Today was to be average and unremarkable until our Economics teacher found kindness to rent the AVR and turn the channel to ABS-CBN. It was Sir Noynoy Aquino's first ever SONA as the15th president of our country. Of course, we had to watch, right sir?
I listened to the whole SONA which is summarized and turned into a news article here.
I am very sympathetic to those people who wasn't able to watch history be made live but I don't blame Sir Noynoy for not even thinking about making Monday a holiday. Its time to be honest. Less than one tenth would actually listen to the SONA if it was a holiday. I know you'd rather lie on the beach or retreat for the long weekend than listen to a speech.
Anyhow, the SONA was epic. Most of it was well-researched data on how the previous administration deepened their wallets and succumbed to selfishness. The revelations weren't shocking but the fearlessness was. He was crushing an administration that already deep rooted itself in the government. When the cameras showed the crowd and while many were clapping their hands, some where shaking with anger for the public humiliation they were under. It felt like being stabbed in the front. No names were spilled but it was guilt that tortured. Guilt can kill on national television. Now, we all know he knew about the problems. This alone will give him no excuse to set them aside. And quoting a Filipina woman, living in a small space with 6 children, 50 Pesos a day and no stable job, interviewed on TV: "Of course, I don't expect Noynoy to help me immediately. He has a lot of problems that I wouldn't even try to brave. What we need now is to look after ourselves and let our president look after all of us. We should not be problems for our country but hope."
That woman, in her broken down blouse and tight shorts, deserved a front row ticket to the SONA. Sometimes, poverty isn't a choice.
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