PH State of the Nation Address News:
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NOTE: More news will come/ be updated as this began 1600 hrs Philippine Standard Time (0800 hrs GMT)
SONA 2015: Is it really more fun in the Philippines?
By Rex Remitio, CNN Philippines
Updated 12:27 PM PHT Mon, July 27, 2015
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his State of the Nation address three years ago, announced an ambitious plan for the country's tourism industry.
"Sa dinami-dami 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," he said in his 2012 address.
(There are so many beautiful places in our country that it is not impossible to dream that when 2016 comes, there will be 10 million tourists that will visit the Philippines from that point on.)
The tourism department aggressively pushed for a marketing campaign to attract tourists, with the slogan “It's more fun in the Philippines.”
The campaign went viral, and social media platforms were abuzz with funny memes.
It was hailed as one of the world's smartest marketing campaigns, receiving dozens of international citations.
"It hit a psyche in the international travel community that now Thailand is following, right? It's not anymore Truly Asia or what, it's more human capital that they're concentrating on, what makes us unique," said Rosanna Tuason-Fores, President of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines.
Annual international tourist arrivals have been steadily rising, from 3.5 million in 2010, to a record-high 4.8 million in 2014, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The DOT said that the campaign may have drawn more tourists.
This achievement is unmatched by previous administrations. But latest figures show the Aquino government is far from achieving the tourist arrival target.
The country's numbers are unimpressive compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors, according to tourism ministries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Last year, Malaysia had 25.7 million tourist arrivals, while Thailand welcomed 24.8 million visitors. Those numbers are far greater than the 4.8 million tourist arrivals for the Philippines.
For every tourist going to the Philippines, about five others choose Malaysia or Thailand.
The tourism department said that it's still more expensive to go the Philippines, from airfare costs to hotel rates.
"Unlike most other countries in Southeast Asia, we don't enjoy the luxury of cross-border land travel. It's not as if somebody can just hop on a car, cross the border, and then you count the number of tourists," said DOT Usec. for Tourism Development Benito Bengzon.
Travel bans also drive away tourists — with China issuing bans because of the dispute in the West Philippine Sea and western countries warning tourists against heading out to the conflict-torn south.
"I avoid the areas where there are issues for example in Mindanao. I just don't go there and it's a shame because I believe it's a very attractive place to go," said Adrian Allison, an Australian national.
But experts and tourists alike say there's a deeper problem: the lack of infrastructure.
Airports can get congested and flights may get delayed.
"I'll be losing four hours in between and the second at times if it is late I cannot make up and catch up," said Vinayak More, an Indian national.
And there's horrible traffic everywhere.
"Awful. It's very crazy. Awful. Nothing you can see in Spain, everybody doesn't respect the others. Nobody respects the traffic lights. To get to about one kilometer, you have to spend about half an hour, that's incredible," said Jose Ortega Lanuza, a Spanish national.
But Bengzon said that these are things beyond their control, and all they can do is to properly sell the country — with only a 2-billion-peso yearly budget.
"If you're left with a budget that is not as big as what your competitors have then you are forced to be more creative," Bengzon said.
Tourism marketing expert Maria Criselda Badilla of the University of the Philippines suggested instead that the next administration should double DOT's budget.
Badilla said that this will boost the country's tourism campaign.
Her advice to the next president: keep the "It's More Fun In The Philippines" campaign for brand recall.
"Branding the Philippines again differently will be suicide," said Badilla.
President Aquino has declared 2015 as the "Visit the Philippines Year,” as tourism is seen a key driver towards achieving socio-economic growth. However, the tourism department admits the 10-million international tourist arrival target by 2016 remains a long shot.
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SONA 2015: Is it really more fun in the Philippines? - CNN Philippines
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SONA 2015: Government's plans for the power sector
By Kristine De Guzman, CNN Philippines
Updated 11:34 AM PHT Mon, July 27, 2015
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The country last suffered from an energy crisis about 15 years ago, and it may happen again if things don't change.
Sufficient power supply is important to move forward — but it's something the administration has so far struggled to achieve.
Mindanao has been suffering from the lack of electricity. Other provinces like Occidental Mindoro and Palawan are suffering from long hours of blackout.
The Luzon grid is no exception — power supply is unstable whenever some power plants stop working.
It may have taken some time, but the Department of Energy (DOE) said that new power facilities will be up and running beginning this year.
"Kung titignan nating yung outlook for the country — Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, marami tayong committed projects, meaning may financial closure, and some of these are starting to be constructed," explained Department of Energy Officer-in-Charge Usec. Zenaida Monsada.
In Luzon, a total of 2,300 megawatts will be added to the grid from June this year until September 2019.
The Visayas grid will also be augmented by about 442-megawatts, while Mindanao — which has endured power shortages for many years now — will get an additional 2,000 megawatts.
Based on the Energy Department's 5-year outlook, the additional capacity in Luzon and Mindanao will mean there will be no blackouts until 2020.
Supply will remain stable in the Visayas until 2018, as data shows there will be more demand by that year.
With the fast-paced growth of the economy, both government and the private sector must work fast to keep up with the growing demand for power. For a country growing faster than most of its neighbors, there's no room to play catch up in the quest for stable power.
"I think the industry as a whole recognizes that the only way to ensure power reliability and adequacy is to have more power plants online both as a source of actual supply when it is needed and as a reserve as well in the event of forced or sudden outages including scheduled outages," said MERALCO Spokersperson Joe Zaldarriaga.
But if government wants more power plants, economists say it should make the process easier for investors.
It takes over a hundred permits to build a single power plant.
"You can just imagine how much of a disincentive that would be for investors. Now if you don't have enough investors, if they don't come in then you don't have additional capacity and at the, let's say, fast-paced of growth of the economy then that can be worrisome because we might end up eating up what little reserves we have," said Peter Lee U, dean of the University of Asia and the Pacific's School of Economics.
Power sector participants say that the government should focus on long-term solutions to ensure enough electricity. Otherwise, large parts of the country would continue to suffer in darkness.
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SONA 2015: Government's plans for the power sector - CNN Philippines
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SONA 2015: Aquino administration's policies and priority bills
By Anna Estanislao, CNN Philippines
Updated 11:34 AM PHT Mon, July 27, 2015
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The clock is ticking.
With less than a year left before a new President is elected, Congress will soon be tackling priority bills the current administration is pushing for.
Bangsamoro Basic Law
First on the list is the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
The measure is pending at the House of Representatives, and the Senate is waiting on a substitute bill. What are the chances of it being passed?
Former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan doubts it will ever be passed.
He said that there's tremendous resistance against the BBL — a measure seen to end decades-long conflict with rebels in the south.
"For the sake of argument, if it passes the legislature, to me the chances are quite slim especially at the level of the Senate. But in the event that it is passed by the legislature they still have to hurdle the SC [Supreme Court]. That will be the final battle ground," said Alunan.
Alunan maintained the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has not been transparent and inclusive. Because of this, he said that people in Mindanao believe BBL will not solve the unending cycle of violence there.
"Whether the BBL is passed or not, The MILF for example, if the BBL is not passed they will go to war. They've said it themselves. If the BBL is passed, those who are excluded from the talks — and many were excluded — said they won't take it sitting down," Alunan said.
Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos,Jr., chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, argued that cannot support the BBL in its present form.
"[T]he Philippine Peace Panel and the OPAPP had not consulted anyone but the MILF. So if I said it would lead us to perdition, it will lead us back to war, we have already had the Zamboanga uprising. Do we need a clearer indication of what the reaction would be of other groups to this BBL in the form that it has been presented?," the senator said.
Freedom of Information Bill
Another equally contentious measure is the Freedom of Information bill.
The President vowed to pass the law before he steps down.
While the bill passed the Senate in March last year, it has yet to get past the second reading in the Lower House.
Senator Grace Poe, author of the bill, has been urging Congress and the President to prioritize the measure.
"If I had my way, every citizen should be able to access government contracts, project details and project allocations. This is the purpose of the FOI that has been one of my priorities since day one," said Senator Grace Poe during her speech at the Rotary Club Journalism Awards.
“Freedom of Information has been enshrined in our laws combined with the wonders of technology with the powerful weapons to kill the cancer of corruption.”
But Vergel Santos, Board of Trustees Chair of the of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, said that he is not hopeful that the bill will be passed into law.
"[W]hat I had seen being discussed now in congress is a pathetic parody of freedom. I can't imagine [it], but I'm not surprised."
"[T]he potential targets of such legislation are [the] people in Congress themselves. The mere fact that there have been more than 20 versions of the bill should give you an idea of the confused play of interests surrounding the bill," Santos added
In the absence of such a law, Santos said that the Aquino administration has at least ensured some measure of transparency.
"[T]he problem is not only in Congress. It is a problem of culture… the kind of people that we elect in office, the kind of people who run our lives socio-politically — people who should be doing all those things as well."
Economic charter change bill
Another important legislation is the Economic Charter Change Bill. It's not on Aquino's priority list but Congress seems bent on passing it. It is a measure that introduces changes in the 1987 Constitution to allow more foreign investment in the country.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said that the measure has a good chance it will get the Senate's nod.
"We are not amending immediately the so-called economic provisions. What we are amending is the manner with which we can change the policies insofar as the economic provisions are concerned, by adding the phrase, ‘unless otherwise provided by law’,” Drilon said.
"That is why my confidence level is high that the senators will be generally supportive of this process," the senator added.
Analyst Dindo Manhit believes Congress should fast-track the approval of the bill.
He pointed out that while the country has seen better economic growth, with gross domestic product increasing by 5.2% during the first quarter of 2015, people do not have jobs, "because of our provision in our constitution of limiting it [specific business] to 60% ownership of Filipinos.
“It has limited our investment to the point that among the big ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nation] countries, we are ranked number six in terms of investments."
Manhit insists allowing foreign investment in different sectors will create job opportunities, thereby creating inclusive growth.
Other major legislative measures passed into law include the K to 12 Enhanced Basic Eudcation Act, Reproductive Health Law, Armed Forces of the Philippines Reform Act, and the Whistleblower Protection Act.
Congress has less than a year left to tackle the priority bills, putting the political will of Aquino and his allies in Congress to test.
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SONA 2015: Aquino administration's policies and priority bills - CNN Philippines
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SONA 2015: State of the country's disaster response
By Triciah Terrada, CNN Philippines
Updated 11:35 AM PHT Mon, July 27, 2015
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Barely two years after Typhoon Yolanda battered Tacloban and Samar, some victims have already begun recovering.
But much has yet to be done. Other victims have yet to receive help from the government.
Safety experts say Typhoon Yolanda's destruction was a lesson learned the hard way.
Before Typhoon Yolanda struck, local government officials had difficulty asking residents to evacuate. But now, that situation has changed.
"Comparing people now and before, this time, we are receiving reports that there are individuals and families who go to the evacuation center earlier on even before the warning of the local government units," Romina Marasigan, spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) says.
"So I think people are now understanding the importance of preparedness, mitigation and prevention," she adds.
Marasigan adds, disaster response funds are now divided into 70% for mitigation and preparedness and 30% for response.
"Funds are actually being judiciously spent by our government just to make sure that there are not only equipment, not only food packs, not only medicines, but also people who are skilled to be there and provide the assistance to them."
'Room for improvement'
Under the law, local disaster risk reduction and management council offices have permanents posts so standard strategies can be laid out and mainstreamed.
Safety expert Martin Aguda says these initiatives are good, but there's still room for improvement.
He adds that more than hiring permanent disaster managers, it's best to find competent people to handle emergencies.
"Since the DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) law was passed it should be a priority, madali kasi to appoint people to DRR posts. Ang tanong what are the competencies."
[Translation: Since the DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) law was passed it should be a priority. It's easy to appoint people to DRR posts, but the question is whether they are competent to perform the task.]
And while purchasing emergency equipment is a good idea, Aguda says the government should also weed out corruption in the purchasing process.
"Makakakita ka diyan ng fire extinguishers na substandard, because they are being dictated upon by the inspectors to get fire extinguishers from a specific supplier."
[Translation: You will see substandard fire extinguishers, because they are being dictated upon by the inspectors to get fire extinguishers from a specific supplier.]
"Actually, yun ang nakakainis e. These are basic safety equipment pero parang pinaglalaruan pa rin tayo."
[Translation: It's irritating. These are basic safety equipment but we are being played at.]
Setting standards
Aguda says all these boil down to strict implementation of the law, especially in the case of a possible 7.2 magnitude quake that could strike Metro Manila, which is projected to result in 33,000 fatalities.
In case of such an earthquake, officials say evacuation camps have already been identified and goods have been prepositioned, something learned from Typhoon Yolanda's aftermath.
A nationwide earthquake drill has also been set on July 30.
"Even people here in [Metro Manila] would be victims, there will be people coming in from the outside who are already informed that they are going to do this. Who are already provided with protocols on how they would be undertaking the disaster response," Marasigan says.
Aguda also suggests that disaster officials should implement standards for evacuation camp needs, such as finding adequate water supply, ample stock of basic necessities, and enough space.
Roads and passage for rescuers and emergency responders must also be identified. Volunteers and trained personnel must be clustered according to their expertise — for easier and faster emergency response.
"You have to layout the scenario, because it's being realistic. How many will be injured? Thousands will be injured, you might be hearing setting up field hospitals would that be enough, with the thousands injured?" Aguda says.
"We're hearing many will be displaced, 3,000 will be homeless and they have identified through the Oplan Yakal, several evacuation areas per quadrant is that enough? If you've seen Oplan Yakal hindi pa nakaincorporate yan," he adds.
[Translation: We're hearing many will be displaced, 3,000 will be homeless and they have identified through the Oplan Yakal, several evacuation areas per quadrant is that enough? If you've seen Oplan Yakal that aspect is not incorporated yet.]
Capacity building
Albay Province, one of the most disaster-prone areas in the country, is a role model for disaster risk management and prevention.
Its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office regularly updates data on hazards and risk assessment.
Albay also invests in strengthening infrastructures to prevent damage when a calamity strikes.
"Kasi dapat safe route, safe evacuation center, I did not see the safe routes in Metro Manila. One, kapag lumindol saan ka dadaan? Tapos yung mga evacuation center mukhang pinagtuturo lang. Aba kailangan mong gawin yan hindi yan basta puwede kayo sa golf course," Albay Governor Joey Salceda says.
[Translation: You should have a safe route and a safe evacuation center. I did not see safe routes in Metro Manila. For one, if an earthquake strikes where will you pass? And you must also build evacuation centers and not just put people in a golf course.]
He adds the provincial government conducts training on risk reduction in schools and local communities.
The province also has early warning systems and emergency management equipment in place.
After all, Salceda says, whether it's the weather or climate change it is our response that will shape human conditions — a challenge for the government to level up preparations and mitigation initiatives.
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SONA 2015: State of the country's disaster response - CNN Philippines
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Last Sona mirage of lost years
By: Amando Doronila
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03:40 AM July 27th, 2015
On the eve of President Aquino’s sixth and final State of the Nation Address (Sona), his administration refocused Sona’s keynote to his announcement on whom he would endorse as official candidate of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in the May 2016 general elections.
Weeks ahead of the polls, the nation has been in the throes of febrile anxiety over the issue of the anointment of his successor. In doing so, the President not only shifted public attention to the succession, away from the central function of Sona, that is, rendering an accounting to the people of what his government has done for the nation during the past five years to justify his presidential mandate.
The 2015 Sona is extraordinary in more ways than one: First, it sums up the performance in office of the administration for five years—not just his first, when his slate was clean; secondly, it sets the tone of national discourse for the next 12 months up until the day he steps down because for the first time he will be telling the nation the person to whom he would entrust its leadership for the next six years.
The spectacular atmosphere of this transfer of power is something like the pageantry surrounding the coronation of the dauphine of the French monarchy, as the new king of France, in ceremonies at Reims Cathedral in medieval France.
Sona is more than telling the people who among the aspirants for the highest office in the republic enjoys the presidential blessing to be his successor who would ensure the continuity of his good governance reforms. It is an extremely important public document that serves as an inventory of the performance of a democratically elected government consisting of what it proposed to do and failed to do in previous Sonas of the past five years.
This annual report serves to fulfill the function of accountability of any government. But by highlighting the event that the President would use it as a platform to announce his succession preferences after his Sona speech, he has downgraded the importance of Sona as a documentary mechanism of rendering public accountability to enable the public to determine whether he has squandered the resources and powers of the presidency to deliver benefits for the general public good according to the programs spelled out in previous Sonas.
From the way the administration highlighted the Sona in response to public clamor to declare the President’s preferences on who would receive his endorsement, it appears to us that using Sona as a platform to announce his succession decision is a glib cop-out to divert public attention from the serious task of scrutinizing the contents of his last Sona.
Emphasis on trivia
It would be brazenly presumptuous for anyone to comment on the contents of Sona until after the President has delivered it to determine what it claims as the achievements of his five years in office and what shortfalls it glosses over.
After the delivery of the last Sona, there will be more than enough documentary data, consisting of the previous Sonas to assess what the President has promised to do and has failed to deliver, on issues such as inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, the threat of China’s territorial aggrandizement in the West Philippine Sea, land reform, safe and efficient public railways, and food sufficiency. These are the parameters with which to measure the claims of Sona. They raise many questions Sona has to address.
The highlight of the succession issue not only trivializes Sona but also diverts public attention from the hard issues enumerated above. Sona illustrates the process of Question Hour in a parliamentary democracy through which elected leaders are put on the carpet by congressional deputies of the people for accountability on their mandate to rule.
Prior to its delivery, publicity on the Sona had centered on the color and trivia (such as the fashion show on the ternos of the congressional ladies and the design of the barong of their spouses), and on the efforts of Mr. Aquino to form a coalition of political parties that would back his decision on whom to endorse as the administration’s candidates for President and Vice President next May. Malacañang handouts emphasizing the selection process left the impression that it was the centerpiece and keynote of Sona—not its contents.
Herded sycophants
Let us not forget that Mr. Aquino will deliver his last Sona at the twilight of his presidency when his popularity has declined and when his clout to influence events has diminished. There is little time left in the last few months to rectify the errors of the past or to push the initiatives proposed in the Sona. It is his swan song.
While we wait for his delivery of the Sona, Malacañang has stepped up the presentation of Sona as a bread-and-circus spectacle reminiscent of the triumphal parade of Julius Caesar on the Forum after his conquest of the Gaul region.
We are not sure Mr. Aquino’s Sona will be hailed with accolades of “Ave Caesar” from the adoring multitudes in the streets, but we know from experience the cavernous congressional gallery at the Batasan will be jampacked with herded sycophants who, at the slightest prompting, will explode with thunderous applause every punchline of the speech.
The media will dutifully report the number of applause for the speech, but only the naïve will claim the noise echoes the rabbles’ approval of Sona’s fantastic claims.
Meanwhile, the beneficiaries of the President’s anointment are left hanging whether the endorsement is a kiss of death or a bounty. It’s a blade that cuts both ways.
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Last Sona mirage of lost years | Inquirer Opinion
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