HOURS before President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. delivers his State of the Nation Address (SoNA), a democracy network of labor, social movements, human rights defenders, women, urban and rural poor, youth and environmental activists gathered for a press conference in Quezon City, pointed out to the new chief executive that his unity call is not enough to address the country’s myriad of problems.
In an official statement, the multi-sectoral network advised the former senator that he should present a clear and cohesive strategy on how to address the daily grind of many Filipinos in the face of rising inflation, food crisis, employment problems, deteriorating human rights situation, and growing threats to the environment.
According to them, the last few months have revealed more of “emptiness” in Marcos Jr.’s pronouncements, claiming they showed the lack of, or least, fragmentation and disconnections in the presentation of the president’s programs and in handling the people’s pressing concerns.
“Alam ng lahat na hindi sapat ang magkaisa lamang para malutas ang mga suliraning ito, katulad sa hiningi sa sambayanan noong nakalipas na halalan. Ang hiling ng batayang mga sektor sa bagong pamunuan ay makatotohanang solusyon sa krisis sa pagkain, kalusugan, trabaho, karapatan, at kalikasan,” read the groups’ statement in the vernacular.
Meanwhile, in interviews with Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) president Sergio Ortiz and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition convenor Renato Magtubo gave their expectations to the SoNA, particularly on the new administration’s thrust for the country’s economic recovery and employment generation.
Ortiz enthused that the Filipino business community has high hopes following the inauguration of the new president and he described Marcos Jr.’s inaugural address as “very uplifting, (with) positive tone” and for his commitment on accountability.
He cited how the new President reached out to all Filipinos to join in unity and help him do the task even as he vowed that the “buck stops with me.” On the other hand, Magtubo touched on the view that the hunger incidence in the country will continue to escalate with food inflation recorded at 6.4 in the previous month, which is higher than the headline inflation of 6.1.
This, he added, has been compounded by higher expenses in housing, electricity, water, gas, and other fuels which inflation rose by 136 percent between June 2021 to June 2022, which is felt heavily even by gig riders whose income fell sharply as reported by the Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (Kagulong).
“Alam ng lahat na hindi sapat ang magkaisa lamang para malutas ang mga suliraning ito, katulad sa hiningi sa Sambayanan noong nakalipas na halalan. Ang hiling ng batayang mga sektor sa bagong pamunuan ay makatotohanang solusyon sa krisis sa pagkain, kalusugan, trabaho, karapatan, at kalikasan,” Magtubo stressed.
