Today, we stand in front of a generation, in front of a people still mired in the continuous adversity of facing multifarious social, moral and political problems as we head along in this second decade of the 21st century, a problem that we've inherited for many years, and for many generations.
The gaps are greater, the divide between rich and poor has grown wider, the number of middle classmen has sustainably deteriorated as the incidence of poverty continues to increase. The troubles we experience does not only lie in our capacity to sustain for ourselves, but in our capability as well to uphold our moral standards presented the challenges of surviving everyday life.
I do not need to elaborate further, since many leaders have already enumerated the growing number of problems this country has faced and will be facing in the next few years.
Our struggles do not confine itself in the social landscape, more over, it is just one piece of a big puzzle that confronts all of us, that is our pursuit to live a normal and noble life. This is the reason why some politicians steal, why some employees cut corners, why some of our poorer brothers resort to crime, because our livelihood cannot sustain the growing demands of an evolving time.
However, the hope of the Filipino's, despite their homes being lost at the mercy of Typhoon's Ondoy and Peping, despite continuous increase in the price of commodities and other basic services, despite the somewhat unlivable circumstances our fellow Kababayans have been reduced to, remain unbreakable and steadfast. The hope they hold on to is the reason leaders are elected, and trust remains that governments can help them lead better lives.
This foundation of hope is what drives us, leaders of each generation, to continue to persevere in search of solution, instead of more problems. This virtue is what fuels our passion to be role models for the older and younger generation.
I belong to a middle class family, a family who experiences often the life of an elite class when we have more than enough, and a family who goes through tightening of finances when the going gets tough. It is the middle class family who experiences the best, often, of both worlds. I take personal inspiration from middle class families, who still manage to send their sons and daughters to respectable institutions and pay their taxes and obligations to government at the same time.
This is a speech and a platform I'd like to offer for the forgotten middle, who seem to be highly disregarded because of the great divide between the poor and rich's interests, and the mileage this controversy attracts, for politicians to take advantage.
It is the middle class' industrious nature which steers our economy. It is their big contribution in our tax system which fuels government funded projects and it is their exemplary service in the private sector which increases the profit of big businesses, yet, they never get enough credit for what they do for both sides of the spectrum.
This is the kind of attitude we want to influence our people with, an attitude of participation and contribution to the national well-being, an attitude that attracts inspiration, an attitude which renders great service not just for self-interest, but for the general welfare of the country they live in.
We thank the middle class for we enjoy the trust and confidence that they render to our government. However, they can only do so much to that extent, and this is where, we, in the leadership divide, must fulfill our obligations, not only for them, but for the entire population of our country.
The State of the Nation has been echoed many times on National television, and more than anything else, we have heard the pulse of the people through many mediums, most popularly now on social networking sites and other interactive channels. However, there is a need for us to elaborate further on those already mentioned.
The state of corruption in government can be best described in one word- Gargantuous. The state of poverty in all levels can be best put in three words- lack of opportunity. The State of the Nation can be a countless litany of problems- that i will not dare enclose in any statement.
INSTITUTIONS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS
First things first, the only way we can get to an agreeable solution is when we have the proper facility to do it. The facility of discussion between the citizens and the government lies in our institutions, the one that governs all our actions, may we be politicians or simply ordinary people. Our institutions today, as we speak, are over problematic. Let me explain this to you further.
How much does a government employee earn versus its employee counterpart in the private sector? Isn't it double or triple compared to the latter? How many ghost employees get their salaries from Malacanang directly in the past few years? Do they contribute to the delivery of services to our people? These are simple questions we need to ask ourselves, especially those in key leadership positions.
In today's government, people who are dedicated and perform are not given reasonable incentives, while others enjoy the privelege of getting salaries without doing anything for national development.
However, the dilemma to increase the basic salaries of our government professionals would mean an additional budget to cover for those expenses. We do not have the luxury of a big budget to accommodate this salary movement.
RATIONALIZE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAUCRACY
We must task the current government's Executive Secretary to review and examine the performance of all government agencies, and if the need arises to merge some of these agencies to cut down cost in government, we will do so. In short, there is a need fo re-engineer the bureaucracy by rationalizing the functions of each agency. We will send recommendations to the legislature to merge the duplicate functions of some agencies to ensure we can cut down on the expense of the national government, and at the same time, increase the efficiency of these agencies. For example, to harmonize the efforts of the Education sector, in particular, we can put the DepEd, CHED and the TESDA all in one Agency of education, to ensure that there is well-managed collaboration in our pursuit to facilitate quality education from Kindergarten to the Collegiate level. This may go for other government agencies, to serve two purposes- cut down cost and increase efficiency in governance. I am against the creation of new task force commissions that only replicate the functions of Constitutionally commissioned agencies. This pads the bureaucracy in government, which usually increases the proportions of committing corruption.In this way, we can re-channel a portion of those funds to provide reasonable and due benefits to people in government who render exemplary public service.
What do we do then with previous allegations of corruption in government? Billions have been lost due to anomalous contracts, and millions to projects whose costs have been doubled to accommodate various interests, also known as the red tape disease in government.
The solution must always be two-pronged- prosecutive and preventive. The first one, which is prosecutive, must be dealt with independence on the part of the executive, but must give empowerment to those agencies which will undertake necessary action to charges against those irregularities. Our interference will come by increasing the necessary technology, through evidence collation and collaboration, the deployment of manpower and the complete functioning of all government agencies to ensure that there is a speedy resolution of these cases. The executive still has a hand in the prosecution, not in executing trial by publicity against culpirts, but by ensuring that the prosecuting agencies will have the power to perform its functions well and that the government exercises its will once a decision is rendered, may it be in favor of it or not.
The building of trust in government can only begin when institutions are working properly, and functioning to support the delivery of basic services to our people.
However, corruption should never alone define the existence of an administration. Poverty continues to be the major problem most Filipino's experience. Poverty is not as simple as what the common Filipino understands it to be, because even a middle classman also undergoes through it, and often a rich guy also experiences.
MY FOUR DEFINITIONS OF THE FACES OF POVERTY
I would like to improve on the IDEA of poverty that Gilbert Teodoro spoused for during his Presidential campaign, and I would like to put my blueprint on the idea of poverty. Poverty in this country has four faces- poverty of lack of continuity, poverty of opportunity, poverty of information and the poverty of healthy relationships. These forms of poverty are manifestations of the backward attitudes previous leaderships may have presented to our people, and it is now time to evolve our solutions from one face to an inter-disciplinary one.
POVERTY OF LACK OF CONTINUITY
This administration should be humble enough, to admit, that there were several projects of previous administrations that have worked. Now is not the time to put a stop to those, but to continue to expand the coverage of those programs so that it can be experienced by many more Filipino's. The previous administration's programs on Education can be continued, particularly on the Conditional Cash Transfers (4P's program) of the DSWD which has granted some sort of financial relief to families which cannot provide ably for the studies of their children, at the simple cost of responsibility on their part. This has provided benefits to more than 3 million families, and this investment is not restricted to the social dimension alone, but it is also geared towards the development of our human capital. Previous work on Interactive forms of education, particularly on Interactive Education through modern technology, must be pursued, but this time with more scrutiny on the process of procurement, to provide up-to-date information for our students.
- On Infrastructural Development
We must continue to build Roll On Roll off ports to link many more islands of the Philippines, develop more farm to market roads to ensure social services reach the smallest barangay/municiplaity in the country, and foster public private partnerships in terms of building more roads that will fasten the mobility of goods between provinces and cities in the urbanized areas. Given the limited amount of public resources, government must focus on prioritizing critical infrastructure undertakings in the countryside and identify those that can be better provided by the private sector. In particular, government can focus on measures which will bring down exorbitant transportation costs, particularly sea transport, and improve the flow of inter-regional trade. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is similarly important to increase productivity and promote social equity. It is estimated that more than two-thirds of families living below the poverty line are found in the rural sector and engaged in agriculture and other agri-related industries. Improving the productive capacities of rural areas through the provision of critical infrastructure facilities such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation, and post-harvest facilities will go a long way towards encouraging development in the regions and improving the lives of millions of poor Filipinos living in the provinces. Continuity is essential in ensuring uninterrupted service to our countrymen, despite the shift in power.
POVERTY OF OPPORTUNITY
Poverty of opportunity, or the lack of a conducive business atmosphere in the country, is what disables our kababayans to find jobs here in the country and for businessmen to invest in the country.
- Employment Issues
Employment acts as a major route out of poverty because labor power is the principal, and most often than not, the only asset of the poor. Unfortunately, the Philippines’ track record in employment creation over the years has been generally inadequate relative to its rapidly increasing labor force. The current government is strapped with financial constraints, thus, we must still leverage on the trust of private enterprises and promote a stronger public-private partnership in developing an effective labor market information system. This would facilitate the determination of the supply of skills needed by the economy, shorten the period and reduce the cost of job search, and effectively lessen the job-skills mismatch.Direct government interventions in the labor market such as the Public Employment Services Office in every local government as well as private initiatives such as the Job Matching Radio Program, which regularly air job openings in different companies, must be encouraged.
For Investors, I would open up two current problems that we are facing- the lack of an efficient regulatory environment and our poor science and technology mechanism in the country.
- Systemic Efficiency for those who want to engage in business
The Philippines is considered to have a restrictive regulatory regime for setting up businesses, hiring and firing workers, enforcing contracts and closing a business. A productive regulatory environment should allow the easyentry and exit of players in the market. In the Philippines, it takes an average of 40 days and 11 procedures to start a business. Another critical aspect of creating an efficient regulatory environment is the proper definition and protection of property rights. Businesses must also be protected from unfair trade practices that lead to market inefficiencies such as monopolies and/or oligopolies. This particular reform area has to be strengthened particularly in the ports, airports, shipping and telecommunications industry. It does not help that in some industries, government participates both as regulator and owner. We must then establish a comprehensive competition policy that diffuses the control of a few players and encourages private investments particularly in capital-intensive industries. This policy should properly define monopolies and oligopolies and anti-competitive behavior, clarify penalties and sanctions and establish a regulatory body that can efficiently implement the competition policy. Considering the intricacies innate in developing a competition policy, government must start the process.
- Improve our Technology Management
In Technology Management, The Philippines’ overall record in terms of science and technology has been poor. The Philippines does not invest enough in research and development activities. The country needs to spend a minimum of one percent of GDP per year on research and development in order to have a significant impact on the level of development, that is a view we share with the UNESCO. The Philippines also suffers from a huge deficiency in terms of science and technology manpower. In the past few years, the country has had only less than some 150 scientists and engineers per million population engaged in research and development. This is not only a factor that should spur up the tame business environment in the country, but should also help in our efforts to provide better opportunity for our people to live safely in their own homes, as these people are also essential in terms of their expertise in the field of disaster prevention/mitigation and climate change. Therefore, Increasing investment in science and technology education is the most crucial investment to spur and sustain long-term growth.
- Power Crisis must be resolved immediately
Opportunies cannot be maximized as well if both businesses and citizens do not have a power sector supportive of their productivity. The high cost of electricity in the Philippines has been discouraging foreign investors. We are in the midst of an impending power crisis, and an investment of around P500 billion is needed to prevent this to happen. This government,no matter how financially difficult its situation is, must invest in expanding the country’s generation and transmission infrastructure, and encourage greater private sector participation in the power industry. The country must begin exploring alternative sources of electricity such as biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy or hybrids of such, and the possibility of opening up a nuclear power plant, without reviving the old BNPP (Bataan Nuclear Power Plant), because there is no use in reviving a worn-out structure.
POVERTY OF INFORMATION
The poverty of information, which now brings to a front problems of education, must also be dealt with. We must provide a wide range of alternatives, aside from Government funded programs, and at the same time, focus on the curriculum design of our education institutions, to ensure that we meet the ends of the goals we have set for Education. Building classrooms, adding books and other material supplies are necessary, but we must also look into investing in the capacity of our human resource, our teachers, administrators, to efficient school management techniques to ensure that information is spread properly to students, using well ran systems of teaching and well designed courses suited to the competencies of their students. Aside from their usual subjects in school, there must be an increased effort to raise their consciousness in terms of their Mother-Tongue Language and their technical and vocational expertise, and this must be reviewed and integrated to be part of the regular curriculum in High School, so that they can bring along practical skills should they seek employment after high school, at the same time, have a better appreciation of their own linguistic history towards a better understanding of the bigger context of society.
POVERTY OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
The poverty of relationships, perhaps, is the toughest nut to crack amongst all these, considering our various origins, the diversities in our pluralistic societies and the differences in our personal and political views. These solutions that we have mentioned cut across the interests of the classes of society. This is where national interest comes to play. Politicians have a great role to play in exemplifying that a consensus can be arrived despite ideological differences, and that is something we can start on. Hopefully, these solutions can be a start of collaboration between all people, all classes of society. Government, in its totality, may you be allies of the administration, fiscalizers, oppositionists, and the citizenry, may you be rich, in the middle or poor, can still function according to your societal roles, but must work under the principle, that without one, there can be no me, there can be no us.
This relationship between the people and the government must be viewed in the light of a body, that without one part, the whole cannot fully function.
In this time of our age, the call for national unity goes beyond the want, because it stems from a great need for a collective vision, a vision of a better and brighter Philippines. Hopefully, our call does not remain a perpetual asking for cooperation everytime there is a State of the Nation Address, but a start of a unified action, that hopefully, the next versions of the SONA will just be an addendum of solutions to the evolving problems, instead of a re-hash of old challenges.
Problems will never end, and so does our pursuit for solutions. Dynamism is what we have, and when we put them all together, the spirit of the Filipino will bring out our collective greatness, as individuals, as communities, under ONE FLAG, UNDER ONE NATION. One Day, we will make each other PROUD of what we have done, and we can look back at this day as the START of the RENEWAL OF OUR GENERATION.
The gaps are greater, the divide between rich and poor has grown wider, the number of middle classmen has sustainably deteriorated as the incidence of poverty continues to increase. The troubles we experience does not only lie in our capacity to sustain for ourselves, but in our capability as well to uphold our moral standards presented the challenges of surviving everyday life.
I do not need to elaborate further, since many leaders have already enumerated the growing number of problems this country has faced and will be facing in the next few years.
Our struggles do not confine itself in the social landscape, more over, it is just one piece of a big puzzle that confronts all of us, that is our pursuit to live a normal and noble life. This is the reason why some politicians steal, why some employees cut corners, why some of our poorer brothers resort to crime, because our livelihood cannot sustain the growing demands of an evolving time.
However, the hope of the Filipino's, despite their homes being lost at the mercy of Typhoon's Ondoy and Peping, despite continuous increase in the price of commodities and other basic services, despite the somewhat unlivable circumstances our fellow Kababayans have been reduced to, remain unbreakable and steadfast. The hope they hold on to is the reason leaders are elected, and trust remains that governments can help them lead better lives.
This foundation of hope is what drives us, leaders of each generation, to continue to persevere in search of solution, instead of more problems. This virtue is what fuels our passion to be role models for the older and younger generation.
I belong to a middle class family, a family who experiences often the life of an elite class when we have more than enough, and a family who goes through tightening of finances when the going gets tough. It is the middle class family who experiences the best, often, of both worlds. I take personal inspiration from middle class families, who still manage to send their sons and daughters to respectable institutions and pay their taxes and obligations to government at the same time.
This is a speech and a platform I'd like to offer for the forgotten middle, who seem to be highly disregarded because of the great divide between the poor and rich's interests, and the mileage this controversy attracts, for politicians to take advantage.
It is the middle class' industrious nature which steers our economy. It is their big contribution in our tax system which fuels government funded projects and it is their exemplary service in the private sector which increases the profit of big businesses, yet, they never get enough credit for what they do for both sides of the spectrum.
This is the kind of attitude we want to influence our people with, an attitude of participation and contribution to the national well-being, an attitude that attracts inspiration, an attitude which renders great service not just for self-interest, but for the general welfare of the country they live in.
We thank the middle class for we enjoy the trust and confidence that they render to our government. However, they can only do so much to that extent, and this is where, we, in the leadership divide, must fulfill our obligations, not only for them, but for the entire population of our country.
The State of the Nation has been echoed many times on National television, and more than anything else, we have heard the pulse of the people through many mediums, most popularly now on social networking sites and other interactive channels. However, there is a need for us to elaborate further on those already mentioned.
The state of corruption in government can be best described in one word- Gargantuous. The state of poverty in all levels can be best put in three words- lack of opportunity. The State of the Nation can be a countless litany of problems- that i will not dare enclose in any statement.
INSTITUTIONS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS
First things first, the only way we can get to an agreeable solution is when we have the proper facility to do it. The facility of discussion between the citizens and the government lies in our institutions, the one that governs all our actions, may we be politicians or simply ordinary people. Our institutions today, as we speak, are over problematic. Let me explain this to you further.
How much does a government employee earn versus its employee counterpart in the private sector? Isn't it double or triple compared to the latter? How many ghost employees get their salaries from Malacanang directly in the past few years? Do they contribute to the delivery of services to our people? These are simple questions we need to ask ourselves, especially those in key leadership positions.
In today's government, people who are dedicated and perform are not given reasonable incentives, while others enjoy the privelege of getting salaries without doing anything for national development.
However, the dilemma to increase the basic salaries of our government professionals would mean an additional budget to cover for those expenses. We do not have the luxury of a big budget to accommodate this salary movement.
RATIONALIZE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAUCRACY
We must task the current government's Executive Secretary to review and examine the performance of all government agencies, and if the need arises to merge some of these agencies to cut down cost in government, we will do so. In short, there is a need fo re-engineer the bureaucracy by rationalizing the functions of each agency. We will send recommendations to the legislature to merge the duplicate functions of some agencies to ensure we can cut down on the expense of the national government, and at the same time, increase the efficiency of these agencies. For example, to harmonize the efforts of the Education sector, in particular, we can put the DepEd, CHED and the TESDA all in one Agency of education, to ensure that there is well-managed collaboration in our pursuit to facilitate quality education from Kindergarten to the Collegiate level. This may go for other government agencies, to serve two purposes- cut down cost and increase efficiency in governance. I am against the creation of new task force commissions that only replicate the functions of Constitutionally commissioned agencies. This pads the bureaucracy in government, which usually increases the proportions of committing corruption.In this way, we can re-channel a portion of those funds to provide reasonable and due benefits to people in government who render exemplary public service.
What do we do then with previous allegations of corruption in government? Billions have been lost due to anomalous contracts, and millions to projects whose costs have been doubled to accommodate various interests, also known as the red tape disease in government.
The solution must always be two-pronged- prosecutive and preventive. The first one, which is prosecutive, must be dealt with independence on the part of the executive, but must give empowerment to those agencies which will undertake necessary action to charges against those irregularities. Our interference will come by increasing the necessary technology, through evidence collation and collaboration, the deployment of manpower and the complete functioning of all government agencies to ensure that there is a speedy resolution of these cases. The executive still has a hand in the prosecution, not in executing trial by publicity against culpirts, but by ensuring that the prosecuting agencies will have the power to perform its functions well and that the government exercises its will once a decision is rendered, may it be in favor of it or not.
The building of trust in government can only begin when institutions are working properly, and functioning to support the delivery of basic services to our people.
However, corruption should never alone define the existence of an administration. Poverty continues to be the major problem most Filipino's experience. Poverty is not as simple as what the common Filipino understands it to be, because even a middle classman also undergoes through it, and often a rich guy also experiences.
MY FOUR DEFINITIONS OF THE FACES OF POVERTY
I would like to improve on the IDEA of poverty that Gilbert Teodoro spoused for during his Presidential campaign, and I would like to put my blueprint on the idea of poverty. Poverty in this country has four faces- poverty of lack of continuity, poverty of opportunity, poverty of information and the poverty of healthy relationships. These forms of poverty are manifestations of the backward attitudes previous leaderships may have presented to our people, and it is now time to evolve our solutions from one face to an inter-disciplinary one.
POVERTY OF LACK OF CONTINUITY
This administration should be humble enough, to admit, that there were several projects of previous administrations that have worked. Now is not the time to put a stop to those, but to continue to expand the coverage of those programs so that it can be experienced by many more Filipino's. The previous administration's programs on Education can be continued, particularly on the Conditional Cash Transfers (4P's program) of the DSWD which has granted some sort of financial relief to families which cannot provide ably for the studies of their children, at the simple cost of responsibility on their part. This has provided benefits to more than 3 million families, and this investment is not restricted to the social dimension alone, but it is also geared towards the development of our human capital. Previous work on Interactive forms of education, particularly on Interactive Education through modern technology, must be pursued, but this time with more scrutiny on the process of procurement, to provide up-to-date information for our students.
- On Infrastructural Development
We must continue to build Roll On Roll off ports to link many more islands of the Philippines, develop more farm to market roads to ensure social services reach the smallest barangay/municiplaity in the country, and foster public private partnerships in terms of building more roads that will fasten the mobility of goods between provinces and cities in the urbanized areas. Given the limited amount of public resources, government must focus on prioritizing critical infrastructure undertakings in the countryside and identify those that can be better provided by the private sector. In particular, government can focus on measures which will bring down exorbitant transportation costs, particularly sea transport, and improve the flow of inter-regional trade. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is similarly important to increase productivity and promote social equity. It is estimated that more than two-thirds of families living below the poverty line are found in the rural sector and engaged in agriculture and other agri-related industries. Improving the productive capacities of rural areas through the provision of critical infrastructure facilities such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation, and post-harvest facilities will go a long way towards encouraging development in the regions and improving the lives of millions of poor Filipinos living in the provinces. Continuity is essential in ensuring uninterrupted service to our countrymen, despite the shift in power.
POVERTY OF OPPORTUNITY
Poverty of opportunity, or the lack of a conducive business atmosphere in the country, is what disables our kababayans to find jobs here in the country and for businessmen to invest in the country.
- Employment Issues
Employment acts as a major route out of poverty because labor power is the principal, and most often than not, the only asset of the poor. Unfortunately, the Philippines’ track record in employment creation over the years has been generally inadequate relative to its rapidly increasing labor force. The current government is strapped with financial constraints, thus, we must still leverage on the trust of private enterprises and promote a stronger public-private partnership in developing an effective labor market information system. This would facilitate the determination of the supply of skills needed by the economy, shorten the period and reduce the cost of job search, and effectively lessen the job-skills mismatch.Direct government interventions in the labor market such as the Public Employment Services Office in every local government as well as private initiatives such as the Job Matching Radio Program, which regularly air job openings in different companies, must be encouraged.
For Investors, I would open up two current problems that we are facing- the lack of an efficient regulatory environment and our poor science and technology mechanism in the country.
- Systemic Efficiency for those who want to engage in business
The Philippines is considered to have a restrictive regulatory regime for setting up businesses, hiring and firing workers, enforcing contracts and closing a business. A productive regulatory environment should allow the easyentry and exit of players in the market. In the Philippines, it takes an average of 40 days and 11 procedures to start a business. Another critical aspect of creating an efficient regulatory environment is the proper definition and protection of property rights. Businesses must also be protected from unfair trade practices that lead to market inefficiencies such as monopolies and/or oligopolies. This particular reform area has to be strengthened particularly in the ports, airports, shipping and telecommunications industry. It does not help that in some industries, government participates both as regulator and owner. We must then establish a comprehensive competition policy that diffuses the control of a few players and encourages private investments particularly in capital-intensive industries. This policy should properly define monopolies and oligopolies and anti-competitive behavior, clarify penalties and sanctions and establish a regulatory body that can efficiently implement the competition policy. Considering the intricacies innate in developing a competition policy, government must start the process.
- Improve our Technology Management
In Technology Management, The Philippines’ overall record in terms of science and technology has been poor. The Philippines does not invest enough in research and development activities. The country needs to spend a minimum of one percent of GDP per year on research and development in order to have a significant impact on the level of development, that is a view we share with the UNESCO. The Philippines also suffers from a huge deficiency in terms of science and technology manpower. In the past few years, the country has had only less than some 150 scientists and engineers per million population engaged in research and development. This is not only a factor that should spur up the tame business environment in the country, but should also help in our efforts to provide better opportunity for our people to live safely in their own homes, as these people are also essential in terms of their expertise in the field of disaster prevention/mitigation and climate change. Therefore, Increasing investment in science and technology education is the most crucial investment to spur and sustain long-term growth.
- Power Crisis must be resolved immediately
Opportunies cannot be maximized as well if both businesses and citizens do not have a power sector supportive of their productivity. The high cost of electricity in the Philippines has been discouraging foreign investors. We are in the midst of an impending power crisis, and an investment of around P500 billion is needed to prevent this to happen. This government,no matter how financially difficult its situation is, must invest in expanding the country’s generation and transmission infrastructure, and encourage greater private sector participation in the power industry. The country must begin exploring alternative sources of electricity such as biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy or hybrids of such, and the possibility of opening up a nuclear power plant, without reviving the old BNPP (Bataan Nuclear Power Plant), because there is no use in reviving a worn-out structure.
POVERTY OF INFORMATION
The poverty of information, which now brings to a front problems of education, must also be dealt with. We must provide a wide range of alternatives, aside from Government funded programs, and at the same time, focus on the curriculum design of our education institutions, to ensure that we meet the ends of the goals we have set for Education. Building classrooms, adding books and other material supplies are necessary, but we must also look into investing in the capacity of our human resource, our teachers, administrators, to efficient school management techniques to ensure that information is spread properly to students, using well ran systems of teaching and well designed courses suited to the competencies of their students. Aside from their usual subjects in school, there must be an increased effort to raise their consciousness in terms of their Mother-Tongue Language and their technical and vocational expertise, and this must be reviewed and integrated to be part of the regular curriculum in High School, so that they can bring along practical skills should they seek employment after high school, at the same time, have a better appreciation of their own linguistic history towards a better understanding of the bigger context of society.
POVERTY OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
The poverty of relationships, perhaps, is the toughest nut to crack amongst all these, considering our various origins, the diversities in our pluralistic societies and the differences in our personal and political views. These solutions that we have mentioned cut across the interests of the classes of society. This is where national interest comes to play. Politicians have a great role to play in exemplifying that a consensus can be arrived despite ideological differences, and that is something we can start on. Hopefully, these solutions can be a start of collaboration between all people, all classes of society. Government, in its totality, may you be allies of the administration, fiscalizers, oppositionists, and the citizenry, may you be rich, in the middle or poor, can still function according to your societal roles, but must work under the principle, that without one, there can be no me, there can be no us.
This relationship between the people and the government must be viewed in the light of a body, that without one part, the whole cannot fully function.
In this time of our age, the call for national unity goes beyond the want, because it stems from a great need for a collective vision, a vision of a better and brighter Philippines. Hopefully, our call does not remain a perpetual asking for cooperation everytime there is a State of the Nation Address, but a start of a unified action, that hopefully, the next versions of the SONA will just be an addendum of solutions to the evolving problems, instead of a re-hash of old challenges.
Problems will never end, and so does our pursuit for solutions. Dynamism is what we have, and when we put them all together, the spirit of the Filipino will bring out our collective greatness, as individuals, as communities, under ONE FLAG, UNDER ONE NATION. One Day, we will make each other PROUD of what we have done, and we can look back at this day as the START of the RENEWAL OF OUR GENERATION.
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