THE THIRD State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is done and dusted but not without the usual melodramatics from the usual suspects i.e. effigy burning and demonstrations along Commonwealth Avenue causing inconvenience to “Juan dela Cruz” on his way to work/school.
But then again, it would not be a proper SONA without these irritations; in fact these rallies are already a cliché.
What’s interesting though were a couple of funny things weeks before President Marcos Jr. actually uttered a single word about it; people were already talking about the SONA.
From out of the blue, Vice President Sara Duterte announced that she was not attending the SONA and declared herself the “designated survivor” which, minus the malicious mind of the usual suspects, is really no big deal.
Firstly, the Vice President is not required to attend the SONA. Secondly, she is indeed the “designated survivor” according to law, meaning the 1987 Constitution.
And this: it was announced that the food budget for this SONA is P20 million for 2,000 guests. Do the math: that translates to P10,000/guest. Bearing in mind that more Filipinos claim to be hungry and the P20/kilo rice never happened, that staggering P10,000/guest worth of food leaves a bad taste in the mouth (pun intended).
Enough foreplay. We segue to the actual SONA and what’s in it for us, particularly our region.
As expected, President Marcos Jr. highlighted two major infrastructure projects poised to transform the energy and agricultural sectors in Western Visayas.
The completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) backbone project and the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project-Stage II (JRMP-II) mega dam in Calinog, Iloilo were presented as crucial developments in ensuring regional stability and growth.
The recently completed CNP backbone project played a critical role preventing power outages on Panay Island, particularly from April to June when other parts of the country faced significant power shortages.
The P67.9-billion project enhances the power transmission reliability across the islands of Cebu, Negros, and Panay, facilitating energy transfers and accommodating new power plant developments in the Visayas grid.
The P67.9-billion CNP 230-kV Backbone Project, composed of CNP1, CNP2, CNP3 and Negros-Panay Interconnection Project Line 2 (NPIP L2), is intended to strengthen the grid and improve the reliability of power transmission in the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay.
It involved the construction of a high-voltage transmission line and associated substations to connect the islands of Cebu, Negros, and Panay.
The energized CPN project will allow the increased transfer capacity among Cebu, Negros, and Panay islands and the dispatch of excess capacities from Mindanao to meet the demand in the Visayas grid. (PN7/23/2024)
Moving on, the JRMP-II mega dam project represents a significant leap toward securing water resources for agriculture and local communities.
With the Jalaur project, nearly 32,000 hectares of land will be irrigated, ensuring water security, especially in underserved areas.
This P20-billion initiative not only supports irrigation over 31,840 hectares benefitting around 25,000 farmers but also contributes to the energy sector by generating 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power.
The project, currently 75.51 percent complete, is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. (PN7/23/2024)
This project when completed would greatly benefit the Ilonggos; one can only hope that it will not suffer the same fate as the infamous Ungka-flyover. Just imagine a dam of that size sinking.
By the way, also in that SONA, all POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) were declared banned by the end of the year. I suppose that also includes all Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) companies otherwise it’s just the same dog with a different collar.
Of course, what’s a SONA without the usual suspects i.e. the so-called leftists and pseudo- communists who, since time immemorial, always rates the SONA of any president with a failing grade?
Still on the SONA, the President declared the “West Philippine Sea” is not merely a figment of our imagination, it is ours. Indeed, just that, not the entire South China Sea.
Finally, minus all the foreplay and innuendos, it’s not bad at all, in fact it’s all good./PN
