By RALPH JOHN MIJARES
ROXAS City — While President Benigno Aquino III was trumpeting his administration’s feats in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) yesterday, Capiceños were lamenting that they could not feel the country’s economic growth.
Aquino should work on making the grassroots feel the effects of the growing economy, said Rey Villegas, a lumpia vendor from Barangay Culajao here.
Villegas said Aquino’s leadership was “okay,” but the administration must find a way to make prices of commodities more affordable.
“Wala pa gid nabatyagan sang pumuluyo ang pag-asenso (The people could not yet feel any improvement),” he said.
Jonard Francisco, public information officer for Kadamay, a group representing the poor, also wants prices of commodities reduced.
Some families are unable to send their children to school and could barely eat three full meals a day, said Francisco of Barangay Culasi here.
“Maayo na nga makakaon sila isa ka beses sa isa ka adlaw (They are lucky enough if they could eat once a day),” he said, adding that the people need more higher-paying jobs.
Jobert Carandang of Hukbong Transport–Capiz, on the other hand, wants the Oil Deregulation Law abolished and the value-added tax on petroleum removed.
Carandang, a native of Manila but was married to a Capiceña, graded Aquino “two out of 10” because he “did not do his job well”
“Sabi niya, tayo ang boss niya, pero parang nalimutan na niya (Aquino said we’re his bosses but seemed to have forgotten it),” he said. He added that Aquino should prioritize poverty-alleviation programs.
Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Capiz failed to gather its target number of participants during its Sona protest yesterday, with only some 10,000 attending due to rain and lack of vehicles, spokesperson Kashmer Diestro said. Bayan–Capiz expected some 15,000.
Senior Supt. Ulysses Caton, however, said there were more or less 2,000 protesters who marched from two assembly areas toward the bandstand here./PN
