Gloria Macapagal Arroyo SONA 2009

State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an annual event in any republic, in which the president gives a report or summary on the status of the nation, eventually during the term of such president. In the Philippines, to give such address is a duty of the President as mentioned in Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution:
“The President shall address the Congress at the opening of its regular session. He may also appear before it at any time.”

This very day, July 27, 2009, the President of the Philippines, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, had given her 9th SONA and had it in a way different from the others.
She gave a picture of the country that would have been “lying on its back” if “we had given in to our critics.” She had referred to the achievements her administration had during the nine years of her presidency, most specifically in the areas of education, infrastructure, and economics.

She had for her audience some of the individuals who became testaments with the progress of the nation; one of them is the champion, Manny Pacquiao. She also had her chance to deal with the many allegations given her by her critics. She said, “I have never done any of the things that have scared my worst critics so much.” Telling them that, “They are frightened by their own shadows.”

With her seventy-six minutes state of the nation address, she had given it her all, showing people with her acclaimed achievements and response to her opponents. But with all her ‘blabs’, I don’t think that the people, the citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, have been deeply ‘touched’ or even yet ‘moved’ by them. Talks do not walk as actions are seen by the people. Her 9th address would have been truer if she had it with all the honesty – if she still does have.

I personally believe that there would no longer be a need to somehow resurrect her self is she did really achieve the goals she had been telling the people. There would not be a massive rebellion against her if all the nine years that she had stayed at her position were not nine years of waste.

The SONA would somehow fit the definition that was originally given it IF she had just stated the very status, situation, or whatever you may call it, of the nation right now, even up to the moment she was opening her mouth, and let her words depart it.

People are not that blind to see the scavenging status of everyone just to live. People are not that deaf, to not hear the cries of empty stomachs and injustice cries. People are not that insensitive, to not feel the heat of the sun burning their skins and still enduring all the pain just to feed his family. People are people who see, hear, and even feel the devastation she had brought during the wasted years she sat at her ‘throne’.

There’s this comment that I have read in one of the articles regarding the same subject and I just love it so for it nailed it all.
“I h[a]ve to give GMA credit for giving out a pretty good speech, but you have to be completely dense to believe it.”