State of the Nation: Strong Economy – Gloria

By W.A. Garcia

P r e s i d e n t G l o r i a M a c a p a g a l - A r r o yo l e a v e s s t r i k i n g s t a t e m e n t s f r o m
Batasan this 27th of July in her expected last SONA having 126
rounds of applause, which lasted for 70 minutes.

“ I d i d n o t b e c o m e P r e s i d e n t t o b e p o p u l a r. To w o r k , t o l e a d , b u t t o
p r o t e c t a n d p r e s e r v e o u r c o u n t r y, o u r p e o p l e , t h a t i s w h y I b e c a m e
President,” she said.

Another from her speech, “The Nation comes first,” got the attention
of the Filipino people.

But what took the breath of every Filipino was when the president
said at the end of her speech, that she shall step down from the stage
b u t n o t f r o m p r e s i d e n c y – h e r t e r m d o e s n o t e n d u n t i l n e x t y e a r.

W h a t d o e s s h e w a n t t o s a y? L e a v i n g a m i s t o f q u e s t i o n s , t h e S t a t e o f
t h e N a t i o n A d d r e s s t a l k s a b o u t o u r n a t i o n b e i n g a s t r o n g e c o n o m y.
Statistics shows, that it was in her presidency wherein Philippine
Peso reached its peak, but it doesn’t stop there. Once she said that
s h e w a n t s t o b e r e m e m b e r e d a s t h e p r e s i d e n t w h o s o l v e d p o v e r t y,
who is she now? The poverty rate just climbed to 20.3, according to
s t a t i s t i c s . T h a t ’s a b o u t 3 . 7 F i l i p i n o s s u f f e r i n g i n h u n g e r.

As of her critics, Sen. Loren Legarda said that it wasn’t categorical.

Some, incongruent. The president discussed about having a strong
e c o n o m y, n e w a n d m o d e r n i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , t h o s e c o m p l e t e d a n d
unfinished, international authorities, flood control infrastructure,
educational projects, the automated election, and many more.

Like her previous SONAs, The President mentioned special people

who were also in the Batasan Hills, especially Manny Pacquiao.
Leah de la Cruz was also mentioned, the first Muslim Mindanao to
top the bar exams.

H o w e v e r, P r e s i d e n t A r r o y o ’s S t a t e O f t h e N a t i o n A d d r e s s d i d n o t
satisfy its critics, yet amazed some of its people with her courage.
Some of the ropes were untied, yet not all chains unlocked – the
State Of the Nation Address of 2009.