BY IME SORNITO, GLENDA TAYONA AND RM CALANTAS
ILOILO City – The second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. yesterday drew varying opinions from the Ilonggos.
Crimson Labinghisa of Kabataan Party-list Panay told Panay News it was unbelievable when the President said he would focus on education, pointing out that in the first year of his administration there was no sufficient budget for the sector.
“Kalayo gid pamatian nga matutok siya sa education sang mga pamatan-on. Kay sa sulod sang isa ka tuig niya wala niya gid ginhatagan sufficient or mas greater nga budget ang education nga according sa United Nations dapat six percent sang GDP (gross domestic product) naton ang i-allot sa sector sang education,” said Labinghisa.
Audrey Eurielle Dayata, chairperson of the University Student Council of the University of the Philippines Visayas, shared the same sentiment. She described the second SONA as a huge budol, emphasizing that the student sector did not experience the right education.
“Generally, ang ginhiwat nga ikaduha nga SONA ni President Marcos Jr. isa gid ya ka dako nga budol. Ang aton panawagan sa sector sang ka-estudyantehan ang matuod kag makamasa nga edukasyon kag wala ta gid na maaguman,” said Dayata.
She added: “Bisan sa eskwelahan ang armas sang edukasyon comes in the form of mandatory ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), kung sa diin ginaratsada gid na ya gyapon sa aton nga mga eskwelahan kag ginduso gid nga mangin mandatory bisan pa sa high school. So para sa akon, literally, gin-take for granted ni PBBM ang armas sang edukasyon kag ekonomiya para sa mga pumuluyo.”
For her part, vegetable vendor Rhea Concepcion rebutted the statement of the President that the price of some commodities such as rice, fish, vegetables, and sugar dropped with the help of Kadiwa stores. She said she did not feel the price decrease.
“Wala namon mabatyagan nga nagnubo ang mga balaklon, nagsaka pa gid gani, dululungan pa. Ti, paano siya maghambal nga nagnubo abi kay wala man siya nanaog sa dalum, naghulat lang man siya kag nagbaton sang kung ano i-report sa iya,” said Concepcion.
Bernabe Villaniza, president of the Jaro-Liko NFA transport association, said Marcos failed to tackle the concerns of the transport sector.
“Sa paghiwat niya sang iya SONA, wala niya madala ang amon problema sa transport. Kay sa transport subong dako gid ang problema bangod sang modernization nga ini. Dako gid epekto sa amon kag ang hambal nila nga tubtob Dec. 31 na lang kami kag piliton kami magsulod sa coop. Ti, indi kami gusto kay indi ka bayad ang ila sweldo sa amon,” said Villaniza.
Self-employed John Uy of the City Proper here also echoed that, personally, he could not feel the changes the President was saying.
“Daw indi ko mabatyagan ang resulta sang ginpanghambal sang Presidente kaina sa SONA. Siguro kay more than one year pa lang sia, siguro kon magdugay sia mabatayagan naton na. Ako ya gusto ko makita amo nga ma-control kontani ang inflation kay dira gid nagasugod ang pagsaka sang balaklon,” Uy said.
He added: “And ang natural resources dapat tani i-improve naton. Kay aton tendency kon kulang kita halimbawa sa bugas, naga-import kita instead nga i-enhance ang aton natural resources kay agricultural country kita, lapad ang aton nga kadutaan. Kulang lang gid sa pag-improve the way magpanguma ang aton mga kautoran kag ang support sang national government kontani ara sa farmers,” Uy said.
Jojo Alibarbar, flower arranger from Iloilo City, also was not impressed by the President’s SONA.
“Daw wala gid ako nanami-an kay halos tanan ‘ya nga gin-mention daw wala man nagakatabu. Akon ya gusto mabatian ang ginahimu ya para magnubo ang balaklon kag pasakaan ‘ya tani ang sweldo naton pero wala gid. Daw indi ko gani mabatyagan ang ginahimu sang iya administrasyon sa sulod sang isa na ka tuig. Pero basi sa sunod tuig mabatyagan na naton kay ti lawig na sia sa puesto mo,” she said.
Meanwhile, Melanie Dela Paz, a housewife from Barangay Rizal Ibarra, City Proper, gave a thumbs up to the SONA with the hope that President will walk his talk.
“Okay man ang aton Presidente. Ang iya SONA okay man pero tani tumanon ‘ya ginahambal ‘ya kay kabudlay sang aton subong pangabuhi. Tani mabuhinan man ang aton pag-antus. Pareho sa akon, nagalibod sang kon ano lang nga mga baligya para makabulig sa akon pamilya. Kon mabuligan ‘ya tani kita kundi maayo,” she said.
Raquel Dela Cruz, a vendor from Barangay San Juan, Molo district, also okayed the President’s report to the nation.
“Okay man ah. Nami man iya nga ginpanghambal. Akon lang nga daad matuman kag magtupa tanan nga ginpanghambal niya para malipay man kita. Subong daan tama kapigado, kon indi ka maninguha wala gid ka sang abtan,” he said.
Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office, meanwhile, expressed elation that the President gave focus on health, especially in addressing malnutrition and the releasing of the One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA) of health workers
“We are so happy that we are so aligned with President BBM’s priority programs. Our advocacies are on nutrition, non-communicable diseases, UHC (Universal Health Care), TB (tuberculosis), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and of course the benefits of the health workers. With the President’s push on supporting health, (we) look forward for more enabling environments for our health workers,” she said.
With the President mentioning the information system for Electronic Medical Records, Quiñon said it is very important for health workers “para mas organized kag mapadasig ang amon trabaho.”
Leah Arlos, also a government employee, approved the SONA: “Nami pamatian kay daw ka-positive kag may mga figures gid kada sektor nga gin-present especially sa agriculture.”
But a concerned citizen who refused to be named is still looking forward to the campaign promise of the President which is to lower down the price of the rice to P20 per kilo.
“Mapati lamang ang citizens kung magnubo presyo sang bugas, P20 per kilo. Kay ginabantayan ka mga pigado kag imol,” he said.
Meanwhile, a female private employee who also asked not to be named was not impressed by the SONA. She stressed what the President said merely echoed what he said during the presidential campaign.
“Plans are plans. Nothing concrete yet. For instance, he could have specified a timeline for the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges,” she noted.
For another private employee Alvin Paguntalan of Iloilo province, the President was playing safe as he avoided or did not tackle much issues like the West Philippine Sea, EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement), rice, inflation, mandatory ROTC, and wage hike.
He was also skeptical of Marcos’ vow to address issues on energy, education, health, and agriculture./PN
