By LUIS V. TEODORO Vantage Point | BusinessWorld “Change” has been the mantra of all administrations since at least the Marcos period (1965-1986). Ferdinand Marcos vowed to “make this nation great again” when he was elected in 1965, and to “reform society and save the Republic” when he placed the entire country under martial law…
Tags: SONA 2013
Davao folks see no change as Aquino gives 4th SONA
‘There’s a fine line between growth and development, and what we need is the latter.’
Groups hold People’s SONA
Protesters from various sectors and regions held their own State of the Nation Address, dubbing it as the Sona ng Bayan (People’s SONA) in Commonwealth Avenue as a response to President Aquino’s annual SONA. Led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), protesters condemned the worsening economic conditions in the three years of the Aquino regime.
‘Long and winding SONA silent on what matters most to Filipinos’ – progressive groups
“Aquino’s grandiose claims of economic growth based on cherry-picked economic indicators fail to hide the economic indicators that matter to ordinary Filipinos. Landlessness is growing; unemployment is rising; wages are being depressed; prices are soaring; and social services are decaying as they become more scarce,” Elmer Labog, chairman of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).
Thousands march to belie ‘inclusive growth,’ Aquino’s State of the Nation Address
“All in all, Aquino’s SONA contained rehashed rhetoric and empty promises. The president remained silent on many fundamental issues that the people have long clamored for. I’m sorry Mr. President but your spinmeisters have failed you. We are far from impressed. We are indignant.” – Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon
CPP lists ’10 lies’ Aquino would claim in his SONA
Revolutionary group asks Filipinos to brace for, repudiate, Aquino’s “deluge of lies.”
One nation, two worlds: the myth of ‘inclusive growth’
The Aquino administration’s policies are no different from those that have been increasingly implemented over the last three decades and that have resulted in today’s grossly distorted and unequal economy
SONA protest, march to Batasan on today, with or without permit
“We are tired of hearing about so-called improvements in the economy when unemployment is increasing, wages are pressed down, prices are soaring, and social services are decaying and getting scarce. This so-called growth is felt not by the needy poor but by the greedy rich.” – Elmer Labog, Kilusang Mayo Uno
‘Lies,’ is what progressive groups expect to hear from Aquino during SONA
“Unlike the traditional fiesta, where hospitality, generosity, and goodwill are encouraged among the whole community, Aquino’s banquet is depicted [in the effigy] as a lavishly sumptuous feast for a small circle of guests as the people wait for crumbs falling from the table.”
Inescapable reality
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Analysis For sure, President Benigno Aquino III would be boasting about the 6.8 percent growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year and the 7.8 percent growth during the first quarter of 2013 when he delivers his fourth state of the nation address on July 22 Monday. He would be attributing…