Midterm State of the Nation Addresses present a great opportunity to any chief executive.
A SONA halfway into a president’s term provides a solid three-year basis for a report of actual accomplishments. Three years is a good time to draw up new plans or build from the meritorious gains, if any, of one’s immediate predecessor. Within that period, one can plan, execute, and observe early gains.
More importantly, the first three years are a sound guide in identifying initial gaps that could then be addressed in the succeeding three years. Armed not with fancy visions, flowery rhetoric or, horrors, a stream-of-consciousness rambling, the chief executive could then outline the steps needed to achieve quantifiable objectives.
Done well, a good midterm SONA could convey the message that sounds like this: “the government knows what must be done and has taken steps to achieve its targets, has attained modest gains but knows it must do more and better, and is doing everything within its power, shunning distractions, and focusing on its priorities for the good of the people.”
Filipinos would like to hear something like this from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. this afternoon.
He will likely talk about economics, on how the people continue to be concerned with coping with the prices of goods, finding – and holding – a job, and being able to provide the basic needs of their families.
We wonder how he would convey the nuances of that mere one-percentage-point decrease in tariffs on Philippine exports to the United States, even as US goods will be slapped with zero tariffs when they come to our shores. We understand that being a truly “tough negotiator” means different things from different vantage points and different contexts. How we can turn this around to still be good for ordinary Filipinos – or at least better than the previous situation – is a challenge.
We are, of course, unrelenting in our defense of our territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea – not because we are but a pawn in a bigger game between two bigger nations, but because it is in our own best interest. We continue to enjoy the commitment and support, not only of the US but other countries as well, in this aspect.
We also want to hear from President Marcos that the new normal in extreme weather systems will be met with a new normal in disaster risk reduction and management on the national and local government levels. Filipino resilience was developed over decades of government ineptitude and indifference. The President should assure the people that while typhoons pummeling our islands are becoming more intense and greater in number, our leaders are thinking long term, going beyond the notion that typhoons are just an excuse to go to evacuation centers and distribute relief packages to the displaced.
Finally, the President must say something about the urgency of championing transparency in government. He must led by example. This is not only through using technology-based tools in government services and decisions, but moreover in holding personalities accountable for the wanton manner of amassing and spending public funds.
The Palace on Friday urged the public to respect our institutions after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Dutere was unconstitutional. This however does not preclude him – or the legislative branch – of articulating their sentiments and using the appropriate legal recourse. These steps must be done to highlight that the impeachment case, while political in nature, is not an offshoot of the fallout between two powerful political families. There is an inherent ill that must be addressed here.
Today’s SONA will be a window into the mind of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — what things he believes are urgent and important, somewhat important, or not important at all. Let us watch, not for entertainment, not even punditry, but for the high stakes we have in the real state of our nation.
