Malditah Musings

State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – Because every Filipinos Must Find the passage of this Stanzas

STATE OF NATION ADDRESS President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 2nd regular session of the 14th Congress of the Republic of THE PHILIPPINES, July 28, 2008

Thank you, Speaker Nograles. Senate President Villar. Senators and Representatives. Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, members of the diplomatic team, ladies and gentlemen:

I address you today at a crucial moment in the history of the world.

Only a few months ago, we finished 2007 with the strongest economic growth in a generation. Inflation is low, the peso strong and a million new jobs are created. We all looking to a better, brighter future. Because poor choice is made, working in the country to Wakas. I close we balancing the budget. We are leaving in large loan amount, reducing the drag progress in our country, while investors person town. Suddenly, nabaligtad the economy of the World. The plunge of oil prices and food has provoked a global crisis, the worst since the Great Depression at the end of World War II. Some blame speculators moving billions of dollars from subprime mortgages to commodities like fuel and food. Another point the first real surge in demand as millions of Chinese and Indians move up to the middle class.

Whatever the reason, we are riding roller coaster of hikes fuel prices, high food prices and looming economic recession in the U.S. and other markets. Uncertainty has moved like a terrible tsunami around the world, wiping away gains, erasing progress.

This is a complex time that defies simple and easy solution. For Starters, it is difficult identify villains, unlike in the 1997 financial crisis. Everyone seems a victim, rich countries and poor, though some may reach specific more pain than others.

To address these global challenges, we must go on building and buttressing bridges in allies around the world: to bring the rice in feed our people, investments to create jobs and to maintain peace and maintain stability in our country and the rest of the world. Yet even if we reach those who need, and you may need us, we strive for greater self-ability.

Because the poor that the choice is made, the global crisis will not catch us there and do not ready. Through foresight, grit and political will, we built a shield around our country that has slowed down and somewhat softened the worst effects of global crisis. We are the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel spikes beyond price.

Even we or anyone else in the world expected this day to come so soon but we prepared for it. For the courage to not shrink in the face of difficult choices, grateful to God. For the wisdom needed to identify you, I thank, you Congress. For organizations the bill, I thank the taxpayers.

The result is, on the one hand, it nakasalba the town, and, other, more unpopularity for myself in the polls opinion. However, even far polls show self-rated poverty down to its 20-year low in 2007. My responsibility as President is to care for resolving the problems we are facing now and to provide vision and direction for how our nation should advance in the future.

Many great hall live privileged lives and forced big influence on public affairs. I am accessible to you, but I spend time every day with underprivileged and under represented who can not get a grip on their lives daily, all-consuming struggle to meet the end.

Lecture worried for Naka-aawang wife bearing the responsibility for the whole family. Lecture worried for farmers in the first set of national production of food but trying feed the family. I care for hardworking students soon to graduate and less to see hope a good job and a career prospect here at home. Lecture worried for the 41-year old with the family in daily work, and lecture inconvenience his wife and three children, and should give more resources and dignity. I care for our teachers who gave the greatest gift we ever received – a good education – still trying pass the same gift to succeeding generations. I care for our OFWs, famed for their skill, integrity and untiring labor, who send their homes pay as the only way to touch loved ones so far. I now Nagpupugay their average Filipinos.

My critics say this is fiction, along with other facts and figures I mentioned today. I call it heroism though they do not need our praise. Each is a hero to those who matter most, their families. I said that it is a global crisis where everyone is a victim. But few can avoid, or pay to delay, the worst effect.

Nothing more to protect them from the immediate blunt force trauma of the global crisis. Like you, I scold concern for them. These are the people who should accompany us. Not only because of their sacrifice for our country but because they are our countrymen. How do we solve these many complex challenges?

In their situation, the answer must be special care and attention to the big time of need.
First, we need to have a targeted approach to a range of specific prescription to ease the price challenges we are facing.

Second, food self-sufficiency; more energy hope; greater self-reliance in our thoughts as a people and our posture as a nation.

Third, the short-term relief can not be at the expense of reforms long period. The reforms will benefit not only the next generation of Filipinos, but the next President as well.

Essential to Value Added Tax to preserve the challenge. This program answers to the problems we inherited. First, reduce our debt and shore up our fiscal independence. Second, more investment for citizens and infrastructure. Third, adequate funding for programs pangmasa.

Therefore, the infrastructure links programmed for the our poorest provinces like Northern Samar: Lao-ang-Lapinig-Arteche, right now is muddy, San Isidro-Lope de Vega; the rehabilitation of Maharlika sa Samar. Take VAT away and you and I abdicate our responsibility as leaders and pull the rug from under our present and future development, which may by compromised global crisis.

Further strengthened the confidence of investors for VAT. From P56.50 per dollar, the peso strengthened to P40.20 before returning to P44 because of the worldwide burden of economy. If you remove the VAT, the hihina Business confidence, further increasing interest, especially at least the peso, more caressing the commodities.

Dismissed if the VAT on oil and electricity, the more benefit might be so that kumukonsumo of 84% oil and 90% of electricity more vulnerable as the poor lose their P80 billion for programs now funded by VAT. Remove VAT and we remove our people the way to ride out the world food and energy crisis.

We came too far and made too many sacrifices to chase today in fiscal reform. Leadership is not about doing the first easy thing to come to mind; about it makes what is necessary, but difficult. The government has persevered, without flip-flops, his much-criticized but irreplaceable policies, including oil and power VAT and oil deregulation.

Continue to use the government to growing our wealth to help families suffering the height of the goods at the stroke of storm, nagpupundar to shade while the people in crisis in the future.

For namamasada and namamasahe sa jeep, we sinusugpo kotong and colorum to increase revenue the driver. Si Federico Alvarez kumikita ng P200 a day sa his route Cubao-Rosario. Increase of anti-kotong, anti-colorum now the P500 earnings him. That's how napananatili The extra-fare one peso only. Value only visible text.

Texting is a way of life. Asked the Telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos. In June, we triggered a four billion pesos from the VAT on oil-billion pay two electricity for four million poor, Isang billion for college scholarships or loans to 70,000 poor students; half billion loan to replace more economical to LPG, CNG o biofuel ang motor thousands of jeepney; and a half billion pampalit sa fluorescent in public places.

If you replaced all the fluorescent bulb, Would save us over P2 billion. Next to extract VAT, may P1 billion to pay the electricity of the poor; half billion for the elderly not covered by SSS, GSIS; half-billion capital for the families of namamasada; half billion to increase capacity and equipment of small hospitals in the provinces. Disaster for, appropriate values.

We released P1 billion for victims a typhoon Frank. We support a supplemental Western Visayas calamity budget from VAT proceeds, as crowning the likes of Rodney Berdin, age 13, of Barangay Rombang, Belison, Antique, who saved his mother, brother and sister from the raging waters of Sibalom River. From this month, no income tax sumusweldo of P200, 000 or below isang year – P12 billion tax deduction for the poor and middle class. Maraming salamat, Congress.

This may P32 na commercial rice, meet we the food problem at present. We succeeded because of cooperation of all the people in agriculture, Bantay-price restrictions and price manipulation, the energetic leadership ni Artie Yap.

The LGU and religious groups that help bring the NFA rice to the poor, many thanks to you. Subsidy Because, NFA rice is among the region the Cheapest. While we can take some comfort that our situation is better than many other countries, there is no substitute for solving the problem of rice and fuel here at home. In doing so, let us be honest and clear eyed – there has been a major shift in the global economy. The price of food and fuel are likely remain high. Nothing will be easy; the government can not solve these problems over night. However, we can work to ease the near-term pain while investing in long-term solution.

Since 2001, new irrigation systems for 146,000 hectares, including Malmar of Maguindanao and North Cotabato, Lower Agusan, Casecnan and Aulo in Nueva Ecija, Abulog-Apayao in Cagayan and Apayao, Addalam sa Quirino and Isabela, among others, and restoration of old systems in other 980,000 hectares irrigated land has increased in our country to a historic 1.5 million hectares.

Edwin Bandila, 48 years old, the Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, cultivated hectares at a yield 35 cavans. Thirteen years made your Malmar. In my first State of the Nation Address, I said that if after the September will cancel the contract, shut the engineering brigade, they finished. Sa Malamar, now he cultivates five hectares and produces 97 cavans per hectare. Mabuhay, Edwin! VAT will complete the San Roque-Agno River project.

The Land Bank has quadrupled loans for farmers and fisher folk. That is fact not fiction. Check it out. For a more effective use of credit, I instructed da revitalize cooperatives farmers. We provide seed in subsidized prices to help our farmers.

Incremental Malampaya national revenues of P4 billion will go to our rice self-sufficiency program. Rice production since 2000 increased an average of 4.07% a year, twice the population growth rate. Mediation promoting natural planning and female education, we have curbed population growth of 2.04% during our administration, down from the 2.36 sa 1990's, when the artificial birth control was pushed. Our campaign spreads awareness of responsible parenthood regarding birth spacing. Long years of pushing contraceptives made it synonymous to family planning. Therefore informed choice should mean letting more couples, who are mostly Catholics, know about natural planning family.

From 1978-1981, nag-export tayo ng rice. Not take. But let's not be too hard on ourselves. The buyer more time that we Spaniards rice out. Although we may learn how to be rice well, topography does not always help.

Nature is not offering us with a mighty Mekong such as Thailand and Vietnam, with their vast and naturally fatty plain. Nature instead put our islands that our neighbors in the path of typhoons from the Pacific. So, we import 10% of rice consumed namin.

To meet the challenges of today, we will feed our people now, not later, and help them available in through the hard times. To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we need to be more self-reliant, autonomous and independent, rely on ourselves more the world.

Now we come to the future of agrarian reform. Some people say it is a failure, that our rice importations prove it. Some people say is a success-if only because anything is better than nothing. In fact, people are happier owning land they work, whatever the difficulties.

Sa SONA in 2001, I said, every year, we distribute two hundred thousand hectares reform Land: 100,000 hectares of private farmland and 100,000 of public farmland, including ancestral domain. Sneaking in over the target we shared the past seven years: 854,000 hectares of private farmland, 797,000 of public farmland, and Certificates of Ancestral Domain for 525,000 hectares. Including, over a 100,000 hectares for Bugkalots sa Quirino, Aurora, and Nueva Vizcaya. After the release of their CADT, Rosario Camma, Bugkalot trees, and now mayor Nagtipunan, helped his 15,000-member group to develop irrigation, plant vegetables and corn and achieve sufficiency of food. Live, Chief!

Agrarian reform should not only poverty share, should raise the standard of living. Ownership raises the farmer from his but productivity will keep him on his feet.

Sinimula my or the land reform in 1963. To form, the extension of the reform is flush top priority. I am continue to do all I for rural as well as urban poor. We want to release the tenant to the owner, upon under-naman moneylender. Former Tenants should be empowered to agribusinessmen by allowing their land is used as collateral.

Mapalaya should reform Land farmers being slaves to others. Should give the farmer as a person of honor in holding free and anyone. We need to curb the recklessness that gives land without the way to make it productive and bites off more than beneficiaries can chew.

To the same time, I want the rackets out of agrarian reform: the threats to take and therefore undervalue land, the conspiracies sa overestimate it.

Be with me on it. There must be a path that where justice and progress converge. Let us find it before Christmas. We clean the way for love magpursige to agriculture, with the belief that the Earth is sasagip us eventually if we use it properly.
With the huge production of rice, we are cutting costs by better transportation. For our farm-to-access market, we released P6 billion in 2007.

In our marine highway. RORO boats from 33 million metric tons of cargo and 31 million passengers in 2007. We was built 39 RORO ports during our administration, 12 more are slated to start within the next two years. In 2003, we inaugurated the Western Highway nautical from Batangas through Mindoro, Panay and Negros to Mindanao. This year we launched the Central nautical Highway from Bicol mainland, through Masbate, cebu, Bohol and Camiguin to Mindanao mainland. These developments strengthen our competitiveness.

Top multinational company Nestle cut transport costs and offset higher milk prices abroad. Salamat, RORO. Transport costs have become so reasonable for bakeries like a rosebush, a loaf of its bread in Iloilo is the prices similar to Laguna and Manila. Salamat muli sa RORO.

For many LGUs to stop collecting fees from vehicles carrying, many, many thanks. We repaving airports that are useful for agriculture, like Zamboanga City Airport. Making rice and moving it cheaper to address the supply side of our needs rice. Demand side, we are boosting the people buying power.

We do the laborious work and layout of roads and irrigation. SONA in 2001, launched we NCR patrabaho for the 20,000 out of school youth, called oyster. Now, more than 20,000 are ineempleyo oyster nationwide. Disaster-stricken areas, we have cash-for-work program.

Training, 7.74 million took technical and vocational courses in the last seven years, double the number in the last 14 years. In 2007 alone, 1.7 million graduates. Among them is Jessica Barlomento now in Hanjin as supply officer, Shenve Catana, Marie Grace Comendador, and Marlyn Tusi, lady welders, congratulations. Microfinance, loans have reached P102 billion or 30 times more than the P3 billion we started in 2001, with a 98% record of payment, congratulations! Major lenders include the Land Bank with P69 billion, the People 'Credit and Finance Corporation P8 billion, the National livelihood Support Fund P3 billion, DBP P1 billion and the DSWD's Sea-K P800 million. For Partnering us to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit, thank you, Go Negosyo and Joey Concepcion.

Upland development benefits farmers through agro-forestry initiatives. Rubber is especially strong in Zamboanga Sibugay and North Cotabato. Victoria Mindoro, 56 years old, used to earn P5, 000 a month to farmers and workers in factory. Now he owns 10 hectares sa Goodyear Agrarian reform Community in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, she earns P10, 000 a week. A hectare, Pedro and Concordia Faviolas of Identify, North Cotabato, they sent their six children to college, bought two more hectares, and earn P15, 000 a month. Congratulations!

Jatropha Estates are beginning to 900 hectares in and around Tamlang Valley in Negros Oriental; 200 to CamSur; 300 of GenSan, 500 in Fort Magsaysay near the Cordero Dam and 700 in Samar, among others. In our 2006 SONA, our food baskets were identified as North Luzon and Mindanao. The sad irony of Mindanao as food basket has some of the highest hunger in our country. It has large fields of high productivity, yet also six of our ten poorest provinces.

The prime reason is the endless resolve the Mindanao. A comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. But last night, the difference in tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved. Yes, there are political dynamics among the people of Mindanao. Let us sort it out with the utmost sobriety, patience and restraint. I ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that lead to a just and lasting peace during our period of tenure. The need for decency and compassion urge dialogue. Better talk than fight, if nothing more at all cost is still lost. Dialogue has achieved more than confrontation in many parts of the world. This message of the recent World Conference in Madrid organized by the King of Saudi Arabia, and the universal message of the Pope in Sydney.

Pope Benedict's encyclical Deus Caritas Est reminds us: "There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of tangible love for both is very necessary. "

We aggregate the programs of DSWD, DOH, GSIS, SSS and other resistant to poverty isang National Social Welfare Program to protect most poor from the global crisis and to help those whose earnings are limited by illness, disability, unemployment, age and more assets by the project, microfinance, skills and technology transfer, emergency and temporary employment, pension funds, food aid and cash subsidies, the child nutrition and adult health care, medical missions, salary loans, insurance, housing programs, educational and other savings schemes, and now cheaper medicine-Thanks to Congress.

The World Bank says that in Brazil, the income of poorest 10% has grown 9% per year vs. 3% for higher income level due in large part to their family stipend program linking welfare checks to school attendance. We have introduced a similar program, Pantawid Family.

The employer is funded by two increases in SSS benefits since 2005. Thank you, employers for paying the premium.

GSIS pensions have been indexed in inflation and have increased every year since 2001. Its availments salary loans increased from two months equals 10 months, the highest of any system public or private-while repayments have been stretched out.

Pag-ibig housing loans increased from P3.82 billion in 2001 P22.6 billion in 2007. This year it experienced a 84% increase in first four months alone. Super the heating. Should increase the GSIS and the SSS reopen the loan housing. I ask Congress to pass a bill allowing SSS to do housing loans beyond the present 10% limit. Before I became President, a half million poor may be health insurance. In 2001, we said, still extend a half million. That year, Isang million more than we were given. Now, 65 million Filipinos who may be health insurance, more than double the 2000, with fifteen million poor. Philhealth has paid to P100 billion for hospitalization. The poor beneficiaries to come mainly from West and Central Visayas, Central Luzon, and Philippines. We continue expanding it What a importanted programs, particularly in Tawi-Tawi, Zambo Norte, Maguindanao, Apayao, Dinagat, Lanao Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, Abra and Misamis Occidental. Especially their farmers and fishermen.

The provinces and in Agusan Sur, Kalinga, Surigao Sur and calamity-stricken areas, we will launch a huge school feeding program at P10 per child each school day.

Free education among elementary and high school, doubled the funds for college scholarships, while private high school scholarship funds from the government have quadrupled.

I started reforming and clustering the programs of the DepEd, CHED and TESDA. As fiscal and food challenges, the global energy crunch needs better and more focused resource mobilization, protection and management.

Government agencies are reducing their energy and fuel bills by 10%, emulating Texas Instruments and Philippine Stock Exchange made it last year. Congratulations, Justice Vitug and Francis Lim.

To reduce power system losses, we count government regulators and also on EPIRA amendment. We are successful in increasing energy independence-56%, the highest our history. -Promote us natural gas and biofuel; geothermal fields, among the largest; windmills in the world like those in Ilocos and Batanes; and the solar cells in irradiation many communities in Mindanao. The new Galoc oil field can produce 17000-22000 barrels per day, 1 / 12 of our crude consumption.

The adjustable Energy Bill is again passed House. Thank you, Congressmen. Our beloved goods as imports of oil and rice should be offset by hard commodities exports like of primary products, and soft like tourism and cyberservices, where only the Philippines beats us.

Our P 350 million training partnership the private sector should qualify 60,000 for call centers, medical transcription, animation and software development, to have an unexpected need for a million workers generating $ 13 billion by 2010.

International finance agrees with our progress. Credit rating agencies have kept their positive or stable outlook on the country. Our world competitiveness ranking rose five notches. Congratulations to us. We are sticky, and widening the fiscal reforms taken by us their respect.

For our investors, thanks for your important role in our development. I invite you to invest not only the factory and services, but useful infrastructure, the following formula for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. I ask business and civil society to consistently to work for an equal society, economically viable balance of interests. Mining companies should ensure that host communities benefit substantively from their investment, and without environmental damage from operations.

Our administration enacted the Solid Waste Management Act, Wildlife Act, Protection of Plant Varieties, Clean Water Act, Biofuels Act and various laws declaring protected areas. For reforestation, for next year we budgeted P2 billion. Not only the forest enhance the beauty of the land, they mitigate climate change, a key factor in increasing the frequency and intensity of typhoons and cost the country 0.5% of GDP.

We set up more than 100 marine and fish sanctuaries since 2001. Sa whaleshark sanctuary of Donsol, Sorsogon, Alan Amanse, 40-year-old college undergraduate and father of two, income is P100 a day from fishing and driving a tricycle. Now as whaleshark-watching officer, he is earns P1, 000 a day, ten times his former income. For clean water, so important for health, there is P500 million this year and P1.5 billion for next year. From only one sanitary landfill in 2001, we now has 21, another 18 in the works.

We launched the Zero Basura Olympics to clear our communities of trash. More than money, all that is needed for each citizens to maintain the house and clean workplace, and for garbage officials to stop squabbling. Our investments also include essential ways to strengthen our institutions of government to fight the decades-old beat the corruption. I continue to fight this fight every day. While others are happy with the head of news by accusation without evidence and privilege speeches without accountability, we have provided more than P3 billion – the largest anti-graft fund in our history – For real evidence gathering and robust prosecution. From his sad past record, believes the Ombudsman's rate increased by 500%. Lifestyle checks, never seriously implement our new season, is led out and / or criminal prosecution of dozens of corrupt official.

I recently meet the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. agency that provides grants to countries based on governance. They have commended our gains, contributed P1 billion to our fight against robbery sa government, and declared us eligible for more scholarships. Thank you!

Last September, we created taking transparency Groups DBM and linked it to business, Academe, and the Church, to prevent or catch anomalies in the contract of government. In my instruction, the BIR and Customs established similar government-civil society tie-ups for information gathering and tax evasion and smuggling of monitoring.

More advanced corruption practices require a commensurate advances in legislative responses. Colleagues in Congress, we need a more stringent Anti-graft Act.

Sa pagmahal of goods, the difficulty that consumers – already, dadayain yet. It should be stopped. I ask Congress to pass a Consumer Bill of Rights against price Gouging, false advertising and other activities against consumers. Call to all of our government workers and the national and local level to be more fond and explain to people. During this test. Which can help and should help the government, We must there with helping hands. Where government can provide no useful, stay away. Let's be more useful, more courteous, more quick.

Intertwined with our goal to tuloy care on behalf of every Filipinos. One our Dreams – progressive and peaceful society, where the future is good Dreams not only, but met. Together we task it. May role each citizen, businessman, public official and churches, ten of the province.

We are three branches but one government. We have our disagreements; we each have hopes, and ambitions that drive and divide us, they are personal, ethnic, religion and culture. But we are a country with one of luck. As your President, I care too much about the country to inform – anyone stand in the way Our people are good. Not allow anyone to interfere in the development and flourish person town. I will let no one – and no political plan one's – threatens beyond our country.

Of our country and our people has never failed to have for us. We need them there for now. Thank you very much. Good afternoon you all.

About the Author

The Author is an academic person who owns a passion for peace and self development. He who travels the world in search of a well defined political governance; where peace, abundance and security are of bounty.

He owns a strong faith in the theory of self preservation and self trust.

From his own conviction, He value not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumble, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

He also believes that ones good effort should be credited with recognition that belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be like those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. agp_von@yahoo.com