PHNO-HL: PHILIPPINES NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS - PNoy / NOY SONA GETS HIGH MARKS

PHILIPPINES NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS - PNoy / NOY
SONA GETS HIGH MARKS
VIDEO: AT THE SONA]


MANILA, JULY
24, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Karen Boncocan -
President Benigno Aquino III declared in his third State of the Nation
Address at the Batasan Pambansa Complex Monday afternoon that the country is now
truly open for business.
Citing information that the Philippines is now enjoying positive credit, he
told the nation that the stock exchange index now no longer went below 5000 from
the earlier 4000, drawing him applause from the audience.
"Dati tayo ang nangungutang, ngayon tayo na ang nagpapautang. Dati
namamalimos tayo ng investments, ngayon dumadagsa," he added, quoting comments
on the Philippines being "Asia's next tiger."
He claimed that growth in the economy was reaching the masses through the
government's Pantawid Pamilya program, which has more than 700,000
beneficiaries.
By 2013, Aquino expressed hope that the government can provide the poor with
3.8 million more housing units.
No mention of RH bill in Sona, says Sotto By
Matikas Santos INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III never mentioned the
Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in his State of the Nation Address (SONA),
Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III (photo) said Monday.
"[Aquino] said 'responsible parenting' but he did not say 'bill'. He only
said 'we should practice responsible parenting.' Correct, we are in favor of
that, all of us are in favor of that," Sotto said in an ambush interview after
Aquino's hour and a half long speech.
"He did not mention anything about contraceptives, abortion, birth control,
and population control, nothing about that. That is what is contained in the RH
Bill. There's nothing (in his speech about that)," Sotto said.
Aquino said in his speech that he hoped the now shrinking backlog in
education would not become a problem again because of the large number of
students. He added, "I think, responsible parenthood is the answer," for which
he got the loudest applause from the audience in the gallery.
Sotto said that "even those who are opposed to RH Bill are in favor of
responsible parenting."
"When you want to declare contraceptives, IUDs, injectibles, and condoms as
essential medicines, that's not responsible parenting. When you are consenting
to abortion, that is not responsible parenting. When you are going to spend P3
billion to buy contraceptives, that is not responsible parenting. So the
President did not say anything about that," Sotto said.
When asked to rate Aquino's speech, Sotto said, "I believe this is the best
Sona of the president. He covered everything, he was confident, he exuded
confidence, he exuded sincerity in what he was saying."
Mining, sin tax bills should be passed, says
Drilon By Fat Reyes INQUIRER.net 9:14 pm | Monday, July 23rd, 2012


Manila, Philippines—Senator Franklin Drilon (photo) on Monday said he
was one with President Benigno Aquino III in pushing for the passing of the sin
tax and mining tax bills.
Drilon said this when asked about his reactions to Aquino's State of the
Nation Address delivered Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

Drilon said that the passage of the sin tax bill could give the country extra
funds.
"Dapat po gawin namin ang sin tax bill dahil yan po ang makakapagbigay ng
investment grade sa ating ekonomiya. Kapag nagkaroon po tayo ng investment grade
ay malaki ang matitipid natin sa ating interest payment at iyan po ay mapupunta
sa karagdagang pondo para sa mahihirap," Drilon said.
Drilon said that the same effect of more funds for the country was seen if
the mining tax measure was passed.
"Sinusuportahan ko po ang mga panukalang magdagdag ng pondo sa ating bayan,"
Drilon said.
Drilon noted however that these funds should be used transparently, and he
noted that Aquino has shown in his two years of presidency that he used the
country's funds rightly.
Senator Estrada: Aquino's Sona 'realistic' By Fat
Reyes INQUIRER.net 7:49 pm | Monday, July 23rd, 2012

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jinggoy Estrada (photo) said that it
made him "proud" to be under the leadership of President Benigno Aquino III
after hearing the latter's third State of the Nation Address (Sona) Monday
afternoon.
Aquino delivered his Sona at 4 p.m. at the Batasan Pambansa Complex in
Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
According to Estrada, Aquino's speech was "realistic" and "doable."
Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
"Doable in the sense that all his promises are achievable in terms of
infrastructure, CCT (conditional cash transfer) program…," Estrada said.
Estrada said that he expected Aquino to mention the plunder cases against
former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the impeachment of Former Chief
Justice Renato Corona in his speech.
FROM MALAYA
Brokers, analysts air SONA expectations Details
Published on Monday, 23 July 2012 00:00 Written by ALBERT CASTRO .
Today, July 23, President Aquino will have to show the
administration's goals for the next four years and clearly assess how far his
government had gone in attaining the vision and mission he outlined when he
first came to power, brokers and stock analysts said.
While it is expected that the president will outline his achievements
particularly in the last 12 months in his second State of the Nation Address
(SONA), Francisco Liboro, PCCI Securities, Inc. president, said the president
should also include an assessment how far the government has gone in achieving
its vision for the country.
"There is a vision that the president has for this country. He articulated
this in his campaign inaugural speech. And we shared this vision with him. Two
years into his term. We need to know where we are in fulfilling this vision,"
said Liboro.
"Give it to us straight so we can better appreciate what lies ahead. I
personally believe he has set us on the correct path. My question is are we
getting in the time frame that we wanted to at the start? Or will there be
delays in fulfilling this vision," he added.
Eduardo V. Francisco, BDO Capital and Investment Corp., president, meanwhile
said that as much as he is "satisfied" with what the Aquino administration has
done that past 18 months of its term, the president should outline his plans for
the remaining months of his contract with the citizenry, apart from elaborating
on what his administration has already done.
"While mentioning accomplishments is ok, I hope he focuses more on plans next
four years," he said.
"I am very much satisfied and hoping for more action and result," Francisco
added.
Jun Calaycay, a trader at brokerage firm Accord Capital Equities Corp.,

elaborared on what in particular the President should discuss when he presents
to the Congress what it has done for the past year.
"The Anti-Corruption drive has netted a big fish -- the conviction of CJ
Corona and the cases filed against erring government officials. We expect some
statistics to be presented comparing it with previous administrations," Calaycay
said on the government's campaign of "Tuwid na Daan."
"He should also discuss about the social justice and agrarian reform effort
of the administration, although we may not hear of the Hacienda Luisita case
except in passing," he added.
Calacay said the President should also include an update for the search for
the new Chief Justice as well as the on-going territorial conflict with China.

"The over-all economic performance through the first quarter, highlighting
the 6.4 percent growth that surprised many, should also be elaborated as well as
the progress on the PPP big ticket items for bidding," Calaycay said.
FROM THE DAILY
TRIBUNE

CONCENSUS: Noy's
'well-packaged' Sona hollow inside Written by TribuneTuesday, 24 July
2012

STARTED AND ENDED WITH ARROYO BASHING
The concensus on President Aquino's third State of the Nation Address
(Sona) yesterday was it passed with flying colors in terms of packaging but
again failed miserably in defining where his administration is heading after two
years of his presidency.

Noted economist Benjamin Diokno (photo
below), a former budget secretary, said "he has specific details on certain
social programs but he missed the big picture."

"Where will he get the
money to finance his ambitious programs like the K+12 education program,
universal health care, expanded conditional cash transfer, Armed Forces
modernization, public infrastructure program, project Noah and so on," Diokno
said.

He added lacking were specifics on attracting more foreign direct
investments, his administration's position on the strengthening of the peso
which is hurting both exporters and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the
government's steps to complete the agrarian reform program and the government
programt to stop the contraction of the local manufacturing sector.

For
instance, in agrarian reform, "will individual titles be issued or will the
titles remain collective in nature?" Diokno asked.
"Sadly, he started and ended with GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) bashing,"
Diokno said.

Legislators acknowledged the Sona provided a comprehensive
picture of what the government has done and has been doing for the past two
years but they expressed disappointment with what the president uttered in his
speech that spanned an hour and a half.

Deputy Speaker, Cavite
Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla (photo at right) said the speech was indeed
wanting as it failed to provide a roadmap for the future. "It's a comprehensive
report of events but does not provide a roadmap for our future as a people,"
said Remulla.

Opposition stalwart, Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros "Mitos"
Magsaysay on the other hand, was more critical, even questioning the data used
by the President.

"I thought I was attending a budget briefing,"
Magsaysay said of Aquino's speech which tackled more on the budgetary
projections for many of Aquino's line departments.

"Sadly, the
President failed to address the concerns of his "boss," Juan dela Cruz because
as he was speaking, prices were going up including the pump prices of oil
products, the rates of electricity and water, the prices of basic commodities,"
Magsaysay stressed. "His presentation in his speech was quote superb but
ironically, his Juan dela Cruz cannot understand those kasi nga kumakalam ang
sikmura niya. Hindi niya alam pano niya papakinabangan 'yung mga sinabi ng
Pangulo.

The Zambales solon added Aquino has to check on his figures as
they do not match with results from surveys conducted by opinion polling
firms.

Former President Joseph Estrada, in reaction to Aquino's speech,
urged the speeding up of the filing of charges against various government
officials who are being linked to anomalies during the Arroyo
administration.

Estrada praised Aquino for his anti-corruption drive,
saying the impeachment and subsequent removal of Chief Justice Renato Corona
will send a warning to corrupt government officials.

He said the charges
filed against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, including graft, plunder
and electoral sabotage, are lacking after she was linked to various
anomalies.

He also urged the President to continue to bring justice to
the victims of the Maguindanao massacre, which saw 58 people killed in November
2009 in an election-related killing.

Aquino, however, spent much of its
one and a half hour long speech on Arroyo, her administration and threats
against personalities known to have something to do with the previous
government.

Aquino, clad in signature Barong Tagalog custom tailored by
his celebrity sister's fashion designer Paul Cabral, opened his salvo on what he
described as the Arroyo-inflicted nightmares that continue to hound the
Filipinos.

Despite being tagged as the modern day dictator seen over the
administration's efforts to control all three branches of the government, Aquino
described his predecessor's ten years of presidency as reminiscent of the
Martial Law area.

"Let it not be forgotten: Martial Law was borne because
a dictator manipulated the Constitution to remain in power. And to this day, the
battle rages: between those who seek a more equitable system, and those who seek
to preserve their privileges at the expense of others. The specters of a lost
decade haunted us from our first day in office".

Likewise hit by Aquino's
early stride was Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late strongman
Ferdinand Marcos under whose presidency Aquino claims to have been a victim of
what he braded as abuse of power.

"Like many of you, I have been a victim
of the abuse of power. I was only 12 years old when Martial Law was declared.
For seven years and seven months, my father was incarcerated; we lived in forced
exile for three years. I saw for myself how many others also
suffered".

Playing the role of a superhero from then Marvel classics,
Aquino offered himself as an ally of the aggrieved.

"The principles I now
live by: Where a citizen is oppressed, he will find me as an ally; where there
is an oppressor, I will be there to fight; where I find something wrong in the
system, I will consider it my duty to right it".

He went on with his SONA
with more attack on Arroyo under whose presidency he claims alleged corruption
proliferated. Among those he mentioned include the North Rail project, limitless
bonuses in government-owned and -controlled corporations, and the supposed
anomalies in the sale of second-hand choppers to the Philippine National Police
that saw Arroyo's husband lawyer Mike Arroyo dragged as among the
suspects.

He added that the Arroyo administration left only 6.5-percent
of the national budget for his government's perusal in 2010.
In an apparent
effort to make a grand display of an administration embarking on a clean
government, Aquino vowed to secure conviction on Arroyo, who recently was
charged with another non-bailable Plunder case emanating from alleged
malversation of funds in relation to alleged misuse of the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office intelligence budget for the 2007 election.

He likewise
called the act of filing the latest case against Arroyo as
"Justice".

Aside from Arroyo, the President made sure not to leave behind
the issue on the ouster of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato
Corona

"The unfolding of history seen on May 29 is best described as
Justice. It was during that day that we got to prove something: Justice on top
of those who consider themselves to be on the peak", says Aquino who also
dropped the name of one Delsa Flores of Panabo town, Davao del Norte whom he
claims to have said:
"So it is possible that a lowly court employee like me before could actually
see the same magnitude of law being used on a Chief Justice". Flores was the
court interpreter who was relieved from her post for the non-declaration of a
store on her SALN.

The Senate, acting as impeachment court convicted Corona on May 29, for
betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for failing
to properly disclose his assets on his statement of assets and liabilities
(SALN).

Aquino also grabbed the chance to ask members of the Philippine
Congress to pass the controversial reproductive health bill and the sin tax
reform bill, which has already been passed by the Lower House and is now with
the Senate for deliberation.
The President, who has been in an on and off
speaking term with the Church leaders, also endorsed the RH bill, which earned
him the longest applause during his 90-minute SONA speech.

In the same
speech, the Malacanang chief executive also pushed for the passage of the "sin
tax" bill, which he said will fund government projects for maternal health
care.

Conspicuously missing was an endorsement to lawmakers to pass the
Freedom of Information bill — something that surprised journalists covering the
SONA.

Claming to be doing its best to distribute all lands covered by the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to its tillers, Aquino was seen to
earn plus points over his renewed promise to the peasant sector who have yet
been awarded their torrens title corresponding their share of the agricultural
land they have been tilling for ages.

Aquino said that the farmers would
get their land as provided under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,
before he gets to step down in 2016. However, certain provision under the
agrarian reform law is giving farmers only until next year to comply — otherwise
would deem failure to comply as "waiver".

Interestingly, the President's
family which owns the 9,000-hectare Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac has yet to comply
with a Supreme Court decision ordering the family corporation running the
hacienda plantation to start distributing land to their farmers, while ordering
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to fast track on the others.

The
Malacanang chief executive also Aquino boasted on the Aquino administration's
economic performance, even as he claimed to have healed what used to be "The
Sick man of Asia", apparently referring to the Philippines.

He added that
the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 6.4 percent in the first
quarter of 2012, while making proud remarks on what he referred to as record
breaking performances of the Philippines on the Philippine Stock Exchange index.


Aquino also boasted of the eight international financial and economic
upgrades that took place under his presidency.
"Based on the results of the
survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS), 23.8 percent of the
Filipinos said they were going hungry, 55 percent claims they have gone poorer
while unemployment had been placed at 26.8 percent. All these statistics were
higher than those during the previous administration," said Magsaysay. "sho how
do you reconcile his speech with this figures?"

In his speech, Aquino
placed unemployment under his watch at 6.9 percent.
Magsaysay also chastised
Aquino for claiming there were new taxes under his administration as he
promised, saying the President had contradicted himself in his own
speech.

"He said there were new taxes as he promised. But he asked
Congress to expedite the passage of the Sin Tax bill to increase government
revenue. And then, there is this new policy to have bikers register their
helmets for no less than P100," Magsaysay said, "Aren't these new
taxes?"

The lady solon also scored the President for heaving praises on
both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) for
their efficient tax collections saying both agencies have missed their target
collections by the billions of pesos.

Aquino also lashed at the previous
administration for allegedly leaving him just 6.5 percent of the total budget in
2010 but this had been refuted since with no less than his Cabinet members
admitting there was enough budget left when they assumed office.
"He also claimed there new businesses being out up in the country by
investors but where," said Magsaysay.
Magsaysay said she was expecting the
President to illustrate a concrete roadmap for the country's economy, security,
environment, job creation and other vital concerns but he failed to do
so.

"The country needs a clear direction in terms of these vital issues
so that we may properly gauge the successes of the programs that the government
is implementing especially those that are targeted towards the poor," she
said.

"In totality, the President failed to present a concrete roadmap
for our future," Magsaysay lamented.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy
Casiño (photo at left) undermined Aquino's claim the country's gross
domestic product rose by 6.4 percent this year saying this was not a result of a
his sound economic policy but more on the delayed spending of last year's
budget.

"Nothing had changed," said Casiño. "The GDP grew because the
government spent a huge amount of the budget which it failed to spend last
year."

The militant solon described Aquino's SONA as "a smorgasboard of
success stories and select statistics put together to paint a rosy story but
one-sided view of his administration's performance with any of the feel good
anecdotes and glowing numbers are negated by the harsh realities on the
ground."

For instance, Casiño said the increased budget for education
cited by Aquino, is still below the figures requested by the education agencies
themselves.

The party-list solon echoed Magsaysay's position on the
figures cited by Aquino saying the statistics on unemployment and conditional
cash transfers (CCTs) are belied by independent figures on rising poverty and
hunger.

"Perhaps because there was nothing positive that could be said,"
said Casiño.

The militant lawmaker also noted that Aquino was visibly
silent on the issues of high prices, human rights the freedom of information
bill, workers' low wages, contractualization and mass housing.

Even his
allies said Aquino should have dealt with more on what the government should do
to improve the economy.
Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara (photo) said the Filipino
people do not yet benefit from the improved economy.

"We are hoping a lot
of on economy," Angara said even as he acknowledged the increase in the budget
of the education sector.

"It is part report card and part marching
orders. The thing to do now however is not to hail the achievements but to heed
the challenges. What the President has told us is that while our journey along
the tuwid na daan has been fruitful so far there are miles to go before we can
rest," Alvarez of the Nationalist Union Party said.

Alvarez explained
that the SONA is not a cure-all for the country's ills but a guideline for what
should be done.
"There are those who will criticize him for omitting some
items in his speech. These people should remember that it would be impossible to
cram all the solutions to our myriad problems in one speech," he
said.

"The SONA is not Wikipedia that catalogues the cures to our
perceived ills. But in so far as charting the nation's course, in tackling the
great problems that try our collective resolve, in identifying what needs to be
done, the President was able to enumerate them with clarity and conviction in
the SONA," Alvarez said.

An Waray Rep. Florencio
Noel (photo) shared Alvarez view that the President has given clear
guidelines on what the government and the people should do to address its
problems.

"The President, in effect, exhorted us today to help in the
pursuit of his administration's reform agenda. But more significantly, I think
he gave us clear guideposts: that we can work together in creating more jobs,
building more hope, and of course giving more opportunities for our people. We,
from Eastern Visayas, is specially thankful for the commitment of the Aquino
administration for the much needed rehabilitation and improvement of our airport
which we have been lobbying for the past three years," Noel said.

"The
support that we can contribute can very well be a well-deserved legacy of this
15th Congress," Noel added.
"It was a very comprehensive sona. Practically
all aspects of governance were covered," Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone
said.

San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito (photo) thanked the
President for increasing the budget allotment of the State Universities and
Colleges.

Ejercito noted that the P16-billion or 43.61 percent increase
in SUCs budget and the additional P115.7-billion for public elementary and high
school is an investment in "our future generations."

"Lubusan tayong
nagpapasalamat sapagkat kinunsidera na sa wakas ni Pangulong Aquino ang
resolusyon natin noong nakaraang 2-taon, na siyang panawagang dagdag na pondo
para sa ating edukasyon," Ejercito said in a statement
yesterday.

Ejercito said that the move to increase the budget for
education is a well thought of decision.

"In the name of the students,
parents, teachers and workers at the SUCs, we would like to thank President
Aquino for heeding our call," Ejercito said.

For House majority leader
Neptali Gonzales II, this is the best SONA he has ever heard.

"This is
the best ever SONA," Gonzales said. Fernan J. Angeles,
Charlie V. Manalo, Gerry Baldo


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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