TUWID NA DAAN
Aquino wrapped up his speech by addressing those who still doubt Tuwid na Daan. 'My Bosses, let us remember: where did we begin? If you have doubts now, compare them to the doubts we all carried in 2010.' He also thanked the public for their role in making change possible through different ways. 'This is your SONA," he says.
PROBLEMS AT IMMIGRATION, NIA, CUSTOMS
PNoy cites his problems in the Bureau of Immigration, the National Irrigation Administration, (NIA) and Bureau of Customs. That's why he fired the chiefs of immigration and NIA. I'd run out of patience, he says. 'If you are a good, conscientious employee of the BI, NIA, Customs, or any other government agency, I hope that you do even more. It is not enough to lie low and hide inside your cubicle; to prevent wrongdoing is part of your duty. You are in the right, so there is no need to hide; please make it easy for me to find people like you; I will raise you up as praiseworthy examples, that we may fully transform the flawed culture of your agencies.
ECONOMIC GAINS
Aquino trumpets economic gains for the past year. He cites the Philippines' 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter of 2013, the fastest in East and Southeast Asia. He also cites the Philippines' first-ever investment grade rating. The Philippines won an investment grade from two international credit rating agencies which acknowledged the country's efforts in trimming the budget deficit and shoring up revenue collections.
TOURISM
PNoy says 4.3-M foreign tourists visited the Philippines in 2012, a record-high and a 21.4% increase from 2010. Domestic travelers reached 37.5-M in 2012, breaching the original 2016 target of 35.5-M. He says he’s confident the country will achieve its new target of 56-M domestic tourists this year.
PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Aquino says the public has lost confidence in projects government earlier entered into due to past controversies. Aquino says his government has no plans to add to the list of questionable contracts. He cites several projects awarded 'without shortcuting the process': Laguindingan airport and Daang Hari-SLEX expressway. He says more projects are underway such as airports in Tacloban, Bicol, Bohol, and Puerto Princesa.
IRRIGATION
Thanks to Senate President Franklin Drilon, the Jalaur multi-purpose irrigation project in Iloilo has been approved. This project has waited for 50 years to be implemented. This will benefit farmers, create 17,000 jobs and improve rice production by 80%.
MRT AND LRT SUBSIDIES
Increase MRT and LRT fares – as much as aircon bus fares – so the subsidy they’re eating up can be channeled to other things.
PRIORITY BILLS
Among the priority bills are the Cabotage bill, Fiscal Incentives Rationalization bill, the Land Administration bill, and the proposed P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014.
