“Is the nation’s state really sound and improving?”
“The state of the nation is sound and improving…” said the president in his second state of the nation address.
Facing his camarilla and that of his allies in the legislature, the president, just like his predecessor, is trying to appease the people with another round of empty rhetoric and half-baked programs, alongside “achievements” trying to stave off controversies- as he provided a thorough evaluation of the performance of his administration in 15 key areas, including the economy and food security, infrastructure, the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund, energy, uniformed personnel, education, health, foreign policy, investments, digitalization and internet, migrant workers, housing, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a refocused drug war, insurgency, and priority bills.
And regardless of the controversies surrounding his proposals supporters of the administration will still cling to the president’s optimism. That by claiming the country as improving amidst crisis, it becomes a copium that tries to counter the truth- in a way the Maharlika Fund is treated as a panacea despite being fundless and unsure of its goals. True that restrictions imposed during the COVID19 pandemic been relaxed and hence trying to stimulate transactions, but how about a sound minimum wage for laborers, and support for smallholder farmers and local enterprises especially startups? The KADIWA stores being said with pride, does it benefited the farmers who are in desperate need for accessibility to buyers? Or that of profiteering smugglers benefiting from imported sugar, fruits, vegetables, even meat?
True it may be that the regime tries to “moderate” its image in the face of criticism borne from of the past administration, but despite these promises and “achievements” nothing has said about pressing issues particularly on human rights as those from the opposition are being harassed, red-tagged, arrested, imprisoned, killed, or simply disappeared, even silent on his predecessor’s case in the International Criminal Court if not the crimes under his father’s dictatorship. Marcos’s speech also fell short in addressing important issues like national sovereignty, widespread corruption, and the nation's growing debt of PhP 12.7 trillion, among others.
These and more would say that despite their words this doesn’t stop people from questioning, seeking truth from facts and to expose the inconvenient truths the order has trying to cover upon. He is the same president who has perchance for expensive overseas junkets and downplays people’s hardships, who claims inflation as “not that high” while everyone felt its effects. Worse, to claim that justice thrives when crooks and thugs roaming freely as that of the past administration’s- making such truths altogether would say that the “new Philippines” presented by the second Marcos administration is as same as that of the old- benefiting the corrupt bureaucrat, the oppressive despot, and the profiteering economic conmen who altogether use the people for their interests as it harps on grand promises but falls short of actual benefits for their constituents.
But regardless of these empty messages and half baked promises, there’s still hope for people who wanted a new Philippines to happen- that by taking the future from the goddamn system!