and social spheres in the year just passed.
More than this, we expect this SONA to give Filipinos a glimpse of what challenges need to be hurdled in the next three years, so that succeeding administrations can build, step by step, a better future for the entire nation.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
