'SONA' Bathed Arroyo Administration

July 26, 2010. I will never ever forget this day that our newly elected president Benigno Aquino III delivered his State Of the Nation Address (SONA). Why would I forget this very date? Noynoy didn’t just get Gloria’s ego break but he stated every faults and mistakes of her administration. You are stupid if you believe that Arroyo’s leadership was effective and efficient. Let’s take these examples: Rice shortage, not enough budgets for education, 70% unemployment for fresh college graduates, ZTE broadband deal, and the most famous of all, “hello Garci” scandal. Let me say HELLO? Do you think these acts were just and humane over the true ruler of this country, the Filipinos? Anyway, I wouldn’t want to talk about ex-pres’ flaws and hoax. I’m after this thing called NFA’s issue about the country’s budget.

Philippines supply of rice had a shortage of 117,000 metric tons last 2004 but the National Food Authority (NFA) bought 900,000 metric tons. Analyzing further, it’s really absurd because the rice subsidy was more than enough to feed the nation. (You could actually share it to Indonesia or to other nearby countries) How terrible. By just doing this post, I could definitely define what corruption is. Well, it did not just end there. Would you believe that last 2007, the shortage of supply was 589,000 metric tons but NFA bought 1.827 million metric tons? Moreover, it was three times higher than what we actually need for the whole year. And the worst thing, this overage in the supply ended up filling the granaries with inedible dusts of rice.

This under the tree transaction resulted to a 171.6 billion peso debt by NFA.(What?!?) This great big fund would’ve been enough to establish a budget for Judiciary purposes amounting to 12.7 billion pesos, the Conditional Cash Transfers Fund at 29.6 billion, and most of all, what every students needed; classroom for a budget of 130 billion pesos. It’s really heartbreaking to know these facts straight from Noynoy’s mouth. Our country would’ve been productive if the right leader was put into place at the right time. Nevertheless, I do still have this sparkling hope that someday, this country will never be the same again.

Now, as a reaction to this issue, I would like first to thank our new president for opening my eyes to the blindfolds made by the former president. I guess it’s really time for us to make the necessary action. I mean, it’s now time to do the right thing at the right way. The funds wasted would have fed four million who don’t even manage to eat a well-balanced meal three times a day. This issue needs to be solved right away and I guess this new administration has the power to. All we have to do is to help our government and cooperate with them in order to stop this type of corruption. I don’t pity Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from being embarrassed last SONA but I pity much those four million Filipino populations that deserves more of fresh and well-milled rice and not those rotten ones.

I’m holding unto our new president’s promise and it’s now time for these promises to turn into reality.