The new president's first State of the Nation Address
It has been widely discussed in the current president's State of the Nation Address (SONA) on social media. As expected, Filipinos loved to defend the president while also criticizing him. I eagerly watched his SONA because I was curious about the contents. While watching television, I was writing my story entry in InkWell. And I paused when necessary.
The first thing I noticed was that when the president entered, the crowd applauded and cheered for him. The clapping only lasts a few seconds. I got a chill when President Marcos started his opening speech. A chill that was both amused and eager to hear what he had to say next. It was a heart-stopping moment for me because of the criticism that followed.
Listening to him speaking in front of the television made me smile and sad. The whole context of his speech was carefully analyzed by the critiques. It was my first time listening attentively while jotting down notes about it. My expectations were about the economy, agriculture, education, and transportation fees. These are the things that severely affected my life, and so I would be glad if he discussed them thoroughly.
What are my personal highlights?
People are looking for new coverage of effective layout for our economy because the economy has been really bad for the past few years. With the new strict laws and regulations, unemployment rates continue to rise. Because taxes continue to pile up, we know that the majority of the government's funds are associated with tax collection. So, if the government can't collect enough taxes, how can we expect them to help the masses?
"Marcos vowed to create a fiscal management tax administration reform that will increase revenue collection," writes Laureen Ynot, an online news writer for Sunstar. He also stated that spending would be reallocated and that eco-zones would be fully supported. He stated that the country's tax system will be adjusted to keep up with the digital economy." It was a relief that Marcos anticipated this tax collection.
In terms of Agriculture, it was visible how much the goods and services increased the price each month. I, myself, a marketer in our local supermarket frequently surprised by the inflation. The quarterly budget for a month has been adjusted multiple times since the food stocks are depleting at a fast pace. I am not sure if the market supplies are low, and that’s why the prices are going up.
According to Laureen Ynot, Marcos said the Department of Agriculture, which he heads, will come up with solutions to the rising prices and lack of supply of food. One way to address this, he said, is by increasing the production of farmers during the planting season by providing them financial and technical assistance. The government will also strengthen the value chain.
I also desire to cut the middlemen between the farmers and consumers. I noticed that prices vary from the middlemen too. They are the ones making the prices up and getting bigger profits than farmers themselves. Why our farmers are decreasing in number today is due to the fact that land ownership is the problem. Farm fields are being converted into commercial land and house-building programs. Our old farm is one of the affected ones before.
If I remember correctly, President Marcos mentioned the resume of face-to-face classes and implementation of ROTC at the senior high school level. It would be mandatory which needs to be taken. I wasn’t surprised at all since VP Duterte has been voicing it out many times. I remembered that the cameraman’s focus was in her direction.
I was hoping before the resume of face-to-face classes in August and September, the transportation problems would have been solved already. It was a pain in our wallets to spend most of our money for the sake of transportation fares. It is not fair at all. I seek lower transportation fares and a decrease in gas prices. It would be a relief for a student like me who basically trying to become independent in his own way.
To summarize, I absolutely loved the content of Marcos' first SONA. It was relatable, societal issues were discussed, and he made clear the current economic crisis. His SONA was neither long nor short, which would have been fine with me. I'm looking forward to his proposed legislation, performances, and how he will lead the country toward greater development and innovation.
Resources:
Mondonedo-Ynot, L. (2022, July 25). SUMMARY: Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Sona 2022 - SUNSTAR. SUNSTAR; www.sunstar.com.ph. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1935934/manila/local-news/summary-ferdinand-marcos-jrs-sona-2022
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Man, we have the same context ng article HAHHAHAHHA. Anyway. I'm hoping for the best for the new administration.