Mega Promises
This year’s State of the Nation Address last 24 July may go down as one of the more unusual in history. For one, it’s the only SONA where 49 names (of congressmen, LGU leaders, bishops, military officials, a student, and a former rebel) were acknowledged.
Instead of spelling out a vision, the SONA was a compendium of projects to stamp out terrorism and corruption, support Constitutional and electoral changes, support the medium-term public investment program, build roads and bridges, and improve education and health services.
So far, Congress has failed to pass the 2006 budget. The House of Representatives, in a 173-3 vote on 30 August, only approved a P46.4-billion supplemental budget, including P2 billion to clean up the oil spill on Guimaras island. This budget will be shared among the Department of Agrarian Reform (P4.593 billion); Department of Education (P9.582 billion); Department of Interior and Local Government (P1.430 billion); Department of Science and Technology (P700 million); Department of Social Welfare and Development (P539 million); Department of Transportation and Communications (P387.61 million); Commission on Elections (P730.236 million); other Executive Offices (P14 million); Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (P4.923 billion); allocations to Local Government Units (P1.82 billion); Pension and Gratuity Fund (P4.865 billion); and Allocations to LGUs-Internal Revenue Allotment (P14.844 billion). The budget essentially remains a re-enacted budget.
Aside from the lengthy list of projects (see list below), the President announced the creation of “super-regions” – the North Luzon Quadrangle, Metro Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines, Mindanao, and the Cyber Corridor. The obvious question on everyone’s mind is how the bill will be paid.
| Northern Luzon |
- Develop the agricultural and fisheries potential of the Cordillera, Ilocandia, and Cagayan Valley
- Expand agricultural exports and tourism to North Asia
- Upgrade the Tabuk-Tuguegarao Road
- Continue post-harvest support like the cold chain in La Trinidad, Benguet
- Expand the San Roque Multipurpose Dam of Agno River
- Develop Banaoang Irrigation
- Develop the international airport in Poro, La Union, and improve two airports in Batanes
- Build a seaport in Salomague, Ilocos Sur
- Improve port in Cagayan Zone Authority
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| Metro Luzon Urban Beltway |
- Develop a globally competitive industrial and services center
- Invest in five comprehensive strategies:
1. Make food plentiful and affordable
2. Reduce cost of electricity
3. Modernize infrastructure
4. Upgrade and disseminate knowledge and technologies for productivity
5. Reduce red tape in all agencies
- Use machine readable electronic passports
- Use the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market to lower power costs
- Pass the law on coco-biodiesel
- Develop Subic Seaport, Clark Airport, and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway
- Connect Subic-Clark-Tarlac Road to Dingalan Port through Nueva Ecija and the Marikina-Infanta Road to the port of Real
- Build a continuous highway from Clark to Metro Manila to Batangas Port
- Connect North Expressway to C-5
- Expand South Luzon Expressway until Calamba and extend to Batangas
- Build Coastal Road to Bacoor, Cavite
- Connect MRT and LRT from Monumento to North EDSA
- Construct Northrail to Clark and Southrail to Lucena and to Bicol while upgrading link between them
- Clear railway of squatters in Manila
- Provide water in West Zone Manila; 300 million liters per day pumping station for Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, and Parañaque
- Build a roll-on-roll-off system to link Lucena, Quezon to Boac, Marinduque
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| Central Philippines |
- Use an instrument landing system for Kalibo airport in Boracay
- Expect a P3 billion private investment in San Jose, Romblon airport plus roads to spillover destinations all over Panay
- Construct a world-class convention center in Cebu for the ASEAN and East Asian Summit in December
- Build an international airport in Bohol
- Upgrade airports of Puerto Princesa, Busuanga, San Vicente and build a new one in Balabac, Palawan
- Build a continuous road backbone from El Nido to Bataraza
- Lengthen the Dumaguete runway
- Attract semiconductor firms in Valencia, Oriental Negros with power rates subsidized by the geothermal field of Palimpinon
- Advance energy independence of Negros with ethanol projects in San Carlos City and Tamlang Valley
- Build airport in Santa Barbara, Iloilo to serve Guimaras and a new RORO port in Sibunag
- Link Sipalay via Silay airport and Kabankalan airport
- Build international airport in Daraga, Albay
- Upgrade airports of Siargao, Guiuan, and Tacloban
- Widen the road to Dakak in Dapitan, and RORO will connect Siquijor to Santander, Cebu; Camiguin to Jagna, Bohol; Bohol to Maasin, Southern Leyte
- Bring Masbate and Biliran into the RORO Eastern Nautical Highway
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| Mindanao |
- Develop routes from Cagayan de Oro through Camiguin, Bohol, Cebu, and Masbate to Bicol, the Central Nautical Highway
- Develop a peace agreement in Mindanao
- Ensure the rightful share of coconut farmers in the peace dividend
|
| Cyber Corridor |
- Boost telecommunications, technology and education (from Baguio to Cebu to Davao)
- Increase budget for science and technology, and education
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| Others |
- Change the Constitution to bring rules of investment into the millenium
- Stop extrajudicial executions
- Automate elections and give LGUs their share by passing a supplemental bud
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