By Harold Hisona

Published: July 20, 2012

Philippine President Benigno Simeon “Noy-noy” Aquino III will deliver this third State Of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 23rd, at the House of the Representatives. Year after year since 2010, Filipino people have been so attentive to the promises he makes in his speeches. It is never a surprise if every Filipino inside country and those who are in other parts of the world will take a pause on Monday and listen to him and his promises.

As much as I want to believe he is a better president than Gloria Arroyo, I have doubts in my mind knowing he often makes promises he can’t keep. So, for this year’s SONA, I have a few things I want to hear from him;

Economic Reforms. I understand economic reform does not happen overnight; it takes years. But was there any significant economic reforms done in the last couple of years? I want to hear his plans on how to stop the rising oil and electric prices, the dropping tourism industry, and unemployment.

Territorial Dispute. Everyone is worried and wants to know what’s happening with the diplomatic negotiation with China over the disputed area in West Philippine Sea. Everyone may have already read or heard news about it but for sure Filipinos want to hear the real score from the President.

Disaster Preparedness. If there is one thing the government couldn’t stop from happening, it’s the natural disaster. I just want to hear what the government has done to ensure the safety of the people or are there new equipment that could be used by local government units for rescue operations. What happened to the rescue boats purchased by the previous administration which couldn’t be used due to mismatched engines?

Mistakes, Shortcomings and Commitments. The President is leaving an impression that he is running the country perfectly especially when it comes to going after corrupt officials. But for two years now, he never mentioned in his SONA his shortcomings and mistakes. I want to hear about these things as well as the ways he (and his advisers) did to correct them. Or, whether or not it affected the country in any way.

If there is one thing I don’t want to hear from him anymore, it’s about corruption and criticisms for the previous administration. There are more pressing problems that need more attention than the people who are in the brink of losing their sanity for fear of going to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

How about you? Do you have some things you want the president included in his SONA? Leave your comments below. Perhaps the president himself can read this lowly post and act on it…well, if you want to dream, dream big.