Last July 27, 2009, Monday, 4:00 PM, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) delivered her last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Batasan Pambansa. As usual, since PGMA is an economist, she lobbied her "good" points when it came to our Economy.
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 the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.
A few days ago, Moody's has just announced the upgrade of 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.
She proudly presented numbers such as 1.5% Inflation rate, lowest since 1966; public debt to GDP ratio has declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008; half the debt of government corporations was cut from 15% to 7; foreign debt was likewise cut from 73% to 32%. Well, such numbers are indeed very impressive. But the real question herewith is how will the ordinary Juan Dela Cruz understand and measure such statistics - none other than his stomach right? Yes, some may say that changing such long-time demon of a country won’t take overnight, but for goodness’ sake, she has been sitting on that very same seat for almost 9 years now. Ask a Juan whom you will meet on the streets if he ever experienced such “better-than-other” economy, and he will ask from you money to at least meet the ends for that day, or ask you for a sustainable job. In the 9 years of her stay in Malacañang, the Filipino nation continued to ail. The Philippine Economy was actually worse under her administration according to economists. We’re not impressed by your Katas ng Pantawid Koryente, which was actually the money of those to whom you gave them. She even bragged about the BPO Industry. If some of you are not aware of what BPO is, it stands for Business Process Outsourcing, or in layman’s term, the Call Center Industry.
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…
Madame President, I could be one of the beneficiaries of the BPO sector you were bragging as one of the most resilient industries, which your administration has developed. We are one of the unfortunate victims of the worse insufficiency of real and adequate jobs, or jobs in line with our degrees. This is the other side of the coin of the BPO industry you are bragging about. Or I should say, just one side of the many coins she tossed at us during her not-so-cleared last SONA, to which her aliporeses clapped upon. You might throw us the impatient question, “Why can’t you just be grateful?!” With our spirits scalded by a few racists and so seldom discrimination has been our daily bread, will we be grateful? This is a simple and subtle way of selling out your country’s brains. The least noticed biggest brain draining industry in the country. Unless the government takes a genuine step to create real sustainable jobs, then we on the BPO sector will remain as donkeys of foreigners taking advantage of our minds and strengths.
No wonder the President delivered her SONA in English so the common tao will not understand and not be outraged. The SONA is supposedly for the Filipino people, not for foreign investors who are actually leaches sucking all good things from us, giving little or no great things in return. Hopefully, this will be the last lie-filled address to the nation that you will give to us Madame President. But alas, you never said crystal clear, upfront, that this will be your last. You even have plans beyond 2010.
The real question then is how are we going to give realistic and genuine solution to these economic problems that our country’s experiencing and has experienced? Well, stop the rampant graft and corruption in the government. Spend the money to feasible and helpful projects aiming to benefit Filipino people, not other countries or your own tummies and pockets. Lastly, step down President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, or at least stop your ambitions in 2010, kung may hiya ka pa po.
LET THERE BE GENUINE CHANGE!
