As expected, this "State of the Nation Address" 2024 has been little more than a celebration and exhibition for the ruling class since previous administrations, flaunting their newly acquired money and benefits from the bureaucracy.
For while deceiving the general public with recycled promises and the same old intentions, the bureaucrats, landlords, and compradores alike celebrate throughout the ceremony as their master vows to show them off with bribes at the behest of US and even Chinese imperialism.
But regardless of the rehashed messages, the intent stays the same- that of benefiting the ruling class at the expense of the working masses. With the same neoliberal policies and the repression from its attack dogs, the grievances of the Filipino people continue to resonate that any palliative measure nor rhetoric may fail to appease those who endure everyday hardship- that of low wages, landlessness, homelessness, and various forms of social injustices that makes this "New Philippines" as same as that of the old.
Consider the following Social Weather Stations data to justify people's discontent: * Fifty-eight percent (58%), or around 16 million, of Filipino families identify themselves as poor, as of June 2024 – the highest in 16 years. * Forty percent (40%) of Filipino remain optimistic on the economy, as of December 2023 – the lowest since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. * Forty-five (45%) of Filipinos feel no changes in their quality of life over the past year, as of March 2024.
Pardon to use the survey, but the people's discontent is more than the data given by SWS. The people find it concerning because the administration has made so many promises that asid they will have opportunities in this "new Philippines". Because, as those recent surveys have shown, those realities are very different from the story of progress that Marcos is supposed to triumphantly tell in this afternoon's SONA. And would such promises of "development" that benefited the same oppressive class mislead people in the face of the same neoliberal policies, the same abuses from despots and their attack dogs?
Honestly speaking, the "New Philippines" is nothing new but a rehashed promise. For sure people been fooled enough by Marcos's promise of 20 peso per kilo of rice, but did it happen? No! This is the reality on the ground. The ones dissatiafied, the ones protesting, or even taking up arms, are the actual sentiments of the majority of Filipinos expressing widespread dissatisfaction of government’s capabilities and priorities, as that of having enough of prevailing social injustices and in seeing a nation's vassalage to local and foreign entrenched interests. As an American stooge, Marcos permits full-scale military intervention by the United States, which uses the Philippines as a springboard for war preparations and provocations using "defense" against China as its alibis. For at present, preparations for the brewing war betwen the United States and China are in full swing which will use the Philippines as its battleground.
Will the Filipino people content in this situation? Should the nation be fooled from time to time by entrenched interests spewing rehashed phrases with same bullshit? Such truths are way far from the statements being expressed at the Batasang Pambansa! And with those truths would say that the people are willing to face-to-face with the attack dogs the regime has unleashed in this event.