Disclaimer: The songs and lyrics are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels, and are provided here for informational and entertainment purposes only.
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Declaration (Words and music: Jon Black)
The Bonus track on Jon Black's newest album, "Goodbye Golden Age".
He wrote this song after having a fire drill at his office job, and, as he stood outside the building, decided that a cubicle wasn't for him. That night, he went home and wrote this song, the next day, he quit his desk job to pursue his love for music.
You've got to be kidding me
This can't be what I'm made for
To wake up and fall in line
Never feel or taste more
So I'm staring at the ocean tide
With this wind surrounding me
Let the restlessness inside
Lead to life abundantly
We're living in a land
where we go through these motions
just like fools, just like slaves
bound up, and shackled in these chains
this is a declaration
We want more
we want more
we want more
than this world can give
It's routine that's robbing us
it's routine some live for
'Cause routine is safe and calm
Ah, but we could ride this storm
but we're buried here alive
and we've got ourselves to blame
and we'll never feel the sun
and we'll never feel the rain
We're living in a land
where we go through these motions
just like fools, just like slaves
bound up and shackled in these chains
this is a declaration
We want more
we want more
we want more
than this world can give
We want more
we want more
we want more
than this world can give
We want more
we want more
we want more
than this world can give
We're living in a land
where we go through these motions
just like fools, just like slaves
bound up and shackled in these chains
this is a declaration
This is a declaration
We want more
we want more
we want more
than this world can give
We want more then this world can give
We want more then this world can give.
***
Doing All Right (by: Queen)
Words and music by Brian May and Tim Staffell
"Doing All Right" was written by Brian May and Tim Staffell while in the pre-Queen band, Smile. The song changes many times throughout, from light pop music to acoustic guitars and even contains a section that could only be referred to as heavy metal. This is one of the few Queen songs to feature Brian May on the piano. (source: Wikipedia)
Yesterday my life was in ruin
Now today I know what I'm doing
Got a feeling I should be doing all right
Doing all right
Where will I be this time tomorrow?
Jumped in joy or sinking in sorrow
Anyway I should be doing all right
Doing all right
Should be waiting for the sun
Looking round to find the words to say
Should be waiting for the skies to clear
There ain't time in all the world
Should be waiting for the sun
And anyway I've got to hide away
Yesterday my life was in ruin
Now today God knows what I'm doing
Anyway I should be doing all right
Doing all right
Photo by alexander yeeBelow is the full text / transcript of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's last SONA, delivered before the 3rd Regular Session of the 14th Congress, today, July 27, 2009.
Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's State of the Nation Address for the 3rd Regular Session of the 14th Congress
27 July 2009
Thank you, Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Before I begin my report to the nation, please join me first in a moment of prayer for President Cory Aquino. Senate President Enrile, Speaker Nograles, Senators, Representatives, Vice President de Castro, former President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors friends:
The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. Financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world.
Tens of millions lost their jobs; billions across the globe have been hurt—the poor always harder than the rich. No one was spared.
It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally, economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.
A few days ago, Moody’s upgraded our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics.
I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President. When my father left the Presidency, we were second to Japan. I want our Republic to be ready for the first world in 20 years.
Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat, ang layunin ng ating patakaran ay tulungan ang masisipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, and a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorer citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family.
Had we listened to the critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. It would take twice the effort just to get it back again on its feet—to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing. For standing with me and doing the right thing, thank you, Congress.
The strong, bitter and unpopular revenue measures of the past few years have spared our country the worst of the global financial shocks. They gave us the resources to stimulate the economy. Nabigyan nila ang pinakamalaking pagtaas ng IRA ng mga LGU na P40 billion itong taon, imparting strength throughout the country at every level of government.
Compared to the past we have built more and better infrastructure, including those started by others but left unfinished. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a prime example of building better roads. It creates wealth as the flagship of the Subic-Clark corridor.
We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the roll on/roll off transport system. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Authority Law.
Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work.
Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now.
Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT.
In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a $5 billion industry.
Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate.
They gave us the resources to extend welfare support and enhance spending power.
For helping me raise government salaries through Joint Resolution 4, thank you, Congress.
Cash handouts give the most immediate relief and produce the widest stimulating effect. Nakikinabang ang 700,000 na pinakamahihirap na pamilya sa programang Pantawid Pamilya.
We prioritize projects with the same stimulus effects plus long-term contributions to progress.
Sa pagpapamahagi ng milyun-milyong ektaryang lupa, 700,000 na katutubo at mahigit isang milyong benepisyaryo ng CARP ay taas-noong may-ari na ng sariling lupa. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na ipasa agad ang pagpapalawig ng CARP, at dapat ma-condone ang P42 billion na land reform liabilities dahil 18% lamang ang nabayaran mula 1972. Napapanahon, it’s timely because it will unfreeze the rural property market. Ang mahal kong ama ang nag-emancipate ng mga magsasaka. Ii-mancipate naman natin ngayon ang titulo.
Nakinabang ang pitong milyong entrepreneurs sa P165 billion na microfinance loans.
Nakinabang ang sandaan libo sa emergency employment ng ating economic resiliency plan. Kasama natin ngayon ang isa sa kanila, si Gigi Gabiola. Dating household service worker sa Dubai, ngayon siya ay nagtatrabaho sa DOLE. Good luck, Gigi.
Nakinabang ang isang milyong pamilya sa programang pabahay at palupa, mula Pag-Ibig, NHA, community mortgage program, certificates of lot award, at saka iyong loan condonation.
Our average inflation is the lowest since 1966. Last June, it dropped to 1.5%. Paano?
Proper policies lowered interest rates, which lowered costs to business and consumers.
Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating ibenta ang bigas NFA sa P18.25 per kilo kahit tumaas ang presyo sa labas mula P17.50 hanggang P30 dahil sa kakulangan ng supply sa mundo. Habang, sa unang pagkakataon, nagawa nating itaas ang pamimili ng palay sa mga magsasaka, P17 mula sa P11.
Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating mamuhunan sa pagkain—anticipating an unexpected global food crisis. Nakagawa tayo ng libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market roads at, kasama ng pribadong sector, natubigan ang dalawang milyong ektarya. Mga Badjao gaya ni Tarnati Dannawi ay tinuruan ng modernong mariculture. Umabot na sa P 180,000 ang kinita niya mula noong nakaraang taon. Congratulations, Tarnati. We will help more fisherfolk shift to fish farming with a budget of P1 billion.
Dahil dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan tayo ng panibago sa ating hunger mitigation program na sa nakaraan ay napatunayang mabisa. Tulungan ninyo ako dito, Kongreso.
Mula pa noong 2001, nanawagan na tayo ng mas murang gamot. Nagbebenta tayo ng gamot na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine law. I supported it over the weak version of my critics. The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressmen Cua, Alvarez, Biron, Locsin.
Pursuant to law, we are placing other drugs under a maximum retail price. To those who want to be President, this advice: If you really want something done, just do it. Do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Don't pander. And don’t say bad words in public.
Sa health insurance, sakop na ang 86% ang ating populasyon.
Sa Rent Control Law ng 2005 hanggang 2008, di pwedeng lumampas ng 10% ang pagtaas ng upa taun-taon. Ayon sa kakapirma nating batas may isang taong moratorium, tapos hanggang 7% lamang ang maaaring pagtaas. Salamat, Kongreso.
Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-P500 ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Pantawid Koryente sa mga small electricity users.
Yung presyo ng koryente, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA dismantled monopoly. Ngunit minana natin ang power purchase agreements, kaya hindi pa natin makamtan yung buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang iyan. The next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA.
Samantala, umabot na sa halos lahat ng barangay ang elektrisidad. We increased indigenous energy from 48% to 58%. Nakatipid tayo sa dollars tapos na-reduce pa iyong oil consumption. The huge reduction in fossil fuel is the biggest proof of energy independence and environmental responsibility. Further reduction will come with the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act, and the Biofuels Act.
The next generation will also benefit from our lower public debt to GDP ratio. It declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008. We cut in half the debt of government corporations from 15% to 7%. Likewise foreign debt from 73% to 32%. Kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kundi ang utang, iyong foreign debt. Those in the past administrations conjured the demon of foreign debt. We exorcised it.
The market grows economies. A free market, not a free-for-all.
To that end, we improved our banking system to complement its inherent conservatism. The Bangko Sentral has been prudent. Thank you, Governor Tetangco, for being so effective. The BSP will be even more effective if Congress will amend its Charter.
We worked on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act, reducing non-performing loans from 18% to 4% and improving loan-deposit ratios.
Our new Securitization Law did not encourage the recklessness that brought down giant banks and insurance companies elsewhere and laid their economies to waste. In fact, it monitors and regulates the new-fangled financial schemes. Thank you, Congress.
We will work to increase tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth. Revenue enhancement must come from the Department of Finance plugging leaks and catching tax and customs cheats. I call on tax paying citizens and tax paying businesses, help the BIR and stop those tax cheats.
Taxes should come from alcohol and tobacco and not from books. Tax hazards to lungs and livers, do not tax minds. Ang kita mula sa buwis sa alak at sigarilyo ay dapat gamitin sa kalusugan at edukasyon. Pondohan ang Philhealth premiums ng pinakamahihirap. Pondohan ang mas maraming classroom at computers.
Pardon my partiality for the teaching profession. I was a teacher.
Kaya namuhunan tayo ng malaki sa edukasyon at skills training.
Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas magandang buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams.
Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng P1.5 billion para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers.
Isa sa pinakamahirap sa Millennium Development Goals ay iyong Edukasyon para sa Lahat pagdating ng 2015. Ibig sabihin, lahat ng nasa tamang edad ay dapat nasa primary school. Halos walang bansang makakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap pa rin tayo. Nagtayo tayo ng mga paaralan sa higit sanlibong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan upang makatipid ng gastos sa pasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school. Hindi na kailangan mag-uniporme ang mga estudyante sa public school.
In private high schools, we finance half of the students.
We have provided college and post-graduate education for over 600,000 scholars. One of them, Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, finished Accounting at MSU-IIT, then she went to law school, and placed second in the last bar exams - the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher. Congratulations!
In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job, Jennifer.
The Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father Bienvenido Nebres has come out with the Main Education Highway towards a Knowledge-Based Economy. It envisions seamless education from basic to vocational school or college.
It seeks to mainstream early childhood development in basic education. Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind—and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job.
For college admission, the Task Force recommends mandatory Scholastic Aptitude Tests. It also recommends that higher private education institutions should be harmonized with state universities and colleges, and that CHED should oversee local universities and colleges. For professions seeking international recognition—engineering, architecture, accountancy, pharmacy and physical therapy—it recommends radical reform: 10 years of basic education, two years of pre-university, before three years of university.
Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way.
Sa hirap at ginhawa, pinapatatag ang ating bansa ng ating overseas Filipinos. Iyong padala nilang $16 billion noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa.
I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found—in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is hard work.
Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha dito sa atin ng mga trabahong maganda ang sahod, so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hard-working Filipino.
Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mas epektibong proteksyon at pagpapalawak ng halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang suweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for Overseas Filipino Workers investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force.
Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong bayan at kanilang mga host sa buong mundo – mula Hapon...hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano sila matutulungan ng ating pamahalaan—-by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and restoring liberty.
Pagpunta ko sa Saudi, pinatawad ni Haring Abdullah ang pitong daang OFW na nasa preso. Pinuno nila ang isang buong eroplano at umuwi kasama ko.
Mula sa ating State Visit sa Espanya, it has become our biggest European donor. At si Haring Juan Carlos ay nakikipag-usap sa ibang mga bansa para sa ating mga namomoblemang OFW. Ganoon din si Sheikh Khalifa, ang Prime Minister ng Bahrain.
Pagpunta ko sa Kuwait, Emir Al-Sabah commuted death sentences. We thank all our leaders, our world leaders, for showing compassion to our overseas foreign workers. Salamat.
Our vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration. Kasama ng ating mga Together with our OFWs, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso at naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaas ng presyo. They upgraded our credit because while the reserves of our peers have shrunk this past year, ours reserves grew by $3 billion.
Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice. The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of America’s stimulus package.
I have accepted the invitation of President Obama to be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet him at the White House, later this week.
That he sought us out testifies to our strong and deep ties.
High on our agenda will be peace and security issues. Terrorism: how to meet it, how to end it, how to address its roots in injustice or prejudice—and first and always how to protect lives.
We will discuss nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines will chair the review of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation Treaty in New York in May 2010. The success of the talks will be a major diplomatic achievement for us.
There is a range of other issues we will discuss, including the global challenge of climate change, especially the threat to countries with long coastlines. And there is the global recession, its worse impact on poor people, and the options that can spare them from the worst.
In 2008 up to the first quarter of 2009 we stood among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink. Compare this to 2001, when some of my current critics were driven out by people power. Asia was surging but our country was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Since then, our economy posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters; more than doubled its size from $76 billion to $186 billion. The average GDP growth from 2001 to the first quarter of 2009 is the highest in 43 years.
Bumaba ang bilang ng mga nagsasabing mahirap sila sa 47% mula 59%. Maski lumaki ang ating populasyon, nabawasan ng dalawang milyon ang bilang ng mahihirap. GNP per capita rose from a Third World $967 to $2,000. Lumikha tayo ng walong milyong trabaho, an average of a million a year, much, much more than at any other time.
In sum: 1. We have a strong economy and a strong fiscal position to withstand global shocks.
2. We built new modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones.
3. The economy is more fair to the poor than ever before.
4. We are building a sound base for the next generation.
5. International authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters.
As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not. The mapping of flood- and landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga.
We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age old woe.
Patuloy naman iyong sa Camanava, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at mga river basin ng Mindanao.
The victims of typhoon Frank in Panay should receive their long-overdue assistance package. I ask Congress to pass the SNITS Law.
Namana natin ang pinakamatagal na rebelyon ng Komunista sa buong mundo.
Si Leah de la Cruz isa sa labindalawang libong rebel returnee. Sixteen pa lang siya nang sumali sa NPA. Naging kasapi sa regional White Area Committee, napromote sa Leyte Party Committee Secretary. Nahuli noong 2006. She is now involved in an LGU-supported handicraft livelihood training of former rebels. We love you, Leah!
There is now a good prospect for peace talks with both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the MILF, with whom we are now on ceasefire.
We inherited an age-old conflict in Mindanao, exacerbated by a politically popular but near-sighted policy of massive retaliation. This only provoked the other side to continue the war.
In these two internal conflicts, ang tanong ay hindi, “Sino ang mananalo?†kundi, bakit pa ba kailangang mag-laban ang kapwa Pilipino tungkol sa mga isyu na alam naman nating lahat na di malulutas sa dahas, at mareresolba lang sa paraang demokratiko?
There is nothing more that I would wish for than peace in Mindanao. It will be a blessing for all its people, Muslim, Christian and lumads. It will show other religiously divided communities that there can be common ground on which to live together in peace, harmony and cooperation that respects each other’s religious beliefs.
At sa lahat ng dako ng bansa, kailangan nating protektahan ang ating mga mamamayan kontra sa krimen' -- in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their communities. How shall crime be fought? With the five pillars of justice, including crime fighters. We call on Congress to fund more policemen on the streets.
Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next, more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous, a people as content, as ours deserve to be.
The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it.
As the seeds of fundamental political reform are planted, let us address the highest exercise of democracy, voting!
In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress.
At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage, but not from the Presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state—to the very last day.
A year is a long time. Patuloy ang pamumuhunan sa tinatawag na three E’s ng ekonomiya, environment at edukasyon. There are many perils that we must still guard against.
A man-made calamity is already upon us, global in scale. As I said earlier, so far we have been spared its worst effects but we cannot be complacent. We only know that we have generated more resources on which to draw, and thereby created options we could take. Thank God we did not let our critics stop us.
As the campaign unfolds and the candidates take to the airwaves, I ask them to talk more about how they will build up the nation rather than tear down their opponents. Give the electorate real choices and not just sweet talk.
Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course we set in 2001.
Ang ating taong bayan ay masipag at maka-Diyos. These qualities are epitomized in someone like Manny Pacquiao....Manny trained tirelessly, by the book, with iron discipline, with the certain knowledge that he had to fight himself, his weaknesses first, before he could beat his opponent. That was the way to clinch his victories and his ultimate title: ang pinakadakilang boksingero sa kasaysayan. Mabuhay ka, Manny!
However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch. She must work with the problem as much as against it, turn it into a solution if she can.
There isn’t a day I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in. Our people deserve-a-government that works just as hard as they do.
A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime.
Everything right can be undone by even a single wrong. Every step forward must be taken in the teeth of political pressures and economic constraints that could push you two steps back-if-you flinch and falter. I have not flinched, I have not faltered. Hindi ako umaatras sa hamon.
And I have never done any of the things that have scared my worst critics so much. They are frightened by their own shadows.
In the face of attempted coups, I issued emergency proclamations just in case. But I was able to resolve these military crises with the ordinary powers of my office. My critics call it dictatorship. I call it determination. We know it as strong government.
But I never declared martial law, though they are running scared as if I did. In truth, what they are really afraid of is their weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat.
I say to them: do not tell us what we all know, that democracy can be threatened. Tell us what you will do when it is attacked.
I know what to do:
As I have shown, I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order when it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all.
I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts.
I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it.
I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my position for personal profit. Many who accuse me have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime.
We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves.
Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there.
Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it.
Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country.
From Bonifacio at Balintawak to Cory Aquino at EDSA and up to today, we have struggled to bring power to the people, and this country to the eminence it deserves.
Today the Philippines is weathering well the storm that is raging around the world. It is growing stronger with the challenge. When the weather clears, as it will, there is no telling how much farther forward it can go. Believe in it. I believe.
We can and we must march forward with hope, optimism and determination.
We must come together, work together and walk together toward the future.
Bagamat malaking hamon ang nasa ating harapan, nasa kamay natin ang malaking kakayahan. Halina’t pagtulungan nating tiyakin ang karapat-dapat na kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan.
And to the people of our good country, for allowing me to serve as your President, maraming salamat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Since we're tired of hearing our dear President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tell us many sugar-coated lies --- exaggerating on small progress made, bombarding us with impressive video presentations and ramming so-called impressive statistics down our throats while at the same time downplaying the many important issues that hound her administration to this day, why not, for a change, hear her sing instead?
Beauty, eh? :) Lovely idea, if you ask me. But what song? What song would an honest PGMA would have wanted us to hear? If there was only "us" -- the Filipino people and God to listen to her minus her allies (that seem to put so much pressure on her excellency), what do you think the song would be about?
I got a song for you, PGMA. And I would love to hear you sing it to all of us.
Something To Say
by: Harem Scarem
Yesterday I had it all worked out to a "T"
But now something's wrong between you and me I was wrong, so wrong To think that I would stay
Seasons come and seasons go
And today is another day
I wanna say now's the time
To go our separate ways
I don't know I might be wrong
Could we find the strength to say
That our love, our love's seen some better days And who's to say if I had the chance
That I'd make the choice to stay
If you ever had something that you wanted to say
You better start talking before I go away I wish that I could say I've been feeling okay
That I'll be bringing on the better days
But I wouldn't feel right
Knowing I was lying to you
Am I wasting all my time, will we try to make amends
I try to read between the lines
But all I see is the end
***
Yes, PGMA. In today's 2009 State of the Nation Address happening at 4PM, the last of yours, how I wish you sing this to us. (and if you could also play us the kick-ass intro, that'd be so cool!) And how I wish you digest every line. I have something to say. Everyone has something to say to you.
I used to like you PGMA. I actually voted for you as VP in 98 and as President in 2004. Now, I grieve at such a mistake that have cost me and my country so much suffering.
But you know, you don't really have to sing it. You can just tell this to us, as sincerely as you can. Tell us the truth -- as it is, no lies, no games, no pretense. Tell us that you've had shortcomings, tell us you fell short of our expectations, tell us, that you, high and mighty as you are, have also made countless mistakes that steered us into the wrong direction. Then maybe, just maybe, we can forgive you. Because only then can we see the good side of you and your brand of leadership. Stop forcing us to see things through your rose-colored glasses. We both know we are deluding ourselves. In your last hurrah, the last few months of your Presidency, come down from your mighty throne, throw those glasses and let's see reality together. If you ever wanted to leave us a legacy, leave us a legacy of contrition, of making amends. It may be too little now, but dear President, I tell you, it is never too late.
****
Dear countrymen, there you go. If you ever have something that you wanted to say, you better start talking before she goes away -- that is, if she ever goes away. #
Edit: Please refer to replay video below. Video credits: Sunstar.com.ph Replay of July 27, 2009 / 4PM SONA
PART 1 OF 2
PART 2 OF 2
Prelude To The Long Jurney:
Well, here we go again. Not too long ago, I wrote around 3 posts solely
dedicated to the 2008 SONA of PGMA. There was a pre-SONA post, a videostream
courtesy of Justin.tv and a post-SONA sentiments post.
This year, however, due to reasons I can't even begin to tell you, I didn't have
that luxury to run my fingers on my lonely keyboard and churn-out as many posts
as I would have wanted.
Seriously, if only I have that much love for the president, I would have preferred
that she declared this a national holiday because listening to State of the Nation Addresses
should be considered an important activity for all Filipinos. (Note: As of last report,
DepEd has declared it a no-school day for the entire Metro Manila / NCR only -- across all levels).
But since all we've been hearing are bs and rhetorics anyway, then I'd rather that my fellowmen go
to work and just listen to its replay on TV or get it from all the other available media out there.
By the way, for the uninformed, the SONA 2009 will happen tomorrow, that's a Monday, around 4:00 PM
(PHT/GMT+8), live telecast probably in most free TV stations and AM radio stations. Live online video
streaming will be available through the OPS (Office of the Press Secretary) website. The SONA 2009 full
text transcipt will also be available there immediately after the SONA.
A Look Back At The Lost Years:
I think I've told you before, in previous posts, that I'm a results-oriented person. To me, results
always speak for themselves. While it is true that you can't argue with pure data, it is also
true that there's absolutely no way you can argue with glaring truth staring at you in the face,
that stench of corruption causing olfactory insult and of course, of people dying -- of poverty,
of politically-motivated causes, etc etc blah blah blah.
Considering all that, I think there isn't really much to look forward to in this last SONA. Who are we kidding
here if we claim that there'll be something new and surprising? If there were anything great to look forward to,
I guess we'd somehow feel it, don't you think? But you and I know that in all 8 years of her reign, we can't really
say that we've been better off than in the previous administrations.
But then again, looking at it objectively, searching into our heart of hearts, removing all biases and flying off
to space for a bigger perspective, a satellite's view, if you will -- what does all this tell you and me? What do you see?
You know what I see from my imagined perspective? I see "abandonment of responsibility". I see "lack of accountability and
commitment". I see "unmistakable apathy". From Gloria, you ask? No. From all of us. You. Me. All of us.
Of course there'll be holier than thou accusations from all sectors, all claiming to be victims of this government's injustice
in all forms (political, financial, you name it). And these accusations, probably most of it, may be true. Then there's the
accusation the government throws at media and the opposition of demonizing the president and the administration as a whole.
These accusations, probably most of it, may also be true. So if both may be true, where does the absolute truth rest?
I'd say, the truth is out there.
The truth of Who the real victims are, is out there.
The truth of whether we've been a better or worse after PGMA is out there.
The truth of whether we've been financially strong amid the global crisis is out there.
So is the truth of those claim to millions of scholarships given, the so-called jobs produced, the roads paved, the taxes collected,
the budgets approapriated, the endless list of so-called accomplishments -- there are all out there.
If we've been better off after 8 years, why then are there protests? Because we're just a bunch of whiny pampered brats?
I don't think so. Because we just have this thing for stirring political enmity for no apparent reason? I don't think so.
People say we are never contented. Of course. It is in every human being's nature to not find contentment. Fight that and you fight
nature itself, and believe me, it's a battle you will never win. The government's job therefore is NOT to make people feel contented --
that's impossible. Surely, whoever sits as president will always have to deal with some sort of oppostion -- that's the basic law -- even
in science/motion.
So what then is the President's job? The President's job is to ensure that he/she does her best in serving his/her country through
honest, selfless and uncompromising dedication to the assurance of people's welfare -- political, financial, social -- and more.
It is the President's mandate to 1) uphold the highest law of the land, the Constitution and; 2) to use this law effectively for which
it was made -- to protect its people. Because in the final analysis, when people take to the streets, criticize the government or cause
harm to other people, they do so because their primary needs are not met. Job security, safe environment, food, etc. Meet those needs and
first and this goverment will have lesser and easier battles to fight.
The problem with this administration's legacy ultimately boils down to number 1 -- FAILURE to uphold the Constitution, and worse, an audacious
attempt to distort it and shape it according to the will and benefit of a select few! And get a load of this, if you fail to follow #1, you
automatically fail #2!
Outside Looking In: What The Future Holds
For PGMA, the curtains are closing in, conversely, the curtains for a new President will open very soon.
Corruption and abuse -- two words hurled at this government -- will only happen if we let it. The fact that it did happen means that we allowed
it to happen -- we tolerated it. We saw irregularities yet remained blind to it either through apathy or worse, selfishness. If something wrong
happens which we think do not affect us directly, we let it pass.
What now do we do? How do we change things?
If you want to change things, do this: Detach yourself from the picture. See it from a different perspective. Hover above the scenario and let objectivity
rule your thoughts. You will see, clear as the sun on a hot summer day, that the future you ask for is in your hands. You will realize that the answer to your
endless questions of "What does this country need today?" lies within your very self. Have that resolve -- to change things for the better.
But how?
For starters, here's some things you can do now:
1) Register for the 2010 elections. Registration ends August 31, 2009. Your vote is not just a right. It is an OBLIGATION.
2) Exert extra effort in knowing your candidates. Don't just vote for those endorsed by celebrities, friends or even family.
It's your vote. It's a reflection of what you are, your ideals, your beliefs, make your vote as unique as you are.
3) After voting, guard your vote. Guard it with your life as if your life depends on it -- because in reality, it does!
4) Corruption begins when we overlook small things. Be firm. Ask for receipts. Never pay extra.
5) Report anomalies -- however little. Don't turn a blind eye on little things that you think won't matter now. Every little thing
counts.
6) Pay your taxes -- promtly and honestly. No matter how much it hurts your pocket. Taxes are the lifeblood of a country.
7) Obey traffic rules. Easiest thing on earth to do.
8) Support your churches. It feels good and it does good for the country, really.
9) Watch the news but take it with a grain of salt -- always!
10) No matter how hard it seems, support your officials, your President. You are duty-bound to do that, mind you.
Of course, it doesn't end there. There are many things you and I can do instead of just whining and criticizing. That list up there isn't
exhaustive. One can never write such a list. We have been equipped with faculties meant to guide us in decision-making. Let's use that
brilliant mind, that nosy nose, that critical eye, that sharp-witted tongue for that so-called greater good. Let's do that today. Everyday.
SONA or no SONA.
** Once again, I enjoin you, dear readers and fellowmen, let's watch the SONA 2009. That's tomorow, Monday, July 27, 2009, at 4:00 PM (PHT/GMT+9).
If you miss the live telecast/broadcast/webcast, Google is your friend. :) Or better yet, go back here, I will embed a video for your viewing pleasure.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Prelude To The Long, Arduous Journey
Well, here we go again. Not too long ago, I wrote around 3 posts solely dedicated to th 2008 SONA of PGMA. There was a pre-SONA post, a videostream courtesy of Justin.tv and a post-SONA sentiments post.
This year, however, due to reasons I can't even begin to tell you, I didn't have that luxury to run my fingers on my lonely keyboard and churn-out as many posts as I would have wanted.
Seriously, if only I have that much love for the president, I would have preferred that she declared this a national holiday because listening to State of the Nation Addresses should be considered an important activity for all Filipinos.
(Note: As of last report, DepEd has declared it a no-school day for the entire Metro Manila/NCR only -- across all levels, in consideration of the SONA and the somehow traffic-disruptive protests it brings).
But since all we've been hearing are bs and rhetorics anyway, then I'd rather that my fellowmen go to work and improve their lives first and just listen to/watch its replay on TV or get it from all the other available media out there.
By the way, for the uninformed, the SONA 2009 will happen tomorrow, that's a Monday, around 4:00 PM (PHT/GMT+8), live telecast probably in most free TV stations and AM radio stations.
Where to watch LIVE VIDEO STREAMING of SONA 2009:
1) This site -- at the right side bar and in two recent posts.
2) At eradioportal, webcasting NBN Channel 4 --> click here.
I think I've told you before, in previous posts, that I'm a results-oriented person. To me, results always speak for themselves. While it is true that you can't argue with pure data, it is also true that there's absolutely no way you can argue with glaring truth staring at you in the face, that stench of corruption causing olfactory insult and of course, of people dying --of poverty, of politically-motivated causes, etc etc blah blah blah.
Considering all that, I think there isn't really much to look forward to in this last SONA. Who are we kidding here if we claim that there'll be something new and surprising? If there were anything great to look forward to, I guess we'd somehow feel it, don't you think? But you and I know that in all 8 years of her reign, we can't really say that we've been better off than in the previous administrations.
But then again, looking at it objectively, searching into our heart of hearts, removing all biases and flying off to space for a bigger perspective, a satellite's view, if you will -- what does all this tell you and me? What do you see? You know what I see from my imagined perspective? I see "abandonment of responsibility". I see "lack of accountability and commitment". I see "unmistakable apathy". From Gloria, you ask? No. From all of us. You. Me. All of us.
Of course there'll be holier than thou accusations from all sectors, all claiming to be victims of this government's injustice in all forms (political, financial, you name it). And these accusations, probably most of it, may be true. Then there's the accusation the government throws at media and the opposition of demonizing the president and the administration as a whole. These accusations, probably most of it, may also be true.
So if both may be true, where does the absolute truth rest? I'd say, the truth is out there.
The truth of who the real victims are, is out there. The truth of whether we've been better or worse after PGMA is out there. The truth of whether we've been financially strong amid the global crisis is out there. So is the truth of those claim to millions of scholarships given, the so-called jobs produced, the roads paved, the taxes collected, the budgets appropriated, the endless list of so-called accomplishments -- they are all out there.
If we've been better off after 8 years, why then are there protests? Because we're just a bunch of whiny pampered brats? I don't think so. Because we just have this thing for stirring political enmity for no apparent reason? I don't think so.
People say we are never contented. Of course. It is in every human being's nature to not find contentment. Fight that and you fight nature itself, and believe me, it's a battle you will never win. The government's job therefore is NOT to make people feel contented --that's impossible. Surely, whoever sits as president will always have to deal with some sort of opposition -- that's the basic law -- even in science/motion.
So what then is the President's job? The President's job is to ensure that he/she does her best in serving his/her country through honest, selfless and uncompromising dedication to the assurance of people's welfare -- political, financial, social -- and more.
It is the President's mandate to:
1) uphold the highest law of the land, the Constitution and;
2) to use this law effectively for which it was made -- to protect its people. Because in the final analysis, when people take to the streets, criticize the government or cause harm to other people, they do so because their primary needs are not met. Job security, safe environment, food, etc. Meet those needs and first and this government will have lesser and easier battles to fight.
The problem with this administration's legacy ultimately boils down to number 1 --FAILURE to uphold the Constitution, and worse, an audacious attempt to distort it and shape it according to the will and benefit of a select few! And get a load of this, if you fail to follow #1, you automatically fail #2!
***
Outside Looking In: What The Future Holds
For PGMA, the curtains are closing in, conversely, the curtains for a new President will open very soon.
Corruption and abuse -- two words hurled at this government -- will only happen if we let it. The fact that it did happen means that we allowed it to happen -- we tolerated it. We saw irregularities yet remained blind to it either through apathy or worse, selfishness. If something wrong happens which we think do not affect us directly, we let it pass.
What do we do now? How do we change things?
If you want to change things, do this: Detach yourself from the picture. See it from a different perspective. Hover above the scenario and let objectivity rule your thoughts. You will see, clear as the sun on a hot summer day, that the future you ask for is in your hands. You will realize that the answer to your endless questions of "What does this country need today?" lies within your very self. Have that resolve -- to change things for the better.
But how?
For starters, here's some things you can do now:
1) Register for the 2010 elections. Registration ends August 31, 2009. Your vote is not just a right. It is an OBLIGATION.
2) Exert extra effort in knowing your candidates. Don't just vote for those endorsed by celebrities, friends or even family. It's your vote. It's a reflection of what you are, your ideals, your beliefs, make your vote as unique as you are.
3) After voting, guard your vote. Guard it with your life as if your life depended on it --because in reality, it does!
4) Corruption begins when we overlook small things. Be firm. Ask for receipts. Never pay extra.
5) Report anomalies -- however little. Don't turn a blind eye on little things that you think won't matter now. Every little thing counts.
6) Pay your taxes -- promtly and honestly. No matter how much it hurts your pocket. Taxes are the lifeblood of a country.
7) Obey traffic rules and city ordinances. Easiest thing on earth to do.
8) Support your churches. It feels good and it does good for the country, really.
9) Watch the news but take it with a grain of salt -- always!
10) No matter how hard it seems, support your officials, your President. You are duty bound to do that, mind you.
Of course, it doesn't end there. There are many things you and I can do instead of just whining and criticizing. That list up there isn't exhaustive. One can never write such a list. We have been equipped with faculties meant to guide us in decision-making. Let's use that brilliant mind, that nosy nose, that critical eye, that sharp-witted tongue for that so called greater good. Let's do that today. Everyday. SONA or no SONA.
** Once again, I enjoin you, dear readers and fellowmen, let's watch the SONA 2009. That's tomorow, Monday, July 27, 2009, at 4:00 PM (PHT/GMT+8).
If you miss the live telecast/broadcast/webcast, Google is your friend. :) Or better yet, go back here, I will embed a video for your viewing pleasure.
Photo by digiputzJust a public service to those searching online, since I've been getting a lot of traffic from people searching for the exact time / schedule of tomorrow's / Monday's SONA (State of the Nation Address) -- the last SONA (hopefully, cross your fingers and be be vigilant my countrymen) to be presented by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, here's a short post for you.
SONA 2009 Schedule:
Date: July 27, 2009 (Monday)
Time:3:45 / 4:00 PM (PHT) (that's GMT+8)
Where to listen: almost all AM radio stations will carry it.
Where to watch: almost all (free) TV stations will broadcast it LIVE.
RJ is a web/technology and politics enthusiast. She doesn't blog or comment anonymously and her opinions are not for sale. Know more about her and this blog.
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March is Women’s Month
Phenomenal Woman by: Maya Angelou
Many people wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
When I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
The flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
The joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Men themselves have wondered
what they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Now you understand
just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palms of my hands,
the need for my care.
Because I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's my mother and all your mothers
And my grandmothers and your grandmothers
And my great grandmothers and your greats
And my great greats
And yours
And all you women
And Me!
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