BY LUIS OBUENAFLOR JR.
ITS’ A WEEK after the State of the Nation Address or SONA and I suppose all the hype has sort of fizzled out, which makes it the best time to talk about random thoughts accumulated when the SONA was the flavor of the week.
So former VP and defeated presidential wannabe Leni Robredo did not attend the SONA despite making a big deal and milking it for all its media mileage, although that is expected. What was surprising was that she was even invited.
And then we have the usual “fashion victims” playing out their fantasies i.e. sashaying on the catwalk in Milan, Paris or the red carpet in Hollywood.
Of course, it would not be a SONA without the pseudo-communists and their “useful idiots” out in force, with the usual placards screaming obsolete and irrelevant slogans on Commonwealth Avenue minus the effigy burning effectively stopped by the Clean Air Act.
Then we have the usual “useful idiots” also with banners and placards screaming their boring obsolete slogans in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol completely ignored by the people on their way to work.
Anyway, so much for the foreplay. Let’s talk about President Bongbong Marcos’ second SONA. He underscored the accomplishments of his administration in various fields, calling on Congress for cooperation in passing priority legislative measures such as significant tax reforms, anti-financial accounts scamming initiatives, the Tatak-Pinoy Law, Blue Economy Law, amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, and the Philippine Immigration Act.
There’s one item in the SONA that caught my attention because it will directly affect us here in Region 6, particularly Iloilo City, Guimaras and Negros.
The long-stalled construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project will finally be in full swing.
Inter-island bridges such as the PGN are included in the President’s P8.3-trillion “Build Better More” Program.
Twelve bridges totaling 90 kilometers will be constructed, connecting islands and areas separated by waters. The program notably includes the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island Bridges, each spanning 32 kilometers, and also the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge.”
“The underlying logic to our infrastructure development is economic efficiency. We are opening up all gateways to mobilize goods and services at less cost and in less time, ultimately, to drive the economy,” said Marcos.
According to Marcos, prioritizing physical connectivity will further spur economic vibrancy.
Physical connectivity infrastructure such as roads, bridges, seaports, airports, and mass transport accounts for 83 percent of the program.
I say it’s about time and I’m glad it will happen in my lifetime.
Meanwhile, the usual suspects/“useful idiots” who voted against HB No.6608 or The Maharlika Investment Fund were Makabayan bloc members Gabriela party-list’s Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers party-list’s Rep. France Castro, and Kabataan party-list’s Rep. Raoul Manuel, and Basilan lone district’s Rep. Mujiv Hataman, Camarines Sur 3rd District’s Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., and Albay 1st District’s Rep. Edcel Lagman, all members of the Liberal Party.
Of course, the Senate approved the Maharlika Investment Fund Bill and was signed by the President into law last week.
The government will not use the state pension funds for the newly-approved Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), according to the President
The Department of Budget and Management said the fund’s funding sources include the Landbank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines, privatization proceeds, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas dividends.
And we segue to that International Criminal Court (ICC) thingy. As President Marcos said, “the Philippines is done dealing with the ICC, we will not cooperate with them in any way, shape, or form.”
Bravo to that. We have a president protecting the country’s sovereignty.
As former President Rodrigo Duterte said, “The Philippines is in good hands.”/PN
