A Critical Response on the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III delivered on the 22nd of July 2013.

1. University of San Carlos
School of Law and Governance
Department of Political Science

3. The State of the Nation Address (SONA)
as a Constitutional Mandate
Informing Power of the President:
Article VII, Sec. 23
Communication & Information in Nation-Building;
Full Public Disclosure Policy; Transparency

4. Delivered every last Monday of July to the
Congress in a joint session
The SONA delivered last July 22, 2013 is the 4th
address of the President

5. Half of PNoy’s term as President
has already lapsed (2010-2013; 2013-2016)
The SONA delivered last July 22, 2013 is the
4th address of the President
The Social Contract to the Filipino People;
Matuwid na Daan:
“Walang korupt, walang mahirap.”

6. The Philippines and its economic performance
The Philippines and its international relations
The Philippines and territorial disputes

8.  Of the 503,521 people who graduated from the
programs of TESDA and DOLE, 6 out of 10 have
found jobs;
 70.9 percent of the graduates found
employment in TESDA’s Information Technology-
Business Processing Operations program, up from
28.5 percent from 2006 to 2008.
J
O
B
S

9.  Almost 4 million household-beneficiaries of the conditional
cash transfer program
 Families with children up to 18 years old will be included in the
program
 Calls for reforms in the Social Security Service (SSS) pension
scheme to address shortage of funds
 PhilHealth coverage jumped from 62% of Filipinos in 2010 to
81%
 Expanded Z benefit package to cover other conditions and
diseases
 Allotted P33 billion for the modernization of 4,518 hospitals, rural
health units and health stations in the country
SOCIAL WELFARE

10. EDUCATION
 Erased backlogs in chairs, in textbooks, and about
to address shortage in classrooms.
AGRARIAN REFORM
 The Department of Agrarian Reform has completed the list
of beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita; turnover of lots will start
on September.
 All notices of coverage under the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program will have been served by 2014.

11.  Agricultural sector grew 3.3 percent, triple that of 2012
 Rice self-sufficiency on-target. The maximum to be
imported would be the minimum access volume of
350,000 metric tons, including the 187,000 metric tons
of buffer stock
 Tap the potentials of coconut industry by
intercropping; 434 sites targeted in 2013 for coconut
intercropping
 Cites the cold storage facility in Bataraza, Palawan
province
 Ongoing construction of ports, roads and other
infrastructure to benefit the fishing industry
AGRICULTURE/FISH

12.  Multi-hazard mapping complete for 28 most vulnerable sites;
Greater Metro Manila area to be completed in 2014
 525 automated water-level monitoring stations and rain
gauges set up under Project NOAH
 Cooperating with LGUs to relocate informal settlers
 Allocation of P6.2 billion to address flooding in Metro Manila
(Construction of the Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment area)
 9,377 houses for “Sendong” victims; 4,374 additional houses
underway; 53,106 houses for “Pablo” victims; 17,609
additional houses underway
 19,400 families to be relocated from Metro Manila waterways
 Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to file cases against owners of
structures who have closed or obstructed waterways
DISASTER-PREPAREDNESS

13.  Distribution of firearms and weapons to meet the goal
of one pistol-to-one police ratio
 491,929 licenses verified under Oplan Katok
 Private armies down by 63 percent; election-related
violence down to 77 cases
 Peaceful elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao
 Accountability for the deaths of Ozamiz Gang
members
 Agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on
the issue of wealth sharing between the Philippine
government and a Bangsamoro autonomous entity
 Reiterated the government’s commitment to uphold
agreement.
PEACE & ORDER SITUATION

14. BENEFITS OF MEN IN UNIFORM
 21,800 housing projects for policemen completed in 2012;
this year’s target of 31,200 houses to be completed next
month
 Calls on the Government Service Insurance System to assist
in addressing the pension and benefits problems of police
and soldiers
PROCUREMENT
 The Department of Science and Technology to assist in
purchase of big ticket items

15.  Amend Cabotage Law
 Enact Fiscal Incentives Rationalization Bill
 Focus on Land Administration Reform Bill
 Review of PD 1638 and RA 8551 to ensure pensions of
PNP and AFP personnel are timely and balanced
 Passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law before end of 2014
 Review of Marcos-issued decrees PD No. 1113 and PD
No. 1894
 Review of Civil Service Code and PD No. 1
 P2.268-trillion national budget
LEGISLATIVE

16.  Ternate-Nasugbu Road
 Aluling Bridge in Ilocos Sur
 Laguindingan Airport
 Inauguration of the Advanced Device and Materials
Testing Laboratory to support the semi-conductor
industry
 Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II to benefit 24,000
farmers
 PPP airports: Laguindingan; Tacloban; Bicol
International; New Bohol; Mactan; Puerto Princesa
 NAIA rehabilitation underway
 Integrated Transport System Terminals in
Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Quezon City
 NLEx-SLEx Connector Road project
INFRASTRUCTURE

17.  Earned titles such as Best Tourist
Destination, Most Romantic Destination, Best
Diving Site, Palawan as Best Island in various
travel magazines
 4.3 million tourists in 2012; targets 56.1 million
domestic travel in 2016
 Tourism brought in 3.8 million jobs in 2012
 Lifting of Philippine Airlines ban from flying to
Europe
TOURISM

18. TURNAROUND STORIES OF
GOCCs
 Local Water Utilities Administration’s P870 million in net
profit in 2012
 Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System posted P2
billion in profit in 2012 from a P34-million net loss in 2010
GOOD GOVERNANCE & SAVINGS
 P18.4-billion savings by the DPWH
 P2.9-billion savings in textbook purchase

19.  Former leadership of TESDA now being held
accountable for overpriced purchases during the term
of Augusto Syjuco Jr.
 Indicted former officials of PAGCOR who are accused
of embezzling P26.7 million to produce a movie and
spending P186 million to finance a party-list group
 Former leaders of PNP being made to answer
allegations regarding P131.6 million wasted on
defective rubber boats and P105 million spent on
anomalous purchase of secondhand helicopters
GOOD GOVERNANCE & JUSTICE