2012 State of the Nation Address of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III Full Text (English and Tagalog)

7/31/2019 2012 State of the Nation Address of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III Full Text (English and Tagalog)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2012-state-of-the-nation-address-of-pres-benigno-s-aquino-iii-full-text-english 1/39

Benigno S. Aquino III, Third State of the Nation

Address, July 23, 2012 State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the

Philippines To the Congress of the Philippines

[Delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasan Pambansa Complex,

Quezon City, on July 23, 2012 ]

Maraming salamat po. Maupo po tayong lahat.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Bise Presidente Jejomar Binay;

mga dating Pangulong Fidel Valdez Ramos at Joseph Ejercito Estrada; ang ating mga kagalang-

galang na mahistrado ng Korte Suprema; mga kagalang-galang na kagawad ng kalipunang

diplomatiko; mga kagalang-galang na miyembro ng Kamara de Representante at ng Senado; mga

pinuno ng pamahalaang lokal; mga miyembro ng ating Gabinete; mga unipormadong kasapi ng

militar at kapulisan; mga kapwa kong nagseserbisyo sa taumbayan; at siyempre sa akin pong mga

boss, magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

Ito po ang aking ikatlong SONA, at parang kailan lang nang nagsimula tayong mangarap. Parang

kailan lang nang sabay-sabay tayong nagpasyang tahakin ang tuwid na daan. Parang kailan lang

nang sinimulan nating iwaksi ang wang-wang, hindi lamang sa kalsada kundi sa sistemang

panlipunan.

Dalawang taon na ang nakalipas mula nang sinabi ninyo, “Sawa na kami sa korupsyon; sawa na

kami sa kahirapan.” Oras na upang ibalik ang isang pamahalaang tunay na kakampi ng taumbayan.

Gaya ng marami sa inyo, namulat ako sa panggigipit ng makapangyarihan. Labindalawang-taong

gulang po ako nang idineklara ang Batas Militar. Bumaliktad ang aming mundo: Pitong taon at

pitong buwang ipiniit ang aking ama; tatlong taong napilitang mangibang-bansa ang aking pamilya;

naging saksi ako sa pagdurusa ng marami dahil sa diktadurya. Dito napanday ang aking prinsipyo:

Kung may inaagrabyado’t ninanakawan ng karapatan, siya ang kakampihan ko. Kung may

abusadong mapang-api, siya ang lalabanan ko. Kung may makita akong mali sa sistema, tungkulin

kong itama ito. [Applause ]

Matagal nang tapos ang Batas Militar. Tinanong tayo noon, “Kung hindi tayo, sino pa?” at “Kung

hindi ngayon, kailan pa?” Ang nagkakaisang tugon natin: tayo at ngayon na. Ang demokrasyang

ninakaw gamit ang paniniil at karahasan, nabawi natin sa mapayapang paraan; matagumpay nating

pinag-alab ang liwanag mula sa pinakamadilim na kabanata ng ating kasaysayan.

Ngunit huwag po nating kalimutan ang pinag-ugatan ng Batas Militar: Kinasangkapan ng diktador

ang Saligang Batas upang manatili sa kapangyarihan. At hanggang ngayon, tuloy pa rin ang



banggaan sa pagitan ng gusto ng sistemang parehas, laban sa mga nagnanais magpatuloy ng

panlalamang.

Mula sa unang araw ng ating panunungkulan, walang ibang sumalubong sa atin kundi ang mga

bangungot ng nawalang dekada.

Nariyan po ang kaso ng North Rail. Pagkamahal-mahal na nga nito, matapos ulitin ang negosasyon,

nagmahal pa lalo. Sa kabila nito, binawasan ang benepisyo. Ang labingsiyam na trainsets naging

tatlo, at sa mga estasyon, mula lima, naging dalawa. Ang masaklap pa po, pinapabayaran na sa atin

ang utang nito, now na.

Nariyan ang walang pakundangang bonus sa ilang GOCC, sa kabila ng pagkalugi ng kanilang mga

ahensya. Nariyan ang isang bilyong pisong pinasingaw ng PAGCOR para sa kape. Nariyan ang

sistemang pamamahala sa PNP na isinantabi ang pangangailangan sa armas ng 45 porsiyento ng

kapulisan, para lang kumita mula sa lumang helicopter na binili sa presyong brand new.

Wala na ngang iniwang panggastos, patung-patong at sabay-sabay pa ang mga utang na

kailangang bayaran na. Mahaba ang iniwang listahan na tungkulin nating punuan: Ang 66,800 na

backlog sa classrooms, na nagkakahalaga ng tinatayang 53.44 billion pesos; ang 2,573,212 na

backlog sa mga upuan, na nagkakahalaga naman ng 2.31 billion pesos. Nang dumating tayo, may

halos tatlumpu’t anim na milyong Pilipinong hindi pa miyembro ng PhilHealth. Ang kailangan para

makasali sila: maaaring umabot sa 42 billion pesos. Idagdag pa po natin sa lahat ng iyan ang 103

billion pesos na kailangan para sa modernisasyon ng Hukbong Sandatahan. Sa harap ng lahat ng

ito, ang iniwan sa ating pondo na malaya nating magagamit: 6.5 percent ng kabuuang budget para

sa natitirang anim na buwan ng 2010. Para po tayong boksingerong isinabak sa laban nangnakagapos na nga ang mga kamay at paa, nakapiring pa ang mga mata, at kakampi pa ng kalaban

ang referee at ang mga judge.

Kaya nga sa unang tatlong buwan ng aming panunungkulan, inaabangan namin ang pagdating ng

Linggo para maidulog sa Panginoon ang mga bangungot na humaharap sa amin. Inasahan naming

mangangailangan ng ‘di bababa sa dalawang taon bago magkaroon ng makabuluhang pagbabago.

Bibigyan kaya tayo ng sapat na pag-unawa ng taumbayan?

Subalit kung may isang bagay mang nakatatak na sa ating lahi, at makailang ulit na nating

pinatunayan sa buong mundo: Walang hindi makakaya ang nagkakaisang Pilipino. Nangarap po

tayo ng pagbabago; nakamit natin ang pagbabago; at ngayon, karaniwan na ito. [Applause ]

Ang kalsadang pinondohan ninyo ay tuwid, patag, at walang bukol; ang tanging tongpats ay aspalto

o semento. Karaniwan na po ito.



Ang sitwasyon kung paparating ang bagyo: nakaabang na ang relief, at hindi ang tao ang nag-

aabang ng relief. Nag-aabang na ring umalalay ang rescue services sa taumbayan, at hindi tayo-

tayo lang din ang sumasaklolo sa isa’t isa. Karaniwan na po ito.

Ang wang-wang sa lansangan, galing na lang sa pulis, ambulansya, o bumbero—hindi sa opisyal ng

gobyerno. Karaniwan na rin po ito. Ang gobyernong dating nang-aabuso, ngayon, tunay na kakampi

na ng Pilipino. [Applause ]

Nagpatupad po tayo ng reporma: tinanggal ang gastusing hindi kailangan, hinabol ang mga tiwali, at

ipinakita sa mundong open for business under new management na ang Pilipinas.

Ang dating sick man of Asia, ngayon, punung-puno na ng sigla. Nang nagkaroon tayo ng positive

credit rating action, ang sabi ng iba, tsamba. Ngayong walo na po sila, tsamba pa rin kaya?

[Applause ] Sa Philippine Stock Exchange index, nang una nating nahigitan ang 4,000 na index, may

mga nagduda. Ngayon, sa dami ng all-time high, pati economic managers, nahirapan yata sapagbilang, at ako rin po ay nagulat: nakakaapatnapu’t apat na pala tayo, at bihira nang bumaba sa

5,000 ang index. [Applause ] Nito pong first quarter ng 2012, ang GDP growth natin, 6.4 percent;

milya-milya ang layo niyan sa mga prediksyon, at pinakamataas sa buong Southeast Asian region;

pangalawa po ito sa Asya, sunod lang tayo sa Tsina. [Applause ] Kung dati po, tayo ang laging

nangungutang, ngayon, hindi po birong tayo na ang nagpapautang. [Applause ] Dati, namamalimos

tayo ng investments; ngayon, sila na ang dumadagsa. Ang mga kumpanyang Hapon, sa isang

pagpupulong po namin, ang sabi ay, “Baka gusto n’yo kaming silipin. Hindi nga kami ang

pinakamura, pero una naman kami sa teknolohiya.” Pati pinuno ng isa pong malaking bangko sa

Inglatera, kamakailan nakipag-usap sa atin, ang sinabi, maisali sana sila sa ating kinukunsulta sa

usapang pinansyal.

Sa bawat sulok ng mundo, nagpapakita ng paghanga ang mga komentarista. Ayon sa Bloomberg

Businessweek, and I quote: “Keep an eye on the Philippines.” Ang Foreign Policy magazine, pati isa

sa mga pinuno ng ASEAN 100, nagsabing maaari daw tayong maging, and I quote, “Asia’s Next

Tiger.” [Applause ] Sabi ni Ruchir Sharma, pinuno ng Emerging Market Equities and Global Macro ng

Morgan Stanley, I quote: “The Philippines is no longer a joke.” At mukha naman pong hindi siya

nambobola, dahil tinatayang isang bilyong dolyar ang ipinasok ng kanyang kumpanya sa atin pong

bansa. [Applause ] Sana nga po, ang kaliwa’t kanang paghanga ng taga-ibang bansa, masundan na

ng lokal na tagapagbalita. [Applause ]

Sinisiguro po nating umaabot ang kaunlaran sa mas nakakarami. Alalahanin po natin: Nang mag-

umpisa tayo, may 760,357 na kabahayang benepisyaryo ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Tinarget [target] natin itong paabutin sa 3.1 million sa loob ng dalawang taon. Pebrero pa lang po ng

taong ito, naiparehistro na ang ikatlong milyong kabahayang benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilya.

[Applause ] Sa susunod na taon naman, palalawakin pa natin ang sakop nito sa 3.8 milyong bahay;

limang beses po ang laki niyan sa dinatnan natin.



Pangmatagalan po ang impact ng proyektong ito. Hindi pa kumpleto ang mga pag-aaral, pero

ngayon pa lang, maganda na ang ipinapakita ng numero. Base sa listahan ng DSWD: May

1,672,977 na mga inang regular nang nagpapacheck-up. Idagdag pa natin, 1,672,814 na mga

batang napabakunahan laban sa diarrhea, polio, tigdas, at iba pa. Four point fifty-seven million na

estudyanteng hindi na napipilitang mag-absent dahil sa kahirapan. [Applause ]

Sa kalusugan naman po: Nang dumating tayo, animnapu’t dalawang porsiyento lamang ng mga

Pilipino ang naka-enrol sa PhilHealth. Ang masaklap, hindi pa masiguro kung lahat sila ay kabilang

sa mga totoong nangangailangan ng kalinga ng estado, o buwenas lang na malapit sa politiko.

Ngayon po, 85 percent ng lahat ng mamamayan, miyembro na nito. [Applause ] Ang ibig pong

sabihin, 23.31 million na Pilipino ang naidagdag sa mga saklaw ng PhilHealth mula nang bigyan

tayo ng mandato. [Applause ]

Ang maganda pa rito: ang 5.2 million na pinakamahirap na kabahayang tinukoy ng National

Household Targeting System, buong-buo at walang-bayad nang makikinabang sa benepisyo ngPhilHealth. [Applause ] Dahil po sa No Balance Billing policy ng Department of Health, ang lunas

para sa dengue, pneumonia, asthma, katarata, gayundin ang pagpapagamot sa mga catastrophic

disease tulad ng breast cancer, prostate cancer, at acute leukemia, makukuha na nang libre ng mga

pinakamahirap nating kababayan. [Applause ]

Ito po ang proseso ng pagpapagamot para sa kanila: Papasok ka sa alinmang ospital ng gobyerno.

Ipapakita mo ang iyong PhilHealth card. Magpapagamot ka. At uuwi kang maginhawa nang walang

inilabas ni isang kusing.

Sabi nga po sa isa sa mga briefing na dinaluhan natin, apat sa sampung Pilipino, hindi man lamang

nakakakita ng health professional sa tanang buhay nila. Sa iba po, mas malaki pa: may nagsasabing

anim sa bawat sampung Pilipino ang pumapanaw nang malayo sa kalinga ng health professional.

Anuman ang ating pagbatayan, hindi po maikakaila: nakakabahala ang bilang ng mga Pilipinong

hindi naaabot ang serbisyong pangkalusugan ng pamahalaan. Tinutugunan na po natin ito. Mula sa

sampung libo noong dumating tayo, umabot na sa 30,801 ang mga nurse at midwife na ating nai-

deploy sa ilalim ng RNHeals Program. [Applause ] Idagdag pa po natin sa kanila ang mahigit labing-

isang libong Community Health Teams na nagsisilbing tulay upang higit na mapatibay ang ugnayan

ng mga doktor at nurse sa komunidad.

At kung dati tutungo lamang ang mga nurse kung saan makursunadahan ng kanilang hepe, ngayon,

dahil sa tamang targeting, kung saan sila kailangan, doon sila ipinapadala: [applause ] sa mga lugar

na matagal nang naiwan sa laylayan ng lipunan. Ipinadala po ang ating mga health professional sa

1,021 na pook na saklaw ng Pantawid Pamilya, at sa 609 na pinakamahihirap na lungsod at

munisipyo, ayon sa pag-aaral ng National Anti-Poverty Commission. [Applause ]



Dalawang problema po ang natutugunan nito: bukod sa nagkakatrabaho at nabibigyan ng work

experience ang libu-libong nurse at midwife na dati ay walang mapaglalaanan ng kanilang

kaalaman, nagiging abot-kamay din ang dekalidad na kalinga para sa milyun-milyon nating

kababayan.

Subalit hindi pa po tayo makukuntento rito, dahil ang hangad natin: kalusugang pangkalahatan.

Nagsisimula ito, hindi sa mga pagamutan, kundi sa loob mismo ng kanya-kanya nating tahanan.

Ibayong kaalaman, bakuna, at checkup ang kailangan upang mailayo tayo sa karamdaman. Dagdag

pa po diyan ang pagsisikap nating iwasan ang mga sakit na puwede namang iwasan.

Halimbawa: Nabanggit ko ang mosquito traps kontra dengue noong nakaraang taon. Alam naman

po ninyo, ang mga syantipiko mahigpit sa pagsisiyasat. Maaga pa para sabihing siguradong-

sigurado na tayo, pero nakakaengganyo po ang mga paunang resulta nitong programang ito.

Sinubok natin ang bisa ng mosquito traps sa mga lugar kung saan naitala ang pinakamataas nainsidente ng dengue. Sa buong probinsya ng Bukidnon noong 2010, may 1,216 na kaso. Nang

inilagay ang mga mosquito trap noong 2011: mukhang nakatulong dahil bumaba ito sa tatlumpu’t

pito; 97 percent raw po ang reduction po ito. [Applause ] Sa bayan ng Ballesteros at Claveria sa

Cagayan, may 228 na kaso ng dengue noong 2010. Pagdating ng 2011, walo na lang ang naitala.

Sa Catarman, Northern Samar: 434 na kaso ng dengue noong 2010, naging apat na lang noong

2011. [Applause ]

Panimulang pag-aaral pa lamang po ito. Pero ngayon pa lang, marapat na yata nating pasalamatan

sina Secretary Ike Ona ng DOH at Secretary Mario Montejo ng DOST, [Applause ] Wala ho tayong

masyadong umento, baka sa palakpak n’yo’y ganahan silang lalong magsaliksik at mag-ugnayan.

Marami pa po tayong kailangang solusyonan. Nakakabahala ang mataas pa ring maternal mortality

ratio ng bansa. Kaya nga po gumagawa tayo ng mga hakbang upang tugunan ang

pangangailangan sa kalusugan ng kababaihan. Nais din nating makamit ang Universal Health Care,

at magkaroon ng sapat na kagamitan, pasilidad, at tauhan ang ating mga institusyong

pangkalusugan.

Sa pagtugon natin sa mga ito, malaki ang maiaambag ng Sin Tax Bill. Maipasa na po sana ito sa

lalong madaling panahon. [Applause ] Mababawasan na ang bisyo, madadagdagan pa ang pondo

para sa kalusugan.

Ano naman kaya ang sasalubong sa kabataan pagpasok sa paaralan? Sa lilim ng puno pa rin kaya

sila unang matututo ng abakada? Nakasalampak pa rin kaya sila sa sahig habang nakikipag-

agawan ng textbook sa kaklase nila?



Matibay po ang pananalig natin kay Secretary Luistro: Bago matapos ang susunod na taon, ubos na

ang minana nating 66,800 na kakulangan sa silid-aralan. [Applause ] Ulitin ko po, next year pa po

‘yan; 40,000 pa lang ho this year. Ang minana po nating 2,573,212 na backlog sa upuan, tuluyan na

rin nating matutugunan bago matapos ang 2012. [Applause ] Sa taon din pong ito, masisimot na rin

ang 61.7 million na backlog sa textbook upang maabot na, sa wakas, ang one is to one ratio ng aklat

sa mag-aaral. [Applause ] Sana nga po, ngayong paubos na ang backlog sa edukasyon, sikapin

nating huwag uling magka-backlog dahil sa dami ng estudyante. Sa tingin ko po, Responsible

Parenthood ang sagot dito. [Applause ]

At para naman po hindi mapag-iwanan ang ating mga State Universities and Colleges, mayroon

tayong panukalang 43.61 percent na pag-angat sa kanilang budget para sa susunod na taon.

[Applause ] Paalala lang po: lahat ng ginagawa natin, may direksyon; may kaakibat na kondisyon

ang dagdag-budget na ito. Kailangang ipatupad ang napagkasunduang SUC Reform Roadmap ng

CHED at ng kaukulang state universities and colleges, upang siguruhing dekalidad ang magiging

produkto ng mga pamantasang pinopondohan ng estado. Kung mataas ang grado ninyo saassignment na ito, asahan ninyong dodoblehin din namin ang kayod para matugunan ang mga

natitirang pangangailangan po ninyo. [Applause ]

Panay addition po ang nagaganap sa ating budget sa edukasyon. Isipin po ninyo: ang budget ng

DepEd na ipinamana sa atin noong 2010, 177 billion pesos. Ang panukala natin para sa 2013: 292.7

billion pesos. [Applause ] Noong 2010, 21.03 billion pesos ang budget para sa SUCs. Taunan po

iyang dinagdagan upang umabot na sa 37.13 billion pesos na panukala natin para sa 2013.

[Applause ] Pero sa kabila nito, ngayon pa lang, may nagpaplano nang magcut-classes para mag-

piket sa Mendiola. Ganito po kasimple: ang 292.7 ay mas malaki sa 177, at ang 37.13 ay mas

malaki sa 21.03. Kaya kung may magsasabi pa ring binawasan natin ang budget ng edukasyon o

magsasabi pa ring binawasan natin ang budget ng edukasyon, kukumbinsihin na lang namin ang

inyong mga paaralan na maghandog ng remedial math class para sa inyo. [ Laughter and applause ]

At sana po, sa mga klaseng ‘to, pakiusap namin, sana itong klaseng remedial na nga eh pasukan

naman po ninyo.

Nang maupo tayo, at masimulan ang makabuluhang reporma, minaliit ng ilan ang pagpapakitang-

gilas ng pamahalaan. Kundi raw buwenas, ningas-kugon lang itong mauupos rin paglaon. May ilan

pa rin pong ayaw magretiro sa paghahasik ng negatibismo; silang mga tikom ang bibig sa good

news, at ginawang industriya na ang kritisismo.

Kung may problema kayo na bago matapos ang taon, bawat bata ay may sarili nang upuan at aklat,

tingnan ninyo sila, mata sa mata, at sabihin ninyong, “Ayaw kong makapag-aral ka.”

http://www.gov.ph/responsible-parenthood/








Kung masama ang loob ninyo na ang 5.2 million na pinakamahihirap na kabahayang Pilipino ay

maaari nang pumasok sa ospital nang hindi iniintindi ang gastos sa pagpapagamot, tingnan ninyo

sila ulit, mata sa mata, at sabihin ninyong, “Ayaw kong gumaling ka.”

Kung nagagalit kayo na may tatlong milyong pamilyang Pilipino nang tumutungo sa katuparan ng

kanilang mga pangarap dahil sa Pantawid Pamilya, tingnan ninyo sila, mata sa mata, at sabihin

ninyong, “Ibabalik ko kayo sa kawalan ng pag-asa.” [Applause ]

Tapos na ang panahon kung kailan choice lang ng makapangyarihan ang mahalaga. Halimbawa,

ang dating namumuno sa TESDA, nagpamudmod ng mga scholarship voucher; ang problema, wala

palang nakalaang pondo para rito. Natural, tatalbog ang voucher. Ang napala: 2.4 billion pesos ang

sinisingil ng mahigit isanlibong eskwelahan mula sa pamahalaan. Nagpapapogi ang isang tao’t isang

administrasyon; sambayanang Pilipino naman ang pinagbabayad ngayon.

Pumasok si Secretary Joel Villanueva; [applause ] hindi siya nagpasindak sa tila imposiblengpagbabagong dapat ipatupad sa kanyang ahensya. Sa kabila ng malaking utang na minana ng

TESDA, 434,676 na indibidwal pa rin ang kanilang hinasa sa ilalim ng Training for Work Scholarship

Program. [Applause ] Kongkretong tagumpay din po ang hatid ng TESDA Specialista

Technopreneurship Program (mas mahirap pong bigkasin kaysa sa resulta). Biruin po ninyo, bawat

isa sa 5,240 na sertipikadong Specialistas, kumikita na ngayon ng 562 pesos kada araw o 11,240

pesos kada buwan. Mas malaki pa po ito sa minimum wage. [Applause ]

Mula sa pagkasanggol, hanggang sa pagkabinata, gumagana na ang sistema para sa mamamayan.

Sinisiguro nating manganganak ng trabaho ang pagsigla ng ating ekonomiya.

Alalahanin po natin, para tumabla lang, kailangang makalikha taun-taon ng isang milyong bagongtrabaho para sa mga new entrants. Ang nalikha po natin sa loob ng dalawang taon: halos 3.1 million

na bagong trabaho. [Applause ]

Ito po ang dahilan kung bakit pababa nang pababa ang unemployment rate sa bansa. Nang

dumating tayo, eight percent ang unemployment rate. Naging 7.2 ito noong Abril ng 2011, at

bumaba pa lalo sa 6.9 ngayong taon, sa buwan rin ng Abril. ‘Di po ba makatwirang mangarap na

balang araw, bawat Pilipinong handang magbanat ng buto, may mapapasukang trabaho?

Tingnan na lamang po natin ang BPO sector. Noong taong 2000, limanlibo katao lang ang

naempleyo sa industriyang ito. Fast forward po tayo: 638,000 katao na ang nabibigyang trabaho ng

mga BPO, at labing-isang bilyong dolyar ang ipinasok nito sa ating ekonomiya noong taong 2011.

Ang projection nga po, pagdating ng 2016, kung saan ako po ay magpapaalam na sa inyo, 25 billion

dollars na ang maipapasok nito, at makakapag-empleyo ng 1.3 million na mga Pilipino. [Applause ]

Hindi pa po kasama rito ang tinatayang aabot sa 3.2 million na mga taxi driver, barista, mga sari-sari

store, karinderya, at marami pang ibang makikinabang sa mga indirect jobs na malilikha dahil sa

BPO industry.



Malaking bahagi din po ng ating job-generation strategy ang pagpapatayo ng sapat na

imprastruktura. Sa mga nakapagbakasyon na sa Boracay, nakita na naman ninyo ang bagong-

binyag nating terminal sa Caticlan. Nakalatag na rin po ang plano upang palawakin ang runway nito.

Magkakaroon pa po ‘yan ng mga kapatid. Bago matapos ang aking termino , nakatayo na ang New

Bohol Airport sa Panglao, [applause ] New Legaspi Airport sa Daraga, at Laguindingan Airport sa

Misamis Oriental. [Applause ] Ia-upgrade na rin po natin ang ating international airports sa Mactan,

Puerto Princesa, at Tacloban. [Applause ] Dagdag pa po diyan ang pagpapaganda ng mga airport sa

Butuan, Cotabato, Dipolog, Pagadian, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Leyte, at San Vicente sa Palawan.

[Applause ] Kami po sa Tarlac ay maghihintay na lang. [Laughter ]

Pang-apat na Pangulo na po akong sasalo sa problema ng NAIA 3. Hindi lang po eroplano ang nag-

take off at nag-landing dito: maging mga problema’t anomalya, lumapag din. Nagbitiw na po ng

salita si Secretary Mar Roxas: bago tayo magkita sa susunod na SONA, maisasaayos na ang mga

structural defects na minana natin sa NAIA 3. [Applause ]

Nitong Hunyo po, nagsimula na ring umusad ang proseso para sa LRT Line 1 Cavite Extensionproject, na magpapaluwag sa trapik sa Las Piñas, Parañaque, at Cavite. [Applause ] Dagdag pa

diyan, para lalong mapaluwag ang traffic sa Kamaynilaan at mapabilis ang pagtawid mula North

Luzon hanggang South Luzon Expressway, magkakaroon ng dalawang elevated NLEX –SLEX

connector. Matatapos po ang mga ito sa 2015. [Applause ] Magiging one hour and 40 minutes na

lang ang biyaheng Clark papuntang Calamba oras na makumpleto ang mga ito. Bago po tayo

bumaba sa puwesto, nakatayo na rin ang mga dekalidad na terminal sa Taguig, Quezon City, at

Parañaque na paparadahan ng bus biyaheng probinsya, [applause ] upang hindi na sila makisiksik

pa sa EDSA.

Nagbago na po ang takbo ng usapan tungkol sa ahensyang dati’y itinuturing na pugad ng

kapalpakan. Naalala ko po dati: Kapag tag-ulan at umapaw ang Tarlac River, nalulunod angMacArthur Highway. Tutunawin nito ang aspalto; magbabaku-bako ang kalsada hanggang sa

tuluyan na nga itong mawawala. Bilang kinatawan noon ng aking distrito, inireklamo ko po ito. Ang

tugon ng DPWH: alam namin ang problema, alam namin ang solusyon, pero wala kaming pera.

Kinailangan ko pong makiusap sa aking mga barangay, at ang sabi ko po sa kanila ay “Kung hindi

natin ito uunahin, walang gagawa nito, at tayo rin ang mapeperhuwisyo.” Dati, panay ang “hoy,

gising!” sa gobyerno, bakit wala daw kasing ginagawa. Ngayon ang reklamo, “Sobra namang trapik,

ang dami kasing ginagawa.” [Laughter and applause ] Paalala lang din po: naisasaayos na natin ang

mga kalsadang ito nang hindi nagtataas ng buwis. [Applause]

Bubuo tayo ng mga daanan, hindi ayon sa kickback o kursonada, pero ayon sa isang malinaw na

sistema. Dahil hindi na bara-bara ang paglalagak natin ng pondo para sa mga proyekto, hindi na ito

mapapako sa plano, totoong kalsada na ang pakikinabangan ng Pilipino. Nang maupo po tayo sa

puwesto, 7,239 kilometers sa ating national road network ang hindi pa naisasaayos. One thousand

five hundred sixty-nine kilometers na nito ang naipaayos natin sa ilalim ng pamamahala ni Secretary

Babes Singson; [applause ] sa 2012—2,275 kilometers pa ang maidadagdag na natapos na rin po.

Pati po ang mga kalsada at kurbadang mapanganib, tinutukoy at inaayos na gamit ang

pinakabagong teknolohiya. Taun-taon po nating bubunuin ito, upang bago matapos ang aking



termino, bawat pulgada ng ating national road network, maayos na po. Siyempre ‘wag lang po n’yo

dagdagan ang national road network.

Hindi lang kalsada, kundi pati sistema, isinasaayos sa DPWH. Dahil sa pagsunod sa tamang

proseso ng bidding at procurement, 10.6 billion pesos na ang natipid ng kanilang ahensya mula

2011 hanggang nitong Hunyo. [Applause ] Maging mga kontratista, batid ang positibong bunga ng

reporma sa DPWH. Sabi nga po nila, “Ang top 40 na kontratista, fully booked na raw po.”

Sana po hindi maantala ang pagpapatayo natin ng iba pang imprastraktura para hindi rin mapurnada

ang paglago ng ibang industriya.

Kaakibat ng pagpapaunlad ng imprastruktura ang paglago ng turismo. Isipin po ninyo: Noong 2001,

ang tourist arrivals sa ating bansa, 1.8 million. Nang dumating po tayo noong 2010, naglalaro ito sa

3.1 million. Mantakin po ninyo: sa hinaba-haba ng kanilang administrasyon, ang naidagdag nilang

tourist arrivals, 1.3 million lamang; may ambag pa kaming kalahating taon diyan. Tayo naman po,

Hunyo pa lang ng 2012—2.1 million na turista na ang napalapag. [Applause ] Mas marami pang

dadagsa sa peak season bago matapos ang taon, kaya hindi ako nagdududang maaabot natin angquota na 4.6 million na turista para sa 2012. [Applause ] Ibig sabihin po, 1.5 million na turista ang

ating maidadagdag. Samakatuwid, sa dalawang taon, mas malaki ang magiging paglago ng ating

tourist arrivals, kumpara sa naidagdag ng pinalitan natin sa loob ng siyam at kalahating taon. Hindi

po tayo nagtataas ng bangko; nagsasabi lang po tayo ng totoo. [Applause ]

Pero hindi nakuntento rito si Secretary Mon Jimenez. Sabi niya, kung sa Malaysia may bumisitang

24.7 million na turista noong 2011, at kung sa Thailand naman tinatayang 17 million, sa dinami-rami

ng magagandang tanawin sa ating bansa, hindi naman siguro suntok sa buwan kung mangarap

tayong pagdating ng 2016, sampung milyong turista na ang bibisita sa Pilipinas kada taon.

[Applause ] Kung patuloy na magkakaisa ang sambayanang Pilipino, gaya ng ipinamalas nating

hirangin ang Puerto Princesa Underground River bilang isa sa New Seven Wonders of Nature,walang dudang makakamtan natin ito. Ang pahayag nga po natin sa daigdig: “It’s more fun in the

Philippines.” [Applause ] Kahit wala pang isang taon sa puwesto si Secretary Mon Jimenez,

nagagapas na natin ang positibong bunga ng ating mga naipunlang reporma. Masasabi nga po

nating pagdating sa turismo, “It’s really fun—to have Secretary Mon Jimenez as our Secretary.”

[Applause ]

Kung paglago po ang usapan, nasa tuktok ng listahan ang agrikultura. Kayod-kalabaw po si

Secretary Alcala upang makapaghatid ng mabubuting balita. Binisita po niya ang lahat ng probinsya

hindi para mangampanya sa sarili pero para ikampanya ang programa ng Department of Agriculture.

Dati, para bang ang pinapalago ng mga namumuno sa DA ay ang utang ng NFA. Twelve billion

pesos ang minana nilang utang; ang ipinamana naman nila sa atin, 177 billion pesos.

Hindi po ba’t noon, pinaniwala tayo na 1.3 million metric tons ang kakulangan sa bigas, at para

tugunan ito, ‘di bababa sa two million metric tons ang kanilang inangkat noong 2010. Parang

unlimited rice sila kung maka-order ng bigas, pero dahil sobra-sobra, nabubulok lang naman ito sa

mga bodega. Ang 1.3 million metric tons, unang taon pa lang, napababa na natin sa 860,000 metric

tons. [Applause ] Ngayong taon, 500,000 na lang, kasama pa ang buffer sakaling abutin tayo ng



bagyo. [Applause ] Huwag lang po tayong pagsungitan ng panahon, harinawa, sa susunod na taon

ay puwede na tayong mag-export ng bigas. [Applause ]

Ang sabi po ni Secretary Alcala: ang susi dito, makatotohanang programa sa irigasyon, at masigasig

na implementasyon ng certified seeds program. [Applause ] Ang masakit po, hindi bagong kaalaman

ito; hindi lang ipinapatupad. Kung dati pa sila nagtrabaho nang matino, nasaan na kaya tayo

ngayon?

Tingnan rin po natin ang industriya ng niyog at ang cocowater na dati tinatapon lang, ngayon,

napapakinabangan na ng magsasaka. Noong 2009—483,862 liters ng cocowater ang iniluwas natin.

Umangat po ito ng 1,807,583 liters noong 2010. Huwag po kayong magugulat, noong 2011,

16,756,498 liters [applause ]—puwede ho bang ulitin iyon?—16,756,498 liters ng cocowater ang in-

export ng Pilipinas. Ang coco coir naman, kung dati walang pumapansin, ngayon may shortage na

dahil pinapakyaw ng mga exporter. Hindi natin sasayangin ang pagkakataong ito. Bibili pa tayo ng

mga bagong makinang magpoproseso ng bunot para makuha ang mga hiblang ginagawa mula sa

coco coir. Sa susunod na taon, lalo nating mapapakinabangan ang industriya ng niyog. Naglaan na

tayo ng 1.75 billion pesos upang mamuhunan at palaguin ito. [Applause ]Sinimulan po ng aking ina ang Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Nararapat lamang na

matapos ang programang ito sa panahon ng aking panunungkulan. [Applause ]

Isinasaayos na po ang sistema upang mapabilis ang pagpapatupad ng repormang agraryo.

Ginagawa ng pamahalaan ang lahat ng hakbang upang maipamahagi sa ating magsasaka ang mga

lupaing diniligan at pinagyaman ng kanilang pawis. Subalit mayroon pa rin pong ayaw paawat sa

pagtatanim ng mga balakid. Ang tugon ko sa kanila: susunod tayo sa batas. Ang atas ng batas, ang

atas ng taumbayan, at ang atas ko: Bago ako bumaba sa puwesto, naipamigay na dapat ang lahat

ng lupaing sakop ng CARP. [Applause ]

Liwanagin naman po natin ang nangyayari sa sektor ng enerhiya. Mantakin po ninyo: Dati po,

umabot lang ang kawad ng kuryente sa barangay hall, “energized” na raw ang buong barangay.

Kaya ganoon na lang kung ipagmalaki nilang 99.98 percent na raw ng mga barangay sa bansa ang

may kuryente. Pati ba naman sa serbisyong dapat ay matagal nang napapakinabangan ng Pilipino,

nagkakagulangan pa? Kaya nga po, para subukan ang kakayahan ng DOE at NEA, naglaan tayo ng

1.3 billion pesos para pailawan ang unang target na 1,300 sitios, sa presyong isang milyong piso

bawat isa. Nang matapos sila, ang napailawan sa inilaan nating pondo: 1,520 sitios, at gumastos

lamang sila ng 814 million pesos. [Applause ] Nagawa nila ito sa loob lamang ng tatlong buwan, at

mas marami pa pong gagawin dito hangga’t matapos ang 36,000 sitiong walang kuryente. Kay

Secretary Rene Almendras, bilib talaga ako sa iyo; parang hindi ka nauubusan ng enerhiya. Sa

paghahatid-serbisyo, hindi ka lang eveready, nagmistulang energizer bunny ka pa—you keep on

going, and going, and going. [Applause ]

Nangingibabaw na nga po ang liwanag sa ating bayan—liwanag na nagsiwalat sa krimeng

nagaganap sa madidilim na sulok ng lipunan. Ang pinagsisikapang kitain ng Pilipino, hindi na

magagantso. Patuloy po ang pagbaba ng crime volume sa buong bansa. Ang mahigit limandaan

libong krimen na naitala noong 2009, mahigit kalahati po ang nabawas: 246,958 na lamang iyan

nitong 2011. Dagdag pa rito, ang dating dalawanlibo’t dalawandaang kaso ng carnapping noong

2010, lampas kalahati rin ang ibinaba; 966 na lang po iyan pagdating ng 2011.



Ito nga po sana ang dalhin ng ating mga headline. Hindi po natin sinasabing wala nang krimeng

nagaganap, pero palagay ko naman po, wala dapat magalit na nangalahati na ito. Si Raymond

Dominguez na matagal nang labas-masok sa kulungan, hindi ba’t sa loob lamang ng mahigit isang

taon, nasentensyahan at naipakulong na? Ang dalawa pa niyang kapatid ay sinampahan na rin natin

ng kaso at kasalukuyan na ring nakabilanggo. May dalawang suspect sa bus bombing sa Makati

noong nakaraang taon, ang isa po’y pumanaw na; ‘yung isa, humihimas na ng rehas. Kakosa niya

ang mahigit sampung libong sangkot sa ilegal na droga na inaresto ng PDEA nitong 2011.

[Applause ]

Alam po nating hindi araw-araw ang laban ni Pacman, at hindi puwedeng iasa dito ang pagbaba ng

krimen. Kaya nga po pinalalakas natin ang puwersa ng kapulisan. ‘Di po ba, nang dumating tayo,

apatnapu’t limang porsyento ng ating kapulisan ang walang baril at umaasa sa anting-anting habang

tumutugis ng masasamang-loob? [Laughter ] May nanalo na po sa bidding, tinitiyak na lamang nating

dekalidad ang kanilang mga produkto. Pagkatapos ng proseso, at itong taon po nating inaasahan

ito, maipagkakaloob na ang 74,600 na baril na magagamit nila upang ipagtanggol at alagaan ang

bayan, lipunan, at sarili. [Applause ]Dumako naman po tayo sa usapin ng pambansang tanggulan. May mga nagsabi na po na ang ating

Air Force, “all air, at no force.” [Laughter ] Imbes na alagaan ng estado, para bang sinasadyang

ilagay sa alanganin ang ating mga sundalo. Hindi po tayo makakapayag na manatiling ganito.

Makalipas nga lang po ang isang taon at pitong buwan, nakapaglaan na tayo ng mahigit

dalawampu’t walong bilyong piso para sa AFP Modernization Program. Aabutan na nito ang

tatlumpu’t tatlong bilyong pisong pondo na ipinagkaloob sa nasabing programa sa nakalipas na

labinlimang taon. [Applause ] Bumubuwelo pa lang po tayo sa lagay na ‘yan. Kapag naipasa na ang

panukala nating AFP modernization bill sa Kongreso, makakapaglaan tayo ng pitumpu’t limang

bilyong piso para sa susunod na limang taon.

Kasado na rin po ang tatlumpung milyong dolyar na pondong kaloob ng Estados Unidos para sa

Defense Capability Upgrade and Sustainment of Equipment Program ng AFP. Bukod pa po ito sa

tulong nila upang pahusayin pa ang pagmanman sa ating mga baybayin sa ilalim ng itatayong Coast

Watch Center ng Pilipinas.

Nagka-canvass na rin po ang Sandatahang Lakas ng mga kagamitan tulad ng mga kanyon, armored

personnel carrier, at frigates. Hindi magtatagal, dadaong na ang karelyebo ng BRP Gregorio del

Pilar sa ating pampang. Sa Enero, aangkla na po sa Pilipinas ang BRP Ramon Alcaraz , ang

pangalawa nating Hamilton class cutter. ‘Di na po bangkang papel ang ating ipapalaot; [applause ]

ngayon, mga hi-tech at dekalidad na barko na ang tatanod sa 36,000 kilometers nating coastline.

Mainam na rin po siguro kung maglilinis-linis na ng mga hangar ang ating Sandatahang Lakas, dahil

darating na ang mga kagamitang lalong magpapatikas sa ating tanggulan. Sa wakas, may katuwang

na po ang kaisa-isa nating C-130 na tatlumpu’t anim na taon nang rumoronda sa himpapawid.

Dalawa pang C-130 ang magiging operational ulit sa taong ito. Bago matapos ang taong ito,

inaasahan nating maide-deliver na ang binili nating dalawampu’t isang refurbished UH-1H

Helicopter, apat na combat utility helicopters, mga radyo’t iba pang communication equipment, rifles,

mortars, mobile diagnostic laboratories, kasama na ang bullet station assembly para sa arsenal.



[Applause ] Pagdating naman po ng 2013, lalapag na ang sampung attack helicopters, dalawang

naval helicopters, dalawang light lift aircraft, isang frigate, at mga force protection equipment.

[Applause ]

At hindi lang po natin sa armas ipinaparamdam ang pagkalinga sa ating pulis at kasundaluhan.

Nabawasan na rin po ang mga pasanin nila sa pamumuhay dahil sa mahigit dalawampu’t dalawang

libong bahay ang naipatayo na sa ilalim ng AFP –PNP housing program. [Applause ]

Hindi po ito tungkol sa pakikipaggirian o pakikipagmatigasan. Hindi ito tungkol sa pagsisiga-sigaan.

Tungkol ito sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan. Tungkol ito sa kakayahan nating ipagtanggol ang ating

sarili—isang bagay na kaytagal nating inisip na imposible. Tungkol po ito sa buhay ng isang

sundalong araw-araw sumasabak sa peligro; tungkol ito sa pamilya niyang nag-aabang na

makabalik siyang ligtas, ano man ang kanyang makaharap. Hayaan po nating ang ilang mga

benipisyaryo ang magsabi sa pagbabago ng buhay po nila:

[Video starts]

“Nagpapasalamat sa Poong Maykapal. Binigyan kami ng ganitong

pagkakataon —binigyan ng blessing na gan ito. Pangalawa, ‘yung pagkakaroon

nating ng mabait na pangulo. Itong proyekto na ito ay hindi niya kami

pinababayaan —mga kapulisan at mga sundalo —sandatahan ng ating Pilipinas.”

- SPO1 Domingo Medalla [PNP Housing Beneficiary]

“Kinakaya namin, Ma’am. Pero ginagawan ko talaga ng paraan na makapasok

sila [sa eskuwela]. ‘Yun lang talaga, ma’am, ang misyon ko sa buhay na

mapaaral sila, maibigay ko ‘yung tamang edukasyon, na hindi maging gusgusinang anak ko, hindi kaawa-awa[an] ng mga tao, may magulang na dapat

magtaguyod. At, napapasalamat ako sa Pantawid [Pamilya Program], ma’am,

dahil may natutunan ako ditong malaki.” - Eva Neri [CCT beneficiary]

“Malaking tulong na isa kami—ang alam ko kauna-unahan na nakinabang at

nakikinabang pa sa package na ‘to na Categ ory Z Package ng Philhealth.

Nagpapasalamat kami nang sobra at hindi man maganda na nagkaroon ng

sakit ang anak ko, pero mayroong PhilHealth na tutulong at handang tumulong

sa mga gastusin namin.” - Kristine Tatualla [PhilHealth beneficiary]

“Noong araw na nasama sa isang Oakwood Mutiny —‘yung pinaglalaban namin,

ito na po ‘yung hinihintay namin para sa pagbabago at ito na po ang

pagkakataon natin para magkaroon tayo ng sariling bahay lalong lao na sa



programa ng ating presidente na si Benigno Aquino III.” - PFC Rolly Bernal [AFP

Housing Beneficiary]

[Video ends]

At ngayon ngang inaaruga na sila ng taumbayan, lalo namang ginaganahan ang ating kasundaluhan

na makamtan ang kapayapaan. Tagumpay pong maituturing ang dalawandaan at tatlong rebeldeng

sumuko at nagbabalik-loob na sa lipunan, at ang 1,772 na bandidong nawakasan na ang karahasan.

Halimbawa po, ang kilabot na teroristang si Doctor Abu, na hindi na makakapaghasik ng kaniyang

lagim. Nagpupugay rin po tayo sa panunumbalik ng katahimikan sa mga lugar na matagal nang

biningi ng putukan. Ang resulta nga po ng bayanihan: 365 na barangay ang naagaw sa kamay ng

kaaway, 270 na gusali’t paaralan ang naipaayos, at 74 health centers ang naipagawa. [Applause ]

Kung kapayapaan na lang din po ang usapan, dumako naman tayo sa lugar na matagal naging

mukha ng mga mithiing ‘di makamtan-kamtan. Bago po magsimula ang mga reporma natin sa

ARMM, at alam naman po n’yo, may mga ghost students doon, na maglalakad sa isang ghost road,tungo sa isang ghost school, para magpaturo sa isang ghost teacher. Ang mga aparisyon pong

gumulantang kay OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman: [applause ] Apat na eskuwelahan na natagpuang

may ghost students; iniimbestigahan na rin ang mga teacher na hindi lumilitaw ang pangalan sa

talaan ng Professional Regulation Commission, gayundin ang mga tauhan ng gobyernong hindi

nakalista sa plantilya. Limampu’t limang ghost entry ang tinanggal sa payroll. Ang dating paulit-ulit

na pagsasaboy ng graba sa kalsada para lang pagkakitaan ng pera, bawal na. Wala nang cash

advance sa mga ahensya, para maiwasan ang pagsasamantala. Ang mga multo sa voters list,

mapapatahimik na ang kaluluwa. [Applause ] Kaya nga po kay OIC Gov. Mujiv Hataman, ang

masasabi natin: talaga namang isa ka nang certified ghost buster.

Ang pumalit po, at pinapalit na: pabahay, tulay, at learning center para sa mga Badjao sa Basilan.Mga community-based hatchery, lambat, materyales para maglinang ng seaweeds, at punlang

napakinabangan ng 2,588 na mangingisda. Certified seeds, punla ng gabi, cassava, goma, at mga

punong namumunga para sa 145,121 na magsasaka. Simula pa lang po iyan; nakalaan na ang 183

million pesos para sa mga municipal fishing port projects sa ARMM; 310.4 million pesos para sa

mga istasyon ng bumbero; 515 million pesos para sa malinis na inuming tubig; 551.9 million pesos

para sa mga kagamitang pangkalusugan; 691.9 million pesos para sa daycare centers; at 2.85

billion pesos para sa mga kalsada at tulay na babagtas sa rehiyon. Ilan lang po iyan sa

patutunguhan ng kabuuang 8.59 billion pesos na ipinagkaloob ng pambansang gobyerno para

isakatuparan ang mga reporma sa ARMM. [Applause ] Lilinawin ko rin po, hindi pa kasama rito ang

taunang suportang natatanggap nila, na ngayong 2012 ay umabot sa 11.7 billion pesos. [Applause ]

Miski po ang mga dating gustong tumiwalag, nakikita na ang epekto ng reporma. Kinikilala natin

bilang pahiwatig ng kanilang tiwala ang nakaraang pitong buwan, kung kailan walang nangyaring

sagupaan sa pagitan ng militar at ng MILF. Sa peace process naman po, hayag at lantaran ang

usapan. Nagpapamalas ang magkabilang panig ng tiwala sa isa’t isa. Maaaring minsan, magiging

masalimuot ang proseso; signos lang po ito na malapit na nating makamit ang nag-iisa nating

mithiin: Kapayapaan.



Mapayapang pag-uusap rin po ang prinsipyong isinulong natin upang mabuo ang ating Executive

Order ukol sa pagmimina. Ang kaisipan sa likod ng nabuong consensus: mapakinabangan ang ating

likas na yaman upang iangat ang buhay ng Pilipino, hindi lamang ngayon kundi pati na rin sa

susunod na salinlahi. Hindi natin pipitasin ang ginintuang bunga ng industriyang ito, kung ang

magiging kabayaran ay ang pagkasira ng kalikasan. [Applause ]

Ngunit unang hakbang lamang ito. Isipin po ninyo, noong 2010, 145 billion pesos ang kabuuang

halaga na nakuha mula sa pagmimina, subalit 13.4 billion pesos lamang o siyam na porsyento ang

napunta sa kaban ng bayan. Ang likas na yaman, pag-aari ninyo; hindi tayo papayag na balato lang

ang mapupunta sa Pilipino. Umaasa po tayo sa pakikiisa ng Kongreso upang makapagpasa ng

batas na sisigurong napapangalagaan ang kalikasan at matitiyak na makatarungan ang magiging

pakinabang ng publiko at pribadong sektor sa mga biyayang makukuha natin mula sa industriyang

ito. [Applause ]

Pag-usapan po natin ang situwasyon sa Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Dati, ang

gobyernong dapat tumutulong, nanghihingi rin ng tulong. Ngayon, nasa Pasipiko pa lang ang bagyo,

alam na kung saan idedestino ang ayuda, at may malinaw nang plano upang maiwasan ang peligro.

Tuwing pag-uusapan nga po ang sakuna, lagi kong naaalala ang nangyari po sa amin sa Tarlac

noong minsang bumagyo. Sa lakas ng ulan, bumigay ang isang dike. Nang nagising ang atin pong

barangay captain, tinangay na ng baha ang kanyang pamilya at mga kagamitang pangsaka. Buti

nga po’t nakaligtas ang buong mag-anak. Malas lang po ng kalabaw nilang naiwang nakatali sa

puno; nabigti ito sa lakas ng ragasa.

Walang kalaban-laban din po ang marami sa tinamaan ng bagyong Ondoy, Pepeng, at Sendong.

Napakarami pong nasawi sa paghagupit ng mga delubyong ito. Sa ilalim ng bagong-lunsad na

Project NOAH, isinakay natin sa iisang bangka ang mga inisyatiba kontra-sakuna, at hindi na rin poidinadaan sa tsamba ang paglilikas sa mga pamilya. Gamit ang teknolohiya, nabibigyan na ng

wastong babala ang Pilipino upang makapaghanda at makaiwas sa disgrasya.

Real-time at direkta na ang pakinabang ng walumpu’t anim na automated rain gauges at

dalawampu’t walong water level monitoring sensors natin sa iba’t ibang rehiyon. Bago matapos ang

2013, ang target natin: animnaraang automated rain gauges at apatnaraan at dalawampu’t

dalawang water level sensors. Ipapakabit po natin ang mga ito sa labingwalong pangunahing river

basins sa buong bansa. [Applause ]

Isa pa pong pagbabago: Dati, ang mga ahensya’y kanya-kanyang habulan ng numero, kanya-

kanyang agenda, kanya-kanyang pasikatan. Ngayon, ang kultura sa gobyerno: bayanihan para sa

kapakanan ng taumbayan. Convergence po ang tawag natin dito.

Dati pa naman po naglipana ang mga programa sa tree planting. Pero matapos magtanim,

pababayaan na lang ang mga ito. Kapag nakita ng mga komunidad na naghahanap din ng

kabuhayan, puputulin ang mga ito para gawing uling.



May solusyon na po rito. Mayroon na pong 128,558 hectares ng kagubatang naitanim sa buong

bansa; bahagi lang po iyan ng kabuuang 1.5 million na ektaryang matatamnan bago tayo bumaba

sa puwesto. [Applause ] Nakapaloob po rito ang mga komunidad na nasa ilalim ng National

Convergence Initiative. Ang proseso: pagkatanim ng puno, makikipag-ugnayan ang DSWD sa mga

komunidad. Kapalit ng conditional cash transfer, aalagaan ang mga puno; mayroon ding mga

magpapalago ng bagong punla sa nursery. Three hundred thirty-five thousand seventy-eight na po

ang mga Pilipinong nakakakuha ng kabuhayan mula dito.

Sa isa nga pong programa, nakiambag din ang pribadong sektor, na nagbibigay ng espesyal na

binhi ng kape at cacao sa komunidad, at tinuturuan silang alagaan at siguruhing mataas ang ani.

Itinatanim ang kape sa lilim ng mga puno, na habang nakatayo ay masisigurong hihigop ng baha at

tutulong makaiwas tayo sa pinsala. Ang kumpanyang nagbigay ng binhi, sure buyer na rin ng ani.

Panalo po ang mga komunidad nay may dagdag kita, panalo ang pribadong sektor, panalo pa ang

susunod na salinlahing makikinabang sa matatayog na puno. [Applause ]

Matagal na pong problema ang illegal logging. Mula nga po nang lumapag ang EO 23, nakasabat na

si Mayor Jun Amante ng mahigit anim na milyong pisong halaga ng troso. Nagpapasalamat tayo sakanya. Sa Butuan pa lang ito; paano pa kung magpapakita ng ganitong political will ang lahat ng

LGU?

Ang mga trosong nakukumpiska ng DENR, lalapag sa mga komunidad na naturuan na ng TESDA

ng pagkakarpintero. Ang resulta: upuan para sa mga pampublikong paaralan na hawak naman ng

DepEd. Isipin po ninyo, ang dating pinagmumulan ng pinsala, ngayon, tulay na para sa mas

mabuting kinabukasan. Dati, imposible nga ito; imposible kung nagbubulag-bulagan ang

pamahalaan sa ilegal na gawain.

Kaya kayong mga walang konsensya; kayong mga paulit-ulit isinusugal ang buhay ng kapwaPilipino: maghanda na kayo. Tapos na ang maliligayang araw po ninyo. [Applause ] Sinampolan na

natin ang tatlumpu’t apat na kawani ng DENR, isang PNP provincial director, at pitong chiefs of

police. Pinagpapaliwanag na rin po natin ang isang Regional Director ng PNP na nagbingi-bingihan

sa aking utos at nagbulag-bulagan sa mga dambuhalang trosong dumaan sa kanilang tanawin.

Kung hindi kayo umayos, isusunod namin kayo. Magkubli man kayo sa ilalim ng inyong mga

padrino, aabutan namin kayo. Isasama na rin namin ang mga padrino ninyo. [Applause ] Kaya bago

pa magkasalubong ang ating landas, ako po’y muling makikiusap, mas maganda sigurong tumino na

kayo.

Mula sa sinapupunan, sa pag-aaral at pagtatrabaho, may pagbabago nang haharap sa Pilipino. At

sakaling piliin niyang magserbisyo sa gobyerno, tuloy pa rin ang pag-aaruga ng estado hanggang sa

kanyang pagreretiro. Tatanawin ng pamahalaan ang kanyang ambag bilang lingkod-bayan, at hindi

ipagdadamot sa kanya ang pensiyong siya rin naman ang nagpuhunan.

Isipin po ninyo, at ako po’y nagulat dito: may mga pensyonado tayong tumatanggap ng 500 pesos

lamang kada buwan. Paano kaya niya ito pagkakasiyahin sa tubig, kuryente, at pagkain araw-araw?

Ang atin pong tugon: Pagsapit ng bagong taon, hindi na bababa sa limanlibong piso ang



matatanggap na buwanang pensyon ng ating old-age and disability pensioners. [Applause ] Masaya

tayong matutugunan natin ang pangangailangan nila ngayon, nang hindi isinusugal ang kapakanan

ng mga pensyonado bukas.

Iba na po talaga ang mukha ng gobyerno. Sumasabay na po sa pribadong sektor ang ating pasahod

para sa entry level. Pero kapag sabay kayong na-promote ng kaklase mong piniling mag-pribado,

nagkakaiwanan na.

Mahahabol din po natin iyan; pero sa ngayon, ang good news natin sa mga nagtatrabaho sa

pamahalaan: Performance-Based Incentives. Dati, miski palpak ang palakad ng isang ahensya, very

satisfactory pa rin ang pinakamababang rating ng empleyado. Dahil sa pakikisama, nahihirapan ang

bisor na bigyan ng makatarungang rating ang mga tauhan niya. Nakakawawa tuloy ang mga

mahusay magtrabaho. Nawawalan sila ng dahilan para galingan dahil parehas lang naman ang

insentibo ng mga tamad at pursigido.

Heto po ang isa lamang sa mga hakbang natin upang tugunan ito. Simula ngayong taon,magpapatupad tayo ng sistema kung saan ang bonus ay nakabase sa pagtupad ng mga ahensya sa

kanilang mga target para sa taon. [Applause ] Nasa kamay na ng empleyado ang susi sa kanyang

pag-angat. Ang insentibo, maaaring umabot ng tatlumpu’t limang libong piso, depende sa

pagpapakitang-gilas mo sa iyong trabaho. Dagdag pa ito sa across-the-board na Christmas bonus

na matatanggap mo.

Ginagawa natin ito, hindi lamang para itaas ang kumpiyansa at ipakita ang pagtitiwala natin sa ating

mga lingkod-bayan. Higit sa lahat, para ito sa Pilipinong umaasa sa tapat at mahusay na serbisyo

mula sa lingkod-bayan, at umaasang sila at sila lamang ang itinuturing na boss ng kanilang

pamahalaan.

Alam po niyo, sa simula pa lang mayroon nang mga kumuwestiyon sa sinasabi nating, “Kung

walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hanggang ngayon mayroon pa rin pong mangilan -ngilang

nagtatanong: nakakain ba ang mabuting pamamahala? Ang simpleng sagot, “Siyempre.”

Isipin po natin ang ating pinanggalingan: Dati, parang “Wild West” ang pamumuhunan sa Pilipinas.

May peligro na nga ang negosyo, sinagad pa ang risko dahil sa di tiyak at nakalihim na patakaran.

Kakamayan ka nga gamit ang kanan, kokotongan ka naman na gamit ang kaliwa.

Ngayon, dahil patas na ang laban, at may hayag at hindi pabagu-bagong mga patakaran, patuloy

ang pagtaas ng kumpiyansa sa ating ekonomiya. Patuloy ang pagpasok ng puhunan; patuloy ang

pagdami ng trabaho; patuloy ang positibong siklo ng pagkonsumo, paglago ng negosyo, at pagdami

ng mamamayang naeempleyo. [Applause ]

Dahil maayos ang paggugol ng gobyerno, walang tagas sa sistema. Dahil maayos ang pangkolekta

ng buwis, lumalago ang kaban ng bayan. Bawat pisong nakokolekta, tiyak ang pupuntahan: Piso

itong diretso sa kalsada, piso para sa bakuna, piso para sa classroom at upuan, piso para sa ating

kinabukasan. [Applause ]



Dahil maayos ang paggawa ng tulay, kalsada, at gusali, itinatayo ang mga ito kung saan kailangan.

Maayos ang daanan, mas mabilis ang takbo ng produkto, serbisyo, at mamamayan.

Dahil maayos ang pamamahala sa agrikultura, tumataas ang produksyon ng pagkain, at hindi

pumapalo ang presyo nito. Stable ang pasahod, at mas malakas ang pambansang ekonomiya.

Tunay nga po, ang matatag at malakas na ekonomiyang pinanday ng mabuting pamamahala ang

pinakamabisang kalasag laban sa mga hamon na kinakaharap ng daigdig. Dalawang taon po nating

binaklas ang mga balakid sa pag-unlad, at ngayon, tayo na lang mismo ang makakapigil sa ating

sariling pag-angat.

Ginawa po natin ang lahat ng ito habang binubuno rin ng bawat bansa sa iba’t ibang sulok ng

daigdig ang kani-kanilang problema’t pagsubok.

Hindi po tayo nag-iisa sa mundo, kaya’t habang tinutugunan natin ang sarili nating mga suliranin,

angkop lamang na bantayan din ang ilang pangyayaring maaaring makaapekto sa atin.

Naging maugong ang mga kaganapan sa Bajo de Masinloc. May mga mangingisdang Tsinong

pumasok sa ating teritoryo. Nasabat ng barko natin at nasabad sa kanilang mga barko ang

endangered species. Bilang pinuno, kailangan kong ipatupad ang batas na umiiral sa ating bansa.

Sa pagsulong nito, nagbungguan ang Nine-Dash Line Theory ng mga Tsino, na umaangkin sa halos

buong West Philippine Sea, at ang karapatan natin at ng marami pang ibang bansa, kasama na ang

Tsina, na pinagtibay naman ng United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea.

Ibayong hinahon ang ipinamalas natin. Ang barko ng Hukbong Dagat, bilang tanda ng ating malinisna hangarin, ay agad nating pinalitan ng barkong sibilyan. Hindi tayo nakipagsagutan sa mga banat

ng kanilang media sa atin. Hindi naman po siguro kalabisan na hilingin sa kabilang panig na

galangin ang ating karapatan, gaya ng paggalang sa kanilang mga karapatan bilang kapwa bansang

nasa iisang mundong kailangang pagsaluhan.

Mayroon po tayong mga miron na nagsasabing hayaan na lang ang Bajo de Masinloc; umiwas na

lang tayo. Pero kung may pumasok sa inyong bakuran at sinabing sa kanya na ang kanyang

kinatatayuan ay sa kanya na, papayag ba kayo? Hindi naman po yata tamang ipamigay na lang

natin sa iba ang sadyang atin talaga. [Applause ]

Kaya nga po hinihiling ko sa sambayanan ang pakikiisa sa isyung ito. Iisa lang po dapat ang kumpasnatin. Tulungan ninyo akong iparinig sa kabilang panig ang katuwiran ng ating mga paninindigan.

Hindi po simple ang sitwasyon, at hindi magiging simple ang solusyon. Magtiwala po kayo,

kumokonsulta tayo sa mga eksperto, at sa lahat ng pinuno ng ating bansa, pati na sa kaalyado

natin—gayundin sa mga nasa kabilang panig ng usaping ito—upang makahanap ng solusyon na

katanggap-tanggap sa lahat. [Applause ]



Sa bawat hakbang sa tuwid na daan, nagpunla tayo ng pagbabago. Ngunit may mangilan-ngilan pa

ring pilit na bubunot nito. Habang nagtatalumpati ako ngayon, may mga nagbubulung-bulungan sa

isang silid at hinihimay ang aking mga sinasabi; naghahanap ng butas na ipambabatikos bukas.

Sasabihin nila, “Salita lang ito, at hindi totoo ang tuwid na landas.” Sila rin po ang magsasabing

hayaan na, magkaisa na; forgive and forget na lang para makausad na tayo.

Hindi ko po matatanggap ito. Forgive and forget na lang ang sampung taon na nawala sa atin?

Forgive and forget na lang para sa magsasakang nabaon sa utang dahil sa kakaangkat natin ng

bigas, gayong puwede naman palang pagyamanin sa ating sariling lupa?

Forgive and forget na lang ba para sa pamilya ng isang pulis na namatay nang walang kalaban-

laban, dahil batuta lang ang hawak niya habang hinahabol ang armadong masasamang-loob?

Forgive and forget na lang ba para sa mga naulila ng limampu’t pitong biktima ng masaker sa

Maguindanao? Maibabalik ba sila ng “forgive and forget?” [Applause ] Forgive and forget ang lahatng atraso ng mga naglubog sa atin sa bulok na estado? Forgive and forget para maibalik ang

lumang status quo? Ang tugon ko, “Ang magpatawad, maaari; ang makalimot, hindi.” [Applause ]

Kung ang nagkasala ay hindi mananagot, gagarantiyahan mo ang pagpapahirap muli sa

sambayanan.

Ang tunay na pagkakaisa at pagkakasunduan ay magmumula lamang sa tunay at ganap na

katarungan. Katarungan ang tawag sa plunder case na isinampa laban sa dating pangulo.

[Applause ] Katarungan na bigyan siya ng pagkakataong harapin ang mga akusasyon at ipagtanggol

ang kanyang sarili. Katarungan ang nasaksihan natin noong ikadalawampu’t siyam ng Mayo. Noong

araw na iyon, pinatunayan natin: Posibleng mangibabaw ang katarungan kahit na ang kabangga mo

ay may mataas na katungkulan. [Applause ] Noong araw na iyon, may isang Delsa Flores saPanabo, Davao del Norte, na nagsabing, “Posible palang iisang batas lang ang kailangang sundin

ng court interpreter na tulad ko, at ng Punong Mahistrado.” [Applause ] Posible palang maging patas

ang timbangan; maaaring isakdal at panagutin miski ang mayaman at makapangyarihan.

Kaya po sa susunod na magiging Punong Mahistrado, malaki ang inaasahan sa inyo ng

sambayanan. Napatunayan na po nating posible ang imposible; ang trabaho natin ngayon,

siguruhing magpapatuloy ang pagbabago tungo sa tunay na katarungan, matapos man ang ating

termino. [Applause ] Marami pong sira sa sistemang kailangan ninyong kumpunihin, at alam kong

hindi magiging madali ito. Alam ko po kung gaano kabigat ang pasanin ng isang malinaw na

mandato; ngunit ito ang atas sa atin ng taumbayan; ito ang tungkuling ating sinumpaan; ito ang

kailangan nating gampanan.

Simple lang ang hangad natin: Kung inosente ka, buong-loob kang haharap sa korte, dahil

kampante kang mapapawalang-sala ka. Kung ikaw ang salarin, anuman ang apelyido mo, o gaano

man karami ang titulong nakakabit sa iyong pangalan, may katiyakan din na pananagutan mo ang

ginawa mong kasalanan. [Applause ]

Salamat din po kay Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, [applause ] sa pagtanggap ng hamon na

maging tunay na tanod-bayan. Kung tutuusin, puwede na niyang tanggihan ang responsibilidad at



sabihing, “Retirado na ako, puwede bang ‘yung iba na lang?” Subalit nangibabaw ang kaniyang

malasakit sa bayan. Sa kabila nito, may nagregalo pa rin sa kanya ng granada sa bahay. [Laughter ]

Ma’am, may mga darating pa pong pagsubok; baka po paglaon, magaya na kayo sa akin na

tinatawag, sabay-sabay pang tinatawag, na ganid na kapitalistang o komunista din patungong

diktador dahil sa masigasig na mga repormang ipinapatupad natin.

Bilib po ako sa inyong pagpapakitang-gilas at maraming salamat sa pagiging instrumento ng

katarungan, lalo na noong kasagsagan ng impeachment trial. Salamat din po sa dalawang

institusyong bumubuo ng Kongreso: Sa Senado at Kamara de Representante, na tinimbang ng

taumbayan at nakitang sapat na sapat.

Sa lahat po ng tumulong sa pagpapagana ng mga prosesong pangkatarungan: Dumaan kayo sa

matinding pagsubok, batikos, at agam-agam; kasama pa ang kaba na kung natalo tayo, kayo ang

unang pupuntiryahin ng kalaban. Pero ‘di kayo natinag. Umasa sa inyo ang Pili pino, at pinatunayan

ninyong tama ang pag-asa sa inyo. Hindi ninyo binigo ang sambayanan; ipinaliwanag ninyo lalo ang

ating kinabukasan. [Applause ]Paalala lang po: Hindi natatapos ang laban sa isang tiwaling opisyal na natanggal sa puwesto, sa

isang maanomalyang kontratang napigil ipatupad, o sa isang opisinang naituwid ang pamamalakad.

Kaya naman nananawagan po tayo sa Kongreso na ipasa ang panukala nating sa pag-amyenda sa

Anti-Money Laundering Act, upang mas mapaigting pa natin ang pagpapanagot sa mga tiwali.

Itong tinatamasa natin ngayon: ang bawat nailawan at iilawan pang sitio; ang bawat daan, tulay,

paliparan, tren, at daungan; ang bawat kontratang walang bukol; ang kaligtasan at kapayapaan mula

lungsod hanggang nayon; ang pagbalik ng piring sa sistemang pangkatarungan; ang bawat

classroom, upuan, at aklat na napasakamay ng kabataan; ang bawat Pilipinong nahahandugan ng

bagong kinabukasan—ang lahat ng ito, naabot natin sa loob lamang ng dalawang taon.

Pagtabihin po natin ang dalawang taon na ito, at ang nakaraang siyam at kalahating taon na ating

pinagdusahan. ‘Di po ba’t sumusulong na ang agenda ng pagbabago? Ang kapareho namin ng

adhikain, malamang, kasama namin sa agendang ito. At kung kontra ka sa amin, siguro kontra ka

rin sa ginagawa namin. Kung kumukontra sila sa agenda ng pagbabago, masasabi ba niyang sila’y

nasa panig ninyo?

Paparating na naman po ang halalan. Kayo po, ang aming mga boss, ang tangi naming susundan.

Ang tanong ko sa inyo, “Boss, saan tayo tatahak? Tuloy ba ang biyahe natin sa tuwid na landas, o

magmamane-obra ba tayo’t paatras, pabalik sa daan na baluktot at walang patutunguhan?”

Naalala ko pa po noong nagsimula tayo. Mulat na mulat ako sa bigat ng pasaning sasalubong sa

atin. Kabilang ako sa mga nag-isip: Kaya pa bang ituwid ang ganito kabaluktot na sistema?

Heto po ang aking natutuhan sa dalawampu’t limang buwan ng pagkapinuno: Walang pong

imposible. [Applause ] Walang imposible dahil kung nakikita ng taumbayan na sila ang tanging boss



ng kanilang pamahalaan, bubuhatin ka nila, gagabayan ka nila, sila mismo ang mamumuno tungo

sa makabuluhang pagbabago. Hindi imposible na ang Pilipinas ang maging kauna-unahang bansa

sa Timog-Silangang Asya na magbibigay at nagbibigay ng libreng bakuna laban sa rotavirus. Hindi

imposible para sa Pilipinas na tumindig at sabihing, “Ang Pilipinas ay sa Pilipino—at handa kaming

ipagtanggol ito.” Hindi imposible na ang Pilipinong kaytagal nang yumuyuko tuwing may

nakakasalubong na dayuhan—ang Pilipino, ngayon, taas-noong tinitingala ng buong mundo.

[Applause ] Talaga namang ang sarap maging Pilipino sa mga panahong ito.

Noon pong nakaraang taon, hiniling ko sa taumbayan, magpasalamat sa mga nakikiambag sa

positibong pagbabago sa lipunan. Hindi po biro ang mga pagsubok na dinaanan natin, kaya angkop

lamang na pasalamatan ang mga taong nakibalikat, sa pagkukumpuni sa mga maling idinulot ng

masamang pamamahala.

Sa lahat ng miyembro ng aking Gabinete: Maraming, maraming salamat. [Applause ] Mapalad po

ang sambayanan at may mga tulad ninyong handang isuko ang pribado at mas tahimik na

pamumuhay para maghatid serbisyo-publiko, kahit pa batid ninyong ang kapalit nito ay mas maliit nasweldo, panganib, at pambabatikos. Kaya maraming salamat muli.

Huwag din po sana nilang masamain dahil personal ko silang papangalanan: Kina Father Catalino

Arevalo, at Sister Agnes Guillen, na dumidilig at nagpapalago sa aking buhay spirituwal, lalo na sa

mga panahong sukdulan ang pagsubok sa amin, maraming, maraming salamat din po. [Applause ]

Ito po ang aking ikatlong SONA, tatlo na lamang din po ang natitira. Papasok na po tayo sa

kalagitnaan ng ating liderato. Noong nakaraang taon, ang hamon ko sa inyo: iwaksi ang kultura ng

negatibismo; sa bawat pagkakataon, iangat ang kapwa-Pilipino.

Batid po sa tinatamasa natin ngayon: hindi kayo nabigo. Sa inyo nagmula ang pagbabago. Ang sabi

ninyo: posible.

Humaharap po ako sa inyo bilang mukha ng isang gobyernong kayo ang boss at kayo pa rin ang

lakas. Inuulat ko lamang ang mga pagbabagong ginawa ninyong posible.

Kaya nga po sa lahat ng nurse, midwife, o doktor na piniling magsilbi sa mga baryo; sa bawat

bagong graduate na piniling magtrabaho sa gobyerno; sa bawat atletang Pilipinong bitbit ang

watawat saan mang panig ng mundo; sa bawat kawani ng pamahalaan na tapat na nagseserbisyo:

Kayo po ang gumawa ng pagbabago. [Applause ]

Sa tuwing haharap ako sa isang ina na nagsasabing, “Salamat at nabakunahan na ang aking

sanggol,” ang tugon ko: Ikaw ang gumawa nito.

Sa tuwing haharap ako sa isang bata na nagsasabing, “Salamat sa papel at lapis, sa pagkakataong

makapag-aral,” ang tugon ko: Kasama ka sa gumawa nito.

Sa tuwing haharap ako sa isang OFW na nagsasabing, “Salamat at puwede ko na muling

pangaraping tumanda sa Pilipinas,” ang tugon ko: Ikaw ang gumawa nito.



Sa tuwing haharap ako sa isang Pilipinong nagsasabing, “Salamat, akala ko hindi na

magkakakuryente sa aming sitio. Akala ko hindi ko na aabuting buhay ang liwanag na ganito,” ang

tugon ko: Ikaw ang gumawa nito.

Sa bawat pagkakataon na haharap ako sa isang magsasaka, guro, piloto, inhinyero, tsuper, ahente

sa call center, karaniwang Pilipino; sa bawat Juan at Juana dela Cruz na nagsasabing “Salamat sa

pagbabago,” ang tugon ko sa inyo: Kayo ang gumawa nito. [Applause]

Inuulit ko po, posible na ang dating imposible. Humaharap po ako sa inyo ngayon, at sinasabing:

hindi ko SONA ito. Kayo ang gumawa nito. SONA ito ng sambayanang Pilipino. Maraming,

maraming salamat po at magandang hapon po sa lahat. [Applause ]

Source: http://www.gov.ph/2012/07/23/benigno-s-aquino-iii-third-state-of-the-nation-address-july-23-

2012/

(English translation) Benigno S. Aquino III,

Third State of the Nation Address, July 23, 2012 State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the

Philippines To the Congress of the Philippines

[English translation of the speech delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives,

Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, on July 23, 2012 ]

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Vice President Jejomar Binay;

former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; eminent Justices of the

Supreme Court; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; honorable members of the House of

Representatives and of the Senate; our leaders in local government; members of our Cabinet;

uniformed officers of the military and of the police; my fellow public servants;

And to my Bosses, the Filipino people: a pleasant afternoon to all.

This is my third SONA. It wasn’t too long ago when we began to dream again; when, united, we

chose the straight and righteous path; when we began to cast aside the culture of wang-wang , not

only in our streets, but in every sector of society.It has been two years since you said: We are tired of corruption and of poverty; it is time to restore a

government that is truly on the side the people.

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.

http://www.gov.ph/2012/07/23/benigno-s-aquino-iii-third-state-of-the-nation-address-july-23-2012/







These experiences forged 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.

Martial Law ended long ago and when it did, we were asked: “If not us, then who?” and “If not now,

then when?” Our united response: let it be us, and let it be now. The democracy that was taken from

us by force was reclaimed peacefully. And in so doing, we brought light to a dark chapter in our

history.

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.

There was the North Rail contract—an expensive project that became even more expensive after

renegotiation. Ironically, the higher cost came with fewer public benefits; a fleet of 19 trainsets was

reduced to three, and the number of stations, from five to two. To make matters worse, the debts

incurred from the project are now being called in.

We had GOCCs handing out unwarranted bonuses, despite the losses already suffered by their

agencies. We had the billions wasted by PAGCOR on—of all things—coffee. We had the suspect

management practices of the PNP, which involved ignoring the need to arm the remaining 45

percent of our police force, just to collect kickbacks on rundown helicopters purchased at brand-new

prices.

We were left with little fiscal space even as debts had bunched up and were maturing. We were alsoleft a long list of obligations to fulfill: A backlog of 66,800 classrooms, which would cost us about

53.44 billion pesos; a backlog of 2,573,212 classroom chairs, amounting to 2.31 billion pesos. In

2010, an estimated 36 million Filipinos were still not members of PhilHealth. Forty-two billion pesos

was needed to enroll them. Add to all this the 103 billion pesos needed for the modernization of our

armed forces.

To fulfill all these obligations and address all our needs, we were bequeathed, at the start of our

term, 6.5 percent of the entire budget for the remaining six months of 2010. We were like boxers,

sent into the ring blindfolded, with our hands and feet bound, and the referee and the judges paid off.

In our first three months in office, I would look forward to Sundays when I could ask God for His help.

We expected that it would take no less than two years before our reforms took hold. Would our

countrymen be willing to wait that long?



But what we know about our people, and what we had proven time and again to the world was this:

Nothing is impossible to a united Filipino nation. It was change we dreamed of, and change we

achieved; the benefits of change are now par for the course.

Roads are straight and level, and properly paved; this is now par for the course.

Relief goods are ready even before a storm arrives. Rescue services are always on standby, and the

people are no longer left to fend for themselves. This is now par for the course.

Sirens only blare from the police cars, from ambulances, and from fire trucks—not from government

officials. This is now par for the course. The government that once abused its power is finally using

that power for their benefit.

Reforms were established as we cut wasteful spending, held offenders accountable for their actions,

and showed the world that the Philippines is now open for business under new management.

What was once the sick man of Asia now brims with vitality. When we secured our first positive

credit rating action, some said it was pure luck. Now that we have had eight, can it still just be luck?

When the Philippine Stock Exchange Index first broke 4,000, many wondered if that was

sustainable. But now, with so many record highs, we are having trouble keeping score: For the

record, we have had 44, and the index hovers near or above 5,000. In the first quarter of 2012, our

GDP grew by 6.4 percent, much higher than projected, the highest growth in the Southeast Asian

region, and the second only to China in the whole of Asia. We are second only to China. Once, we

were the debtors; now, we are the creditors, clearly no laughing matter. Until recently, we had to beg

for investments; now, investors flock to us. Some Japanese companies have said to us, “Maybeyou’d like to take a look at us. We’re not the cheapest but we’re number one in technology.” Even

the leader of a large British bank recently came looking for opportunities.

Commentators the world over voice their admiration. According to Bloomberg Business Week , “Keep

an eye on the Philippines.” Foreign Policy magazine, and even one of the leaders of ASEAN 100,

said that we may even become “Asia’s Next Tiger.” Ruchir Sharma, head of Morgan Stanley’s

Emerging Market Equities said, “The Philippines is no longer a joke.” And it doesn’t look like he’s

pulling our leg, because their company has invested approximately a billion dollars in our markets. I

only wish that the optimism of foreign media would be shared by their local counterparts more often.

And we are building an environment where progress can be felt by the majority. When we began

office, there were 760,357 household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Our

target: 3.1 million within two years. By February of this year, the three millionth household-

beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya had been registered. Next year, we will enroll 3.8 million

households—five times what we had at the beginning of our term.



This is a long-term project, with far-reaching impact. The research is in its initial stages, but already

the figures show promise. Based on data from the DSWD: 1,672,977 mothers now get regular

checkups; 1,672,814 children have been vaccinated against diarrhea, polio, measles, and various

other diseases; 4.57 million students no longer need to miss school because of poverty.

When we first took office, only 62 percent of Filipinos were enrolled in PhilHealth. Enrollment was

not necessarily based on need but on being in the good graces of politicians. Now, 85 percent of our

citizens are members. This means that since we received our mandate, 23.31 million more Filipinos

have access to PhilHealth’s array of benefits and services.

And here’s even better news: the 5.2 million poorest households identified by our National

Household Targeting System will now fully benefit from PhilHealth’s programs, free of charge.

Because of the Department of Health’s No Balance Billing Policy, treatment for dengue, pneumonia,

asthma, cataracts—as well as treatments for catastrophic diseases like breast cancer, prostate

cancer, and acute leukemia—can be availed of for free by our poorest countrymen.

The process for our poorest PhilHealth members: Enter any government hospital. Show you

PhilHealth card. Get treatment. And they return to their homes without having to shell out a single

centavo.

One of the briefings I attended noted that four out of ten Filipinos have never seen a health

professional in their entire lifetime. Other figures are more dire: Six out of ten Filipinos die without

being attended to by health professionals.

But whatever the basis, the number of Filipinos with no access to government health servicesremains a concern. And we are acting on this: In 2010, ten thousand nurses and midwives were

deployed under the RNHeals Program; to date, we have deployed 30,801. Add to this over 11,000

Community Health Teams tasked to strengthen the links between doctors and nurses, and the

communities they serve.

And today, because of efficient targeting, they are deployed to where they are most needed: to

areas that have been for so long left in the margins of society. We have sent our health

professionals to 1,021 localities covered by the Pantawid Pamilya, and to the 609 poorest cities and

municipalities, as identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

This new system addresses two issues: thousands of nurses and midwives now have jobs and an

opportunity to gain valuable work experience; at the same time, millions of our countrymen now have

increased access to quality health care.

But we are not satisfied with this. What we want: True, universal, and holistic health care. This

begins not in our hospitals, but within each and every household: Increased consciousness, routine



inoculation, and regular checkups are necessary to keep sickness at bay. Add to this our efforts to

ensure that we prevent the illnesses that are in our power to prevent.

For example: Last year, I told you about our anti-dengue mosquito traps. It is too early to claim total

victory, our scientists are rigorous about testing, but the initial results have been very encouraging.

We tested the efficacy of those mosquito traps in areas with the highest reported incidence of

dengue. In 2011, traps were distributed in Bukidnon—which had recorded 1,216 cases of dengue in

2010. After distribution, the number of cases decreased to 37—that is a 97 percent reduction rate. In

the towns of Ballesteros and Claveria in Cagayan, there were 228 cases of dengue in 2010; in 2011,

a mere eight cases were recorded. In Catarman, Northern Samar: 434 cases of dengue were

reported in 2010. There were a mere four cases in 2011.

This project is in its initial stages. But even this early on, we must thank Secretaries Ike Ona of DOH

and Mario Montejo of DOST; may our gratitude and applause spur them into even more intensiveresearch and collaboration.

Challenges remain. The high maternal mortality ratio in our country continues to alarm us. Which is

why we have undertaken measures to address the health-care needs of women. We, too, want

Universal Health Care; we want our medical institutions to have enough equipment, facilities, and

manpower.

We can easier fulfill all these goals, if the Sin Tax Bill—which rationalizes taxes on alcohol and

tobacco products—can be passed. This bill makes vice more expensive while at the same time

raising more money for health.

And what of our students—what welcomes them in the schools? Will they still first learn the alphabet

beneath the shade of a tree? Will they still be squatting on the floor, tussling with classmates over a

single textbook?

I have great faith in Secretary Luistro: Before the next year ends, we will have built the 66,800

classrooms needed to fill up the shortage we inherited—of this, we expect 40,000 for this year. The

2,573,212 backlog in chairs that we were bequeathed will be addressed before 2012 ends. This

year, too, will see the eradication of the backlog of 61.7 million textbooks—and we will finally achieve

the one-to-one ratio of books to students.

We are ending the backlogs in the education sector, but the potential for shortages remains as our

student population continues to increase. Perhaps Responsible Parenthood can help address this.

For our State Universities and Colleges: we have proposed a 43.61 percent increase in their budget

next year. A reminder, though, that everything we do is in accordance to a plan: There are

corresponding conditions to this budget increase. The SUC Reform Roadmap of CHED, which has







been deliberated and agreed upon, must be enacted to ensure that the students sponsored by the

state are of top caliber. Expect that if you work to get high marks in this assignment, we will be

striving just as hard to address the rest of your needs.

Year after year, our budget for education has increased. The budget we inherited for DepEd last

2010 was 177 billion pesos. Our proposal for 2013: 292.7 billion pesos. In 2010, our SUCs were

allocated a budget of 21.03 billion pesos. Since then, we have annually raised this allocation; for

next year, we have proposed to set aside 37.13 billion pesos of our budget for SUCs. Despite this,

some militant groups are still cutting classes to protest what they claim is a cut in SUC budgets. It ’s

this simple: 292.7 is higher than 177, and 37.13 is higher than 21.03. Should anyone again claim

that we cut the education budget, we’ll urge your schools to hold remedial math classes. Please,

attend these classes.

When we assumed office and began establishing much-needed reform, there were those who

belittled our government’s performance. They claimed our achievements were mere luck, and what

impact they may have as short-lived. There are still those who refuse to cease spreading negativity;they who keep their mouths pursed to good news, and have created an industry out of criticism.

If you have a problem with the fact that, before the year ends, every child will have their own chairs

and own set of books, then look them straight in the eye and tell them, “I do not want you to go to

school.”

If you take issue with the fact that 5.2 million of the country’s poorest households can now avail of

quality healthcare services without worrying about the cost, then look them straight in the eye and

tell them, “I do not want you to get better.”

If it angers you that three million Filipino families have been empowered to fulfill their dreams

because of Pantawid Pamilya, then look them straight in the eye and tell them, “I will take away the

hope you now have for your future.”

The era where policy was based on the whims of the powerful has truly come to an end. For

example, the previous leadership of TESDA generously distributed scholarship vouchers—but

neglected to fund them. Naturally, the vouchers bounced. The result: over a thousand schools are

charging the government 2.4 billion pesos for the vouchers. One person and one administration

wanted to show off; the Filipino people are paying for that now.

When Secretary Joel Villanueva assumed the post, he was not daunted by the seemingly impossible

reforms that his agency needed to enact. Despite the staggering debt inherited by TESDA, it still

trained 434,676 individuals under the Training for Work Scholarship Program. The TESDA

Specialists Technopreneurship Program likewise delivered concrete victories—imagine: each of the

5,240 certified Specialistas are earning 562 pesos a day, or 11,240 pesos a month. This is higher

than the minimum wage.



From infancy, to adolescence, to adulthood, the system is working for our citizens. And we are

ensuring that our economy’s newfound vitality generates jobs.

Let us keep in mind: there are about a million new entrants to the job market every year. The jobs

we have produced within the past two years total almost 3.1 million.

As a result, our unemployment rate is declining steadily. In 2010, the unemployment rate was at 8

percent. In April 2011, it dropped to 7.2, and dropped further to 6.9 this year. Is it not an apt time for

us to dream of a day where any Filipino who wishes to work can find a job?

Look at the BPO sector. Back in the year 2000, only 5,000 people were employed in this industry.

Fast forward to 2011: 638,000 people are employed by BPOs, and the industry has contributed 11

billion dollars to our economy. It has been projected that come 2016, the year I will bid you farewell,

it will be bringing in 25 billion dollars and will be employing 1.3 million Filipinos. And this does not

include the estimated 3.2 million taxi drivers, baristas, corner stores, canteens, and many others thatwill benefit from the indirect jobs that the BPO industry will create.

A large portion of our job generation strategy is building sufficient infrastructure. For those who have

gone to Boracay on vacation, you have probably seen our newly christened terminal in Caticlan. The

plan to expand its runway has also been laid out.

And we will not stop there. Before the end of my term, the New Bohol Airport in Panglao, New

Legaspi Airport in Daraga, and Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental will have been built. We will

also upgrade our international airports in Mactan, Cebu; Tacloban; and Puerto Princesa Airport, so

they can receive more passengers; in addition to remodeling the airports in Butuan, Cotabato,Dipolog, Pagadian, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Leyte, and San Vicente in Palawan.

I am the fourth president to deal with the problems of NAIA Terminal 3. Airplanes are not all that take

off and land here; so did problems and anomalies. Secretary Mar Roxas has already said: Before we

convene at the next SONA, the structural defects we inherited in NAIA 3 will have been fully

repaired.

This June, the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension project began to move forward. When completed, it will

alleviate traffic in Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Cavite. In addition to this, in order to further improve

traffic in Metro Manila, there will be two elevated roads directly connecting the North Luzon andSouth Luzon Expressways. These will be completed in 2015 and will reduce travel time between

Clark and Calamba to 1 hour and 40 minutes. Before I leave office, there will be high-quality

terminals in Taguig, Quezon City, and Parañaque, so that provincial buses will no longer have to add

to the traffic on EDSA.



Perceptions have also changed about a department formerly notorious for its inadequacies. I still

remember the days when, during the rainy season, the Tarlac River would overflow and submerge

the MacArthur Highway. The asphalt would melt away; the road would be riddled with potholes, until

it ended up impassable.

As the representative of my district, I registered my complaints about this. The Department of Public

Works and Highways’ reply: we know about the problem, we know how to solve it, but we have no

money. I had to appeal to my barangays: “If we don’t prioritize and spend for th is ourselves, no one

will fix it, and we will be the ones who suffer.” Back in those days, everyone called upon the

government to wake up and start working. The complaints today are different: traffic is terrible, but

that’s because there’s so much roadwor k being done. May I remind everyone: we have done all this

without raising taxes.

We will not build our road network based on kickbacks or favoritism. We will build them according to

a clear system. Now that resources for these projects are no longer allocated haphazardly, our planswill no longer end up unfulfilled—they will become tangible roads that benefit the Filipino people.

When we assumed office, 7,239 kilometers of our national roads were not yet fixed. Right now,

1,569 kilometers of this has been fixed under the leadership of Secretary Babes Singson. In 2012,

an additional 2,275 kilometers will be finished. We are even identifying and fixing dangerous roads

with the use of modern technology. These are challenges we will continue to address every year, so

that, before end of my term, every inch of our national road network will be fixed.

We have fixed more than roads; our DPWH has fixed its system. Just by following the right process

of bidding and procurement, their agency saved a total of 10.6 billion pesos from 2011 to June of this

year. Even our contractors are feeling the positive effects of our reforms in DPWH. According to theDPWH, “the top 40 contractors are now fully booked.” I am hopeful that the development of our

infrastructure continues unimpeded to facilitate the growth of our other industries.

The improvement of our infrastructure is intertwined with the growth of our tourism industry.

Consider this: In 2001, the Philippines recorded 1.8 million tourist arrivals. When we assumed office

in 2010, this figure had grown to only around 3.1 million. Take note: despite the length of their time in

office, the previous administration only managed to add a mere 1.3 million tourist arrivals—and we

contributed half a year to that number. Under our administration, we welcomed 2.1 million tourist

arrivals by June 2012. More will arrive during peak season, before the end of the year, so I have no

doubt that we will meet our quota of 4.6 million tourist arrivals for 2012. This means that we will have

a year-on-year increase of 1.5 million tourists. The bottom line: In two years, we would have had a

bigger growth in tourist arrivals, compared to the increase charted by the previous administration in

their nine years. We are not singing our own praises; we are merely stating the truth.

But Secretary Mon Jimenez is still not satisfied. He says: if 24.7 million tourists came to Malaysia in

2011, and around 17 million visited Thailand, would it be too far-fetched to have ten million tourists



visiting the Philippines annually by 2016? And if the Filipino people continue to embody the same

solidarity that allowed the Puerto Princesa Underground River to become one of the New Seven

Wonders of Nature, there is no doubt that we will be able to achieve this. As we have already

announced to the entire world: “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Secretary Mon Jimenez has been at

his post for less than a year, but we are already reaping the fruits of the reforms we have laid down.

So, when it comes to tourism, we are confident in saying, “It’s really more fun—to have Secretary

Mon Jimenez with us.”

When it comes to growth and development, agriculture is at the top of our priorities. Secretary Alcala

has been working nonstop to deliver us good news. Before, it seemed as though the officials of DA

cultivated nothing but NFA’s debts. The NFA that our predecessors took over had a 12-billion peso

debt; when they left office, they then bequeathed to us a debt of 177 billion pesos.

For so long in the past, we were led to believe that we were short 1.3 million metric tons of rice, and

that we needed to import 2 million metric tons to address this shortage. They ordered rice as like itwas unlimited—but because we had exceeded far more than what we needed, imported rice went to

rot in the warehouses.

In just our first year, we redcued the annual shortage of 1.3 million metric tons to just 860,000 metric

tons. This year, it is down to 500,000—including a buffer stock to dip into in times of calamity. And, if

the weather cooperates, we’ll be able to export rice next year.

Secretary Alcala has said that key to our success is a feasible irrigation program and the assiduous

implementation of the certified seeds program. What is galling is that this knowledge is not new—it

simply wasn’t applied. If they had only done their jobs right, where could we have been by now?

Look at our coconut industry: Coconut water, once treated as a waste product, is now being utilized

by our farmers. From 483,862 liters exported in 2009, to 1,807,583 liters in 2010, to a staggering

16,756,498 liters of cocowater exported in 2011. And where no one previously paid heed to coconut

coir, we are now experiencing a shortage due to the high demand of exporters. We are not wasting

this opportunity: we are buying the machines that will process the coco fibers. We have allocated

1.75 billion pesos to invest in, and develop, this sector.

My mother initiated the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. It is only just that this program

sees its conclusion during my term.

We are improving the system, so that we can more swiftly and more efficiently realize agrarian

reform. The government is doing everything in its power to ensure that our farmers can claim as their

own the land they have tilled and nurtured with their sweat.



There are those, however, who wish to obstruct us. I say to them: We will obey the law. The law

says, the nation says, and I say: Before I step down, all the land covered by CARP will have been

distributed.

Let me shed some light on our advances in the energy sector. In the past, an electrical wire needed

only to reach the barangay hall for an entire barangay to be deemed energized. This was the pretext

for the claim that 99.98 percent of the country’s barangays had electricity. Even the delivery of so

basic a service was a deception?

We challenged DOE and NEA, allocating 1.3 billion pesos to light up an initial target of 1,300 sitios,

at the cost of one million pesos per sitio. And the agencies met the challenge—they lit up 1,520

sitios, at a total cost of 814 million pesos. They accomplished this in three months, instead of the two

years it took the people that preceded them. Secretary Rene Almendras, I give you credit; you never

seem to run out of energy. With public service, you are not only ever-ready, but like an energizer

bunny too—you keep on going, and going, and going.

We have suffused the nation with light—and it is this light, too, that has exposed the crimes that

occur in the shadowed corners of society. What the Filipino works so hard for can no longer be

pilfered. Crime volume continues to decline across the country. In 2009, over 500,000 crimes were

recorded—this year, we have cut that number by more than half, to 246,958. Moreover, 2010’s

recorded 2,200 cases of carnapping has likewise been reduced by half—to 966 cases this 2011.

It is these facts that, we hope, will be bannered in headlines. We do not claim that we have ended

criminality, but I’m sure no one would complain that it has been reduced. In the span of just a little

more than a year, haven’t we finally put Raymond Dominguez in jail, after years of being in and out

of prison? Charges have been filed against two of his brothers as well, and they are now servingtime, too. Of the two suspects in the Makati bus bombing of the past year—one is dead, and the

other is living in a jail cell. He shares the same fate as the more than ten thousand individuals

arrested by PDEA in 2011 for charges relating to illegal drugs.

Pacquiao does not fight every day, and so we can’t rely on him to bring down the crime rate. Which

is why we’re strengthening our police force. When this administration began, 45 percent of our police

carried no guns and probably relied on magic charms as they chased criminals. But now we have

completed the bidding—and we are now testing the quality—for an order of 74,600 guns, which we

will provide our police, so that they may better serve and protect the nation, our communities, and

themselves.

Let us now talk about national defense. Some have described our Air Force as all air and no force.

Lacking the proper equipment, our troops remain vulnerable even as they are expected to be put in

harm’s way. We cannot allow things to remain this way.



After only one year and seven months, we have been able to allocate over 28 billion pesos for the

AFP Modernization Program. This will soon match the 33 billion pesos set aside for the program in

the past 15 years. And we’re only getting started: if our proposed AFP modernization bill is passed in

Congress, we will be able to allocate 75 billion pesos for defense within the next five years.

The 30-million dollar fund entrusted to us by the United States for the Defense Capability Upgrade

and Sustainment of Equipment Program of the AFP is now ready as well. This is in addition to their

assistance in improving the way we patrol our shores under the Coast Watch Center of the

Philippines, which will soon be established.

At this moment, the Armed Forces is likewise canvassing equipment such as cannons, personnel

carriers, and frigates. Before long, the BRPRamon Alcaraz , our second Hamilton class cutter, will

drop anchor, to partner with the BRP Gregorio del Pilar . We are not sending paper boats out to sea.

Now, our 36,000 kilometers of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships.

And perhaps it is an apt time for our Armed Forces to clean up their hangars, because we will behaving equipment arriving soon to further fortify our defenses. Finally, our one and only C-130 that

has been roaming our skies for the past 36 years will have partners: two more C-130s will once

again be operational. Before this year ends, we are hopeful that the twenty-one refurbished UH-1H

Helicopters, the four combat utility helicopters, the radios and other communication equipment, the

rifles, the mortars, the mobile diagnostic laboratories, and even the station bullet assemblies we

have purchased will be delivered. Come 2013, ten attack helicopters, two naval helicopters, two light

aircraft, one frigate, and air force protection equipment will also be arriving.

And it is not only through better equipment that we demonstrate our commitment to help our police

and our soldiers. We have eased their financial burdens through the 22,000 houses that have beenbuilt under the AFP –PNP housing program.

We are not doing this because we want to be an aggressor, we are not doing this because we want

escalation. This is about keeping the peace. This is about protecting ourselves—something that we

have long thought impossible. This is about the life of a soldier who risks his life every day; this is

about his family, who awaits his safe return, despite the challenges that confront him.

Let’s listen to some of the beneficiaries of these programs tell us in their own words how their lives

have been changed.

[VIDEO]

Now that the people care for them, the more impassioned our soldiers are in winning the peace. We

consider the 1,772 outlaws whose violence has come to an end a great triumph. One example is the

infamous terrorist, Doctor Abu, who will never again strike fear in the hearts of our countrymen. We

also celebrate the peace and quiet that has returned to places where our countrymen were once



deafened by gunfire. As a result of our solidarity: 365 barangays have been liberated from the

enemy, 270 buildings and schools have been repaired, and 74 health centers have been built.

While we are on the subject of peace, let us talk about a place that has long stood as a symbol of

frustrated hopes. Before our reforms in the ARMM began, what we had were ghost students walking

to ghost schools on ghost roads, to learn from ghost teachers. Some of the apparitions that haunted

OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman: Four schools found with ghost students; we are also investigating the

teachers whose names do not appear in the list of the Professional Regulation Commission, as well

as the government workers not listed in the plantilla. Fifty-five ghost entries have been taken off the

payroll. The previous scheme of regraveling roads again and again just to earn money has been

outlawed. To avoid abuse, we have ended cash advances for agencies. Now, the souls of the ghosts

in voters lists can rest in peace. This is why, to OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman, we can say to you:

you are indeed a certified ghost buster.

What we have replaced these phantoms with: real housing, bridges, and learning centers forBadjaos in Basilan. Community-based hatcheries, nets, materials to grow seaweeds, and seedlings

that have benefited 2,588 fishermen. Certified seeds, gabi seedlings, cassava, rubber, and trees that

are bearing fruit for 145,121 farmers. And this is only the beginning. 183 million pesos has been set

aside for the fire stations; 515 million pesos for clean drinking water; 551.9 million pesos for health-

care equipment; 691.9 million pesos for daycare centers; and 2.85 billion pesos for the roads and

bridges across the region. These are just some of the things that will be afforded by the aggregate

8.59 billion pesos the national government has granted the ARMM. Also, allow me to clarify: this

does not include the yearly support that they receive, which in 2012 reached 11.7 billion pesos.

Even those who previously wanted to break away are seeing the effects of reform. Over the pastseven months, not even a single encounter has been recorded between the military and the MILF.

We recognize this as a sign of their trust. With regard to the peace process: talks have been very

open; both sides have shown trust and faith in one another. There may be times when the process

can get a little complicated, but these are merely signs that we are steadily moving closer to our

shared goal: Peace.

We likewise engaged stakeholders in a level-headed discussion in crafting our Executive Order on

mining. The idea behind our consensus we reached: that we be able to utilize our natural resources

to uplift the living conditions of the Filipinos not just of today, also of the following generations. We

will not reap the rewards of this industry if the cost is the destruction of nature.

But this Executive Order is only the first step. Think about it: In 2010, 145 billion pesos was the total

value derived from mining, but only 13.4 billion or 9 percent went to the national treasury. These

natural resources are yours; it shouldn’t happen that all that’s left to you is a tip after they’re

extracted. We are hoping that Congress will work with us and pass a law that will ensure that the



environment is cared for, and that the public and private sectors will receive just benefits from this

industry.

Let us talk about the situation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Once, the government,

which is supposed to give aid, was the one asking for aid. Today, even when the storm is still

brewing, we already know how to craft clear plans to avoid catastrophe.

Talking about disasters reminds me of the time when a typhoon struck Tarlac. The dike collapsed

due to the rains; when one of the barangay captains awoke, the floods had already taken his family,

as well as his farming equipment. Fortunately, the entire family survived. But the carabao they had

left tied to a tree wasn’t as lucky; it was strangled to death from the force of the flood.

Many of those affected by typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, and Sendong were just as defenseless. We

lost so many lives to these natural disasters. And now, through Project NOAH, all our anti-disaster

initiatives have been brought inside one boat, and we no longer leave the evacuation of families upto mere luck. We now have the technology to give fair warning to Filipinos in order to prepare for and

avoid the worst.

Our 86 automated rain gauges and 28 water level monitoring sensors in various regions now benefit

us directly and in real time. Our target before the end of 2013: 600 automated rain gauges and 422

water level sensors. We will have them installed in 80 primary river basins around the country.

Yet another change: Before, agencies with shared responsibilities would work separately, with little

coordination or cooperation. Now, the culture of government is bayanihan—a coming together for

the sake of the people. This is what we call Convergence.

There have always been tree planting programs in government—but after the trees have been

planted, they were left alone. Communities that needed livelihood would cut these down and turn

them into charcoal.

We have the solution for this. 128,558 hectares of forest have been planted across the country; this

is only a fraction of the 1.5 million-hectare farmlands to be laid out before we step down. This covers

the communities under the National Convergence Initiative. The process: When a tree is planted, the

DWSD will coordinate with communities. In exchange for a conditional cash transfer, communities

would take care of the trees; some would help nurture seeds in a nursery. 335,078 individuals nowearn their livelihood from these activities.

The private sector has likewise taken part in a program that hands out special coffee and cacao

beans to communities, and trains the townsfolk, too, to nurture those seeds into a bountiful harvest.

The coffee is planted in the shade of the trees that in turn help prevent flooding and protect the

people. The company that hands out the seeds are sure buyers of the yield. It’s a win-win situation—



for the private sector, the communities with their extra income, and the succeeding generations that

will benefit from the trees.

Illegal logging has long been a problem. From the time we signed Executive Order No. 23, Mayor

Jun Amante has confiscated lumber amounting to more than six million pesos. He has our gratitude.

This is just in Butuan; what more if all our LGUs demonstrated the same kind of political will?

The timber confiscated by DENR are handed over to TESDA, which then gives the timber to

communities they train in carpentry. From this, DepEd gets chairs for our public schools. Consider

this: What was once the product of destruction has been crafted into an instrument for the realization

of a better future. This was impossible then—impossible so long as the government turned a blind

eye to illegal activities.

To those of you without a conscience; those of you who repeatedly gamble the lives of your fellow

Filipinos—your days are numbered. We’ve already sanctioned thirty-four DENR officials, one PNP

provincial director, and seven chiefs of police. We are asking a regional director of the PNP toexplain why he seemed deaf to our directives and blind to the colossal logs that were being

transported before his very eyes. If you do not shape up, you will be next. Even if you tremble

beneath the skirts of your patrons, we will find you. I suggest that you start doing your jobs, before

it’s too late.

From the womb, to school, to work, change has touched the Filipino. And should a life of

government service be chosen, our people can expect the same level of care from the state, until

retirement. Our administration will recognize their contributions to our society as public servants, and

will not withhold from them the pensions they themselves contributed to.

Consider: some retirees receive less than 500 pesos a month. How does one pay for water, power,

and food, daily? Our response: With the New Year comes our resolution that all old-age and

disability pensioners will receive no less than five thousand pesos monthly. We are heartened that

we can meet their needs now, without jeopardizing their future benefits.

The face of government has truly changed. Our compensation levels are at par with the private

sector’s at the entry level. But as you rise through the ranks, private-sector pay overtakes the

government.

We will close that gap in time; for now, we have good news for government employees:

Performance-Based Incentives. In the past, even poorly performing agencies would not have any

employees with ratings lower than “very satisfactory.” To maintain smooth interpersonal relations,

supervisors would have a hard time giving appropriate ratings. Exceptional employees are not

recognized: their excellence is de-incentivized, and receive the same rewards as laziness and

indolence.



Here is one of our steps to respond to this. Starting this year, we will implement a system in which

bonuses are based on their agency’s abilities to meet their annual targets. Employees now hold the

keys to their own advancement. Incentives may reach up to 35,000 pesos, depending on how well

you do your jobs. This is in addition to your across-the-board Christmas bonus.

We are doing this not only to boost morale and to show due appreciation of our public servants. This

is, above all, for the Filipino people, who expect sincere and efficient service —who expect that they

will continue to be the sole Bosses of our workers in government.

There have always been people who have questioned our guiding principle, “If there is no corruption,

there is no poverty.” They ask if good governance can put food on the table. Q uite simply: Yes.

Think about it: Doing business in the Philippines was once considered too risky —the rules were too

opaque and they were constantly changing. A person shaking your hand one day may pick your

pocket the next.

Now, with a level playing field, and clear and consistent rules, confidence in our economy is growing.

Investments are pouring in, jobs are being created, and a virtuous cycle has begun—where

empowered consumers buy more products, and businesses hire more people so they can expand to

keep up with the growing demand.

Prudent spending has allowed us to plug the leaks in the system, and improved tax collection has

increased revenues. Every peso collected is properly spent on roads, on vaccines, on classrooms

and chairs—spent on our future.

We have fixed the system by which we build roads, bridges, and buildings —they now go where they

are truly needed. Our roads are properly paved; products, services, and people reach their

destination quickly and with greater ease.

Because of good governance in agriculture, food production has increased, prices don’t fluctuate,

wages are stable, and our economy is stronger.

It is true: A resilient and dynamic economy resting on the foundations of good governance is the best

defense against global uncertainty. We have been dismantling the obstacles to progress for two

years, and now, our success can only be limited by how hard we are willing to work for it.

We achieved all these things even as countries around the world were surmounting their own

challenges.

We exist in this world with others. And so it is only appropriate that even as we attend to our own

problems, we remain vigilant about some events that affect us.



The situation in Bajo de Masinloc has been the source of much discussion. Chinese fishermen

entered out territory. Our patrol boats intercepted some of their ships, which contain endangered

species. As your leader, it is my duty to uphold the laws of our country. And as I did, tension ensued:

on one hand, the Chinese had their Nine-Dash Line Theory laying claim to almost the entire West

Philippine Sea; on the other, there was the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea,

which recognized the rights of many countries, including that of China itself.

We demonstrated utmost forbearance in dealing with this issue. As a sign of our goodwill, we

replaced our navy cutter with a civilian boat as soon as we could. We chose not to respond to their

media’s harangues. I do not think it excessive to ask that our rights be res pected, just as we respect

their rights as a fellow nation in a world we need to share.

There are those who say that we should let Bajo de Masinloc go; we should avoid the trouble. But if

someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give

away that which is rightfully ours?

And so I ask for solidarity from our people regarding this issue. Let us speak with one voice. Help me

relay to the other side the logic of our stand.

This is not a simple situation, and there can be no simple solutions. Rest assured: we are consulting

experts, every leader of our nation, our allies—even those on the other side—to find a resolution that

is acceptable to all.

With every step on the straight and righteous path, we plant the seeds of change. But there are still

some who are committed to uprooting our work. Even as I speak, there are those who havegathered in a room, whispering to each other, dissecting each word I utter, looking for any pretext to

attack me with tomorrow. These are also the ones who say, “Let go of the past. Unite. Forgive and

forget so we can move forward as a people.”

I find this unacceptable. Shall we simply forgive and forget the ten years that were taken from us?

Do we simply forgive and forget the farmers who piled up massive debts because of a government

that insisted on importing rice, while we could have reinvested in them and their farmlands instead?

Shall we forgive and forget the family of the police officer who died while trying to defend himself

against guns with nothing but a nightstick?

Shall we forgive and forget the orphans of the 57 victims of the massacre in Maguindanao? Will their

loved ones be brought back to life by forgiving and forgetting? Do we forgive and forget everything

that was ever done to us, to sink us into a rotten state? Do we forgive and forget to return to the

former status quo? My response: Forgiveness is possible; forgetting is not. If offenders go

unpunished, society’s future suffering is guaranteed.



True unity and reconciliation can only emanate from genuine justice. Justice is the plunder case

leveled against our former president; justice that she receives her day in court and can defend

herself against the accusations leveled against her. Justice is what we witnessed on the 29th of

May. On that day, we proved that justice can prevail, even when confronted with an opponent in a

position of power. On that day, a woman named Delsa Flores, in Panabo, Davao del Norte, said “It is

actually possible: a single law governing both a simple court reporter like me, and the Chief Justice.”

It is possible for the scales to be set right, and for even the rich and powerful to be held accountable.

This is why, to the next Chief Justice, much will be demanded of you by our people. We have proven

the impossible possible; now, our task is reform towards true justice that continues even after our

administration. There are still many flaws in the system, and repairing these will not be easy. I am

aware of the weight of your mandate. But this is what our people tasked us to do; this is the duty we

have sworn to do; and this what we must do.

Our objectives are simple: If you are innocent, you will appear in court with confidence, because youwill be found not guilty. But if you are guilty, you will be made to pay for your sins, no matter who you

are.

I would also like to thank Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, for accepting the challenges that

came with the position. She could have turned down the responsibility, citing her retirement and

volunteering others for the job—but her desire to serve the nation won out. This generosity was met

with a grenade in her home. Ma’am, more challenges will come; in time, perhaps, they’ll give you the

same monikers they’ve given me—a greedy capitalist who is also a communist headed towards

dictatorship because of the reforms we have been working so hard to achieve.

I thank you for your work, and I thank you for being an instrument of true justice —especially at the

height of the impeachment trial. I thank, too, the two institutions that form our Congress—the Senate

and the House of Representatives—which were weighed and measured by the Filipino people, and

were not found wanting.

To everyone that ensured that our justice system worked well: You weathered many challenges and

criticism, and even misgivings; couple that with the anxiety over possible failure, of having to face

the ire of those you went up against, after a mission lost. But you did not falter. The Filipino people

were relying on you, and you proved that their faith was rightly placed. You did not fail the nation;

you further brightened our futures.

Let me remind you that our fight does not end with the ousting of one corrupt official, with the

suspension of an anomalous contract, or the systemic overhauling of a government office. I call

upon Congress to pass our amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, that we may strengthen

our measures to hold the corrupt accountable.



Every town that has and will be lighted; the highways, bridges, airports, trains, and ports we have

built; fair contracts; the peace in our cities and our rural areas; every classroom, desk, and book

assigned to a child; every Filipino granted a future—all of these, we have achieved in just two years.

We have advanced an agenda of reform in these last two years, a marked contrast to our suffering

in the decade that came before.

If we share the same ideals and work for the same goals, then we are bound by a shared agenda.

But if you are against us, it only follows that you are against what we are doing. Whoever stands

against the agenda for genuine change—can the people really count them as being on their side?

Elections are fast approaching. You, our Bosses, will be our compass. I ask you, “Boss, what

direction will we take? Do we continue treading the straight and righteous path, or do we double-

back—towards the crooked road that leads to a dead end?”

I remember well those early days when we first started working. I was keenly aware of the heavyburdens we would face. And I was among those who wondered: Is it possible to fix a system this

broken?

This is what I have learned in the 25 months I have served as your president: nothing is impossible.

Nothing is impossible because if the Filipino people see that they are the only Bosses of their

government, they will carry you, they will guide you, they themselves will lead you towards

meaningful change. It isn’t impossible for the Philippines to become the first country in Southeast

Asia to provide free vaccines for the rotavirus. It isn’t impossible for the Philippines to stand strong

and say, “The Philippines is for Filipinos—and we are ready to defend it.” It is not impossible for the

Filipino who for so long had kept his head bowed upon meeting a foreigner—it is not impossible forthe Filipino, today, to stand with his head held high and bask in the admiration of the world. In these

times—is it not great to be a Filipino?

Last year, I asked the Filipino people: Thank those who have done their share in bringing about

positive change in society. The obstacles we encountered were no laughing matter, and I believe it

is only right that we thank those who shouldered the burdens with us, in righting the wrongs brought

about by bad governance.

To all the members of my Cabinet: my sincerest thanks. The Filipino people are lucky that there are

those of you ready to sacrifice your private and much quieter lives in order to serve the public, even

if you know that you will receive smaller salaries, dangers, and constant criticism in return.

And I hope that they will not mind if I take this opportunity to thank them today: to Father Catalino

Arevalo and Sister Agnes Guillen, who have nurtured and allowed my spiritual life to flourish,

especially in times of greatest difficulty: my deepest gratitude.



This is my third SONA; only three remain. We are entering the midpoint of our administration. Last

year, I challenged you to fully turn your back on the culture of negativism; to take every chance to

uplift your fellow Filipinos.

From what we are experiencing today, it is clear: you succeeded. You are the wellspring of change.

You said: it is possible.

I stand before you today as the face of a government that knows you as its Boss and draws its

strength from you. I am only here to narrate the changes that you yourselves have made possible.

This is why, to all the nurses, midwives, or doctors who chose to serve in the barrios; to each new

graduate who has chosen to work for the government; to each Filipino athlete who proudly carries

the flag in any corner of the globe, to each government official who renders true and honest service:

You made this change possible.

So whenever I come face to face with a mother who tells me, “Thank you, my child has beenvaccinated,” I respond: You made this happen.

Whenever I come face to face with a child who tells me, “Thank you for the paper, for the pencils, for

the chance to study,” I respond: You made this happen.

Whenever I come face to face with an OFW who tells me, “Thank you, because I can once again

dream of growing old in the Philippines,” I respond: You made this happen.

Whenever I come face to face with a Filipino who says, “Thank you, I thought that we would never

have electricity in our sitio. I never imagined living to see the light,” I respond: You made thishappen.

Whenever I come face to face with any farmer, teacher, pilot, engineer, driver, call center agent, or

any normal Filipino; to every Juan and Juana dela Cruz who says, ”Thank you for this change,” I

respond: You made this happen.

I repeat: what was once impossible is now possible. I stand before you today and tell you: this is not

my SONA. You made this happen. This is the SONA of the Filipino nation. Thank you.

Source: http://www.gov.ph/2012/07/23/english-translation-benigno-s-aquino-iii-third-state-of-the-nation-address-july-23-2012/

http://www.gov.ph/2012/07/23/english-translation-benigno-s-aquino-iii-third-state-of-the-nation-address-july-23-2012/






2012 State of the Nation Address of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III Full Text (English and Tagalog)

Documents

Transcript of 2012 State of the Nation Address of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III Full Text (English and Tagalog)