SONA - SAME OLD NOTHING AGAIN

Gloria's State Of The Nation Address (SONA) is a ritual that coincides with the opening of Congress. A lot of preparation has gone to the speech (thanks to AIM Professor Gary B. Olivar), not to mention the collateral fuss that the whole government structure underwent for the occasion - overspending taxpayer's money for the Batasan and its surroundings (thanks to Speaker Boy Nograles), securing the place and the roads that lead there, printing invitations and programs, installing a new set of microphones, tapes, CDs, flags, lights, plants, drinks, finger food, light dinner at the lounge, haute couture for the lady (and the not so lady) representatives, signature suits for the men (and the not so men) representatives, and a host of other details and expenses for a one-hour, lie-filled speech. Only those with invitations are allowed entrance to the hall and galleries. The rest of the nation for whom the address is being made are expected to watch the televised broadcast in their homes or offices, or wherever they may be at the time of delivery and are advised to take two (2) tablets of antacid before listening to Gloria's Sonatas de Kasinungalingan, or they may watch the replay before retiring to bed at night. Last year, the SWS gave GMA a negative rating in the urban centers, but a slightly higher average rating in the provinces although still in the negative too. Why is this so? Has she not worked hard enough to make the citizenry feel that her super-projects are already part of the legacy she has spoken of? A bankrupt legacy perhaps. Are not these super- projects for the super- regions super enough to have the people feel superiorly taken care of? There are lessons in history one reads about regarding the leader who does not encourage the people to be part of whatever the government is doing with them. Participation, initiative (not inis sa thief) and responsibility - these are the key elements if one is to spur the people to development. Everything the president has talked about lies (lies!) in the balance between the forward motion of her projects and the participation, initiative and responsibility coming from the mass base. If these are not elicited from the people, the recited list of infrastructure would remain simply as cold as steel, iron and cement, while the individual citizen remains equally as cold and detached. If such a relationship between the leader and the people has not been established, or has been falsified, all these super-projects would self-extinguish in the consciousness of the masses. If she is not able to "awaken the imagination of her audience," hence the oratorical delivery of the SONA would be for naught. And I expect it to be just that on Monday's SONA.

(Image from http://www.abante.com.ph/)

SONATAS DE GLORIA

In 2001 - She said she was fighting poverty with a four-point program: free enterprise, modernized agriculture, attention to the disadvantaged, high moral standards for government and society. Three little boys with their wishes written on paper boats sailed (kuno) all the way down the Pasig until she caught them (kuno) by the river alongside the palace and read them aloud before congress, exhibiting the tykes - Jason, Jomar and Erwin - as testimonies of her compassion.

In 2002 - She sounded like President Fidel Ramos, announcing "A strong republic, independent from class and sectoral interests, supported by a strong bureaucracy." "A strong republic takes care of its people," she said. "A strong republic is the bedrock of the victory we seek over poverty," she concluded. The oratory was slightly as impressive as her diction.

In 2003 - She was confident. "We should be at peace," she began, "but we war against terrorism, against corruption, against disease, against drugs..." There was not much to remember after that.

In 2004 - She orated about creating "jobs thru higher economic growth; eradicate corruption thru good governance, provide social justice and basic needs, enhance education and youth opportunity, boost power sufficiency and savings." The rhetoric was vintage classroom teacher, and she was the economic professor lecturing about the financial projections and expectations under her tutelage.

In 2005 - She suddenly enthused over Charter Change and emphasized how seriously it was needed to enable the country "to surmount the unprecedented challenges of the 21st century." The Garci scandal was still hovering over her pathetic "I am sorry" (kuno), and an impeachment debate was the soap opera entertainment of the day. She had to hold on to the urgency of changing the constitution. It was a tactical diversion. An emotional crutch and a Samurai sword alternately.

In 2006 - She was dwarfed (she's a black dwarf) by a background of a huge screen projecting an awesome power-point presentation on the 'super regions' of her creation. She talked about them collectively and singularly, "enhancing the competitive advntage of the natural configurations," whatever that meant. These were the North Luzon agri-business quadrangle, the Metro Luzon urban beltway, the region in Central Philippines, and Mindanao's power sources, with the entire country linked by "the cyber corridor." The superlatives were profuse, so were the applause for other "super" people in the audience she sorted out on cue. The audience was breathless at the revelation of the proposed infrastructure's magnitude. She fashioned "new heights" for the people's expectations.

In 2007 - We heard more of those super regions. Expectedly she concentrated on the progress of the work that was done and may still be on-going: roads, bridges, ports, airports, shipyards, ship-building facilities, billions of dollars in investments (kuno), and the cyber highway connecting the islands to her laptop.

2008 - She is well on her way - clearly, signs that she will be leaving us a legacy of illegitimacy, immorality, corruption, and the frequent "Filipino Last Policy" evident in her subservient business deals with foreign businesses.

(Image from http://www.geocities.com/metropolitanbacolod)