Benigno Aquino III

“ If the President were not our leader today, if we did not have an honorable representative in Congress, we wouldn’t know what our situation would be.
We are thankful for this brand of good leadership that has served as an inspiration for other public servants. Now, when we say government service, it is service that is seen, felt, and provides an inspiration for people to hope and dream for further success. I now believe my aspirations can be realized: that my dreams are important and nothing is irrelevant. ”

“ As the father of our nation, on my shoulders rest not only the problems that we inherited and the problems that arise today—it is also my duty to prepare for the future. At every moment, I must be mindful of the concerns and perspectives of all. ”

“ This is my sixth SONA. Once again, I face Congress and our countrymen to report on the state of our nation. More than five years have passed since we put a stop to the culture of “wang-wang,” not only in our streets, but in society at large; since we formally took an oath to fight corruption to eradicate poverty; and since the Filipino people, our bosses, learned how to hope once more. My bosses, this is the story of our journey along the Straight Path. ”

“ Today, we continue to receive news that, because of all the tourists and businessmen who wish to visit the Philippines, there is actually a shortage of flights to our country. So, all of the upgrades we have received in aviation are indeed good news: The number of flights will rise, thus providing a solution to the problem. And, through the continued cooperation of the CAAP and our local carriers, we will certainly be able to attract more businessmen and tourists in the coming years. This is a win for all those in the tourism sector; this is a win for the Filipino people. ”

“ Those of us who are ready to fulfill our part in achieving positive transformation are, without doubt, stronger. We will triumph because we are in the right.
We dared to dream, we began pursuing those dreams, we worked hard, we gained the momentum, and today, the Filipino people are moving even faster along the straight path to lasting and inclusive growth. ”

“ Formerly isolated places will now become areas teeming with opportunity.
Through good governance, we have been regaining the trust of the market, of the world, and of our own people, in government. This is creating a virtuous cycle: Seeing the results of our reform agenda has spurred the active participation of each and every one of our Bosses. Indeed: today the government is not alone in pushing for widespread and meaningful reform. It is true that you are our strength. ”

“ Instead of a solution participated in by just a few, we have advocated that all contribute to the solution of a problem that involves us all. As you know, we are facing a challenge in the West Philippine Sea. We are up against a nation that is far ahead of us, whether in terms of influence, the economy, or military force. Yet when it comes to reason and love for country, we do not fall behind. As with all other problems, our unity is the key through which we can uphold our rights.
To my Bosses: In all truth, given the challenges that we faced, we could have just put forward band-aid solutions. ”

“ The economy was weak; industry was sparse. We failed to gain the confidence of investors. The result: very few jobs were created. We found a people deprived of hope. Many of us had already given up, and were forced to take their chances in other countries. With heads bowed, we had come to accept that we would never be able to rely on our government or our society.
The Philippines sank deep into despair because of dirty politics.Our trust in each other disappeared; the confidence of the world in the Philippines ebbed, and worst of all: we lost faith in ourselves. ”

“ To those in the House of Representatives and the Senate, especially to your members who have been our partners on the Straight Path for all these years: Thank you for the Philippine Competition Law, for the Act Allowing the Full Entry of Foreign Banks, and for the amendments to the Cabotage Law. Thank you for the Sin Tax Reform Act. Thank you for the Responsible Parenthood Act. Thank you for all the other meaningful laws that you passed. Indeed: So much is achieved when we have a Congress that is determined to usher in real progress. ”

“ Growth of the economy, progressing continuously.
Truly, our ambitions are now being fulfilled one by one: universal healthcare, classrooms, jobs, harbors, roads, airports, security, peace. In addition to the national integrity we have restored is the world’s recognition of a new Philippines. The nation’s coffers, which come from the sweat of our citizens, are being spent only for their benefit. ”

“ As a low-ranking law enforcer, I really feel the reforms instituted by our President—one of which is the value accorded to the national police. The only way we can possibly repay all these good things is by fulfilling our duties in the correct and right way—even if it means sacrificing my life.
Our drive to improve our police force’s equipment is complemented by our “work smarter” strategy. This has been brought to life by Oplan Lambat-Sibat, whose pilot program was implemented in Metro Manila. We studied how criminals operate and strategically deployed our policemen. ”

“ They can only recruit members when agreat number of people are suffering and losing faith in the system. This is why, with a reformed system that has ended the people’s suffering, the number of potential recruits has dwindled, which explains why their group is getting smaller and smaller. It is only natural that they oppose us. The noisiest and loudest of those who oppose us are not in favor of the transformation of our country, precisely because they manipulated and benefited from the old and broken systems. ”

“ As the transformation of society becomes even more apparent, these people are acting just how we expect them to: their attacks on us are becoming more frequent, more venomous, and more intense. As the benefits of reform become clearer, it becomes more and more difficult for them to succeed in fooling the people, which is why they are sowing doubt and uncertainty. ”

“ If you compare our lives back in Pasay to our lives now—here, it rains, it storms, but you can sleep through a night. There’s no lying awake, worrying about the coming flood—not like where we used to live. ”

“ To my father and mother, who in fighting abuse and in rendering great sacrifice, became a wellspring of inspiration, not only to our family, but to the entire nation.
To my Cabinet, some of whom I have already mentioned earlier. Now, allow me to continue:
To Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, who is also called the Little President: Our strong relationship began way back, with our parents. We have supported each other through many challenges in life. Your private practice was sacrificed in the length of time that you served the public, first in Quezon City then in my administration. ”

“ There are even some who had the guts to raise an outcry and shout: There are leakages in Pantawid Pamilya. Then we discovered they used data from 2009, just to have something to criticize. Let me remind them: I became President halfway through 2010; perhaps you should be asking another president to explain the alleged leakage. I guarantee that, when the time comes that the beneficiaries of this program are contributing to the economy, those who are criticizing it today will be falling over themselves to proclaim that they are the father or mother of the expanded Pantawid Pamilya. ”

“ If the Executive proposes a reasonable budget, the dialogue with the members of Congress will go smoothly. The faster the GAA is passed, the quicker services will reach our countrymen, and the sooner will we be able to alleviate their suffering.
The message was clear: We are serious about change; the playing field is level. The result: Confidence in our economy.
When we began, I did not think that we would immediately win back the global community’s confidence in the Philippines. I only thought of fixing the crooked system to prevent our people from sinking deeper into poverty. ”

“ Instead of giving our countrymen fish, we will teach them how to fish. We are ensuring that the progress we have made and the opportunities that have been created can be maximized by our fellowmen. We cannot wait for the benefits of growth to trickle down to the poorest Filipinos; we cannot leave it to chance, or hope for the best. Our commitment: inclusive growth.
The agenda: assistance, knowledge, skills training, and health, to ensure that no one is left behind. One of our mechanisms: the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. ”

“ To Governor Bulut, in the Senatorial election of 2007, I was only 20th in the hearts of the people in your province, and I was only 4th during the presidential elections. But given all the infrastructure we have built, I do not think anyone can say that you aren’t in the hearts of the Filipino people. You yourselves have witnessed that when it comes to projects, our basis is need, not votes. ”

“ According to studies conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, in 2008, there were 2.9 million out-of-school children in the country. The years passed and our population grew, but in 2013, only 1.2 million out-of-school children remained. Let me emphasize the difference: 1.7 million.
It’s as if we filled around 42,500 empty classrooms with students. Of course, apart from the Pantawid Pamilya, the Alternative Learning System also helped to ensure that even indigenous peoples and street children are not left behind. ”

“ It’s hard not to think about these things, considering the people we’ve been going up against. Will there be a day when I go onstage, for work, and—will someone manage to plant a bomb? Will the dark schemes of those who want to bring us back to the wrong way of doing things finally succeed? ”

“ On the other hand, if we return to the crooked path, we will be condemned to waiting for nothing. We will once again be left behind, and the upward trajectory of our economy will reach a premature end. ”

“ But we all know that in the Philippines, we have a special anger for credit-mongers. What will we do with popularity points if we will just leave problems to succeeding generations? At every opportunity, we sought to identify the correct root of the problem, and implemented a clear and long-term solution to this. Some challenges faced by our country we have overcome; as for the rest, we have begun taking steps towards a permanent solution. ”

“ To our Bosses: If the transformation of our society isn’t interrupted, it would indeed be reasonable to say: All we have achieved is only a taste of what is to come. As we have said before: You ain’t seen nothing yet.
I already mentioned a while ago the SWS survey that was not widely covered in the news: that 8 out of 10 Filipinos believed that the Philippines will become—if not, already is—a developed country in the foreseeable future. This is the opinion of our countrymen. ”

“ This is a signal to businessmen that it is worthwhile to invest in the Philippines. The risks of doing business here have decreased. Now, with lower interest rates and more flexible debt payment schedules, more investors are finding it attractive to bet on the Philippines. Through the institution and expansion of businesses, commerce becomes more lively, competition strengthens, and even more opportunities are created. All this has been a direct result of reforms we made along the Straight Path.
Just look: back in 2010, net foreign direct investment in our country was at $1.07 billion. ”

“ There used to be a time when I was against depriving a person the right to run for office, just because he had a famous family name. Why would we pass legislation to stop a person who really wants to be a public servant? ”

“ Just this June, the EU Air Safety Committee removed its ban on all our air carriers—the first time that it has lifted its ban on the entire civil aviation sector of a country. Now, all our airlines will be able to fly directly to the United Kingdom, Italy, and other countries part of the EU.
In seafaring: In 2006, the European Maritime Safety Agency or EMSA was already questioning our compliance to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. Because of this, there was a threat that the EU would no longer recognize our maritime education certificates. ”

“ You can’t put a good man down. Just as my mother and father had faith, so too should you have faith that our countrymen know who truly puts country before self;
To Secretary Butch Abad, who, even though he has received torrents of unfair accusations, continues to ensure that the money of the Filipino people directly benefits the people alone ”

“ Let us examine their motivations. For those who turned public service into a business: if we are able to fix our systems, they lose the opportunity to subvert these systems for their own gain. It is only natural that they oppose us. ”

“ When the additional rice we have imported arrives in the country, hoarders will be forced to sell the rice that they have stockpiled in their warehouses. To these hoarders: If a showdown is what you want, by all means, take on the government. Just remember: it only takes six months before the stock you have hoarded in your warehouses begins to rot. When we flood the market with this imported rice, you will surely go bust. You are acting against the Filipino people, while we are acting for the interest of each Filipino. ”

“ To return government to its rightful mandate—to serve the Filipino people always.
Is it not true that we have a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. An example of this is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) . The Disbursement Acceleration Program contributed 1.6 billion pesos to TESDA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program. This amount enabled the graduation of 223,615 beneficiaries. 66 percent of these—or, 146,731 graduates—now have jobs. ”