MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III delivered on Monday afternoon his sixth and last

State of the Nation Address.

Here are 46 things he talked about in his last speech before Congress:
1. Stopped the culture of "wangwang" since he assumed his post as president
2. Inauguration of the Cavite-Muntinlupa Expressway; private sector's willingness working with the
government in public-private partnerships
3. Previous administration's 'false achievements' and anomalies
4. Decision to run as president after the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino
5. Resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona
6. Appointment of competent public officials to government posts
7. Increased revenues of government-owned and controlled corporations
8. Improved tax collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, poised to collect P1.5 trillion in 2015, with
380 tax evasion cases filed; gave credit to BIR Commissioner Kim Henares
9. Raised the budget reenactments done by the previous administration compared to his administration's
timely annual passage of the General Appropriations Act
10. Country's improvement in global competitiveness, fast growth of the Philippine economy; investment
grade credit ratings
11. Only 15 labor strikes during his administration; gave credit to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz
12. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program beneficiaries now at 4.4 million
13. Number of out-of-school youth went down by 1.7 million
14. Alleged leakage in the Conditional Cash Transfer program was based on 2009 figures, a year before
he assumed office
15. Additional investment in education within the proposed 2016 budget
16. Defense of K to 12; Training for Work Scholarship program; improved lives of graduates from the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); gave credit to TESDA chief Joel
Villanueva
17. 89.4 million Filipinos are now covered by PhilHealth
18. 78 percent of target achieved by the Sitio Electrification Program

19. Lifting of aviation limits die to improved aviation safety; more long-haul flights to and from the
Philippines
20. Meeting certification standards for seamen
21. MRT woes brought about by private contractor; additional trains and rehabilitation program for
escalators underway
22. Modernization program for the Armed Forces of the Philippines - five C-130s, three C-295 medium lift
transports, two C-212 light lift transports; landing crafts for rescue and clearing operations; various
aircraft, seacraft, arms and equipment to defend the country's territorial integrity
23. 1:1 police-to-pistol ratio for the Philippine National Police, along with 2,523 procured patrol jeeps; 577
utility vehicles; 12,399 handheld radios; 30,136 long firearms, among others
24. Praise for Oplan Lambat Sibat, an anti-criminality drive led by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. 163,000
suspects caught; 1,000 gangs neutralized; crime rate falling down in Metro Manila; neutralization of highprofile targets
25. Raising combat pay and subsistence allowance for police personnel
26. Infrastructure projects completed in different areas of the country, including new bridges, roads, flood
control projects even in areas led by non-allies of the administration
27. Need to retrofit Guadalupe bridge
28. 10 awarded, 13 ongoing and 27 public-private partnerships in the pipeline
29. Philippines first in Asia, second worldwide in terms of job optimism
30. Car sales 27 percent up in 2014
31. European Commission removed the Philippine fishing industry from the blacklist
32. Call for solons to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law
33. Call for the passage of the rationalization of fiscal incentives; unified personnel pension reform bill;
2016 General Appropriations Act
34. Push for the passage anti-dynasty law
35. Thanked the Congress for the passage of key legislation
36. Recalled the sacrifice of his parents, former Sen. Benigno Aquino and former President
Corazon Aquino
37. Thanked Cabinet members, government appointees, other officials and staff for their service

38. Recognition of religious leaders and other citizens who have contributed to the country
39. Thanked his own family
40. Thanked Filipinos, saying, "Napakalaking karangalan ang pamunuan po kayong lahat."
41. Raised the need to continue reforms during his administration
42. Government's adherence to the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea dispute, despite China's might
43. Modernization of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
44. From 2010-2014, the Philippines posted an average of 6.2-percent gross domestic product growth
45. Warned against the return to "crooked path" in light of the upcoming elections, saying his reforms can
be undone by a single election
46. Asked for forgiveness amid the shortcomings of the administration

(CNN Philippines) Genuine political reform is no easy feat, especially

in a country like the Philippines, which has been dominated by a fairly
coherent oligarchy for much recent history. Since many powerful forces
have a stake in preserving the status quo, real change demands
extraordinary leadership, an element of luck, popular support, and
immeasurable time and energy.
In a nation where forgiveness and forgetfulness are often
interchangeable, the political elite despite its numerous mishaps and
predatory behavior under various colonial masters in the past and, later,
sovereign governments has managed to constantly rehabilitate its
reputation, avoid full accountability, and prevent the kind of political
purges, which jolted revolutionary France and reshuffled the political
order in many other European, Asian, and Latin American nations in the
following centuries.
Despite the formal democratic outer layers of our political institutions,
the Philippines is fundamentally a country ruled by a select few, who
have reduced one of the most promising nations blessed with an
auspicious geography, among the most cosmopolitan cultures, and
countless natural riches into an emaciated nation, which has
struggled to graduate out of the lower-middle-income trap for decades.
Yet, the Philippines is also a nation of hope, anchored by a boisterous
intelligentsia, a feisty and vigilant media, and a resilient population,
which has withstood both man-made and natural disasters since time
immemorial. It is a country that stood up against dictatorship, cherishes
and instinctively strives for freedom, and constantly seeks peace and
dialogue over conflict and exclusion.
It is a nation that has welcomed the persecuted from across the world
with utmost generosity of spirit. It is because of the virtues of our nation

that Ninoy Aquino never had any second thoughts with proclaiming "The
Filipino is worth dying for. For Filipino and the Philippines stand for
an idea a welcoming, cosmopolitan nation of freedom in a world filled
with so much hatred, pride, and conflict.
Soon, we will be hearing the final State of the Nation Address (SONA) of
Ninoys son, who will be looking at defending his record as the
commander-in-chief of more than 100 million souls, who have looked up
to him for leadership, direction, and conscientious governance in the last
half-decade.

The balance sheet

Over the past five years, throughout hundreds of articles and opinion
pieces (many of them can be found on my Huffington Post column, and
you may check a brief overview of Aquinos struggles I penned for the
prestigious Foreign Affairs magazine), I have dissected the various
dimensions of NoyNoy Aquinos domestic and foreign policies. So I am
not going to delve deeply into the many contentious aspects of Aquinos
policies.
I would dare to argue, however, that Aquino should be, above all,
credited for introducing a moral dimension to Philippine politics.
Like no other Filipino leader in recent memory, he staked his political
capital in a moral crusade against institutionalized corruption in the
country. One can hardly find any comparable leader in recent memory,
who has dedicated so much political capital to take on allegedly corrupt
officials from all three branches of the government, the executive, the
judiciary, and the legislative.
He mainstreamed the concept of good governance, constantly
reiterating the importance of clean, accountable leadership. Almost

singlehandedly, Aquino injected morality into the heart of our long-cynical

politics.
In fact, he has done the same thing in the realm of foreign policy,
describing the Philippines struggle against an expansionist China
through the prism of "right vs. might."
No wonder, the Aquino administration has invested so much in the
ongoing legal arbitration at The Hague against China, when other
claimant countries have mainly focused on proactive diplomatic
engagement, robust military buildup, and consolidation of claims on the
ground.
Obviously, we can have a healthy debate on how successful and
impartial Aquinos anti-corruption initiatives have been in practice, but no
one can deny how vigorously Aquino pursued powerful politicians, who
were once seen as almost invincible not long ago.
In short, Aquino moralized our broken politics and reintroduced an
ethical discourse on the state of our rotten institutions.
Another thing Aquino should be credited for is his correct decision to
continue macro-prudential economic policies from the past, which have
stabilized the foundations of our economy, introduced an element of
predictability into our capital markets, and enhanced the countrys
attractiveness to international investors.
Today, the Philippines is no longer seen as the "sick man of Asia."

Institutionalizing reform
But of course, the main problem with Aquinos economic policy was one
of omission rather than commission. In absence of more creative,

heterodox policies, the government fell short of ensuring that the growing
economic pie will become inclusive.
As a result, much of the newly-created wealth in the country has been
swallowed by the elite, while poverty and hunger rates as well as
un/under employment rates have virtually remained inelastic.
Without a major boost in our agricultural (land reform is crucial here) and
manufacturing sectors (greenfield investments is key), I am doubtful we
will be creating inclusive growth anytime soon. Not to mention, we are
yet to see a major upgrade in our dilapidated infrastructure, which has
discouraged foreign investors and burdened daily commuters.
From afar, it is easy to criticize the government. Some journalists and
commentators have regrettably even resorted to ad hominem attacks
against a leader, who was voted into power by millions of people and
responsible voters. Aquinos opponents many belonging to the corrupt
factions, which oppose good governance as an existential threat
have used all sorts of strategies to demean him and undermine his
popularity.
But there is a reason why Aquino remains to be a popular leader,
especially when compared to his predecessors in their twilight years in
office. Many Filipinos, as credible surveys consistently suggest, do credit
Aquino for his good intentions, despite his many shortcomings in
practice.
You dont have to be an expert to realize that with our weak state
institutions, hobbled by entrenched networks of political patronage, and
only a single six-year term in office, there is just so much a well-meaning
leader can do to overhaul a broken political system.

This is why what I look forward to, perhaps more than anything else, in
Aquinos last SONA is how he intends to ensure his reforms will endure
beyond his term in office. And what characteristics, if not specific
candidate/s, is he going to endorse, if ever.
For sure, Aquino will try to defend his record by presenting a long list of
his achievements and all of these could be subjected to criticism
but everyone knows we are far away from achieving a mature democracy
and an inclusive economy.
Genuine reform and lasting change comes on the back of institutions
and effective governance, not personalities. Good governance will not
be achieved unless Aquinos reforms and best practices are carried
forward by his successors.
This is Aquinos last SONA, so he better use it for not only promoting his
own record, but promoting a lasting vision for our country.