A teenager's thoughts on P-Noy's SONA

By Hezekiah Kit Sales Canlas

These past few days, a lot of people were busy criticizing our President’s State of the Nation Address which was delivered on July 25th. From what I have heard from the people around me, the President’s SONA concentrated only on the wrongdoings and the pitfalls of the past government led by the infamous ex-President (now Pampanga Congresswoman) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. They said that if the current leadership would only focus on looking for the past sins of the former government and not on the current situation of the nation, our country would not improve. But because I haven’t heard nor read the address, I remained silent and just listened to their comments.

Because I did not catch the SONA on television, I surfed the internet and looked for the exact copy of the piece. From what I have read, the address somehow focused on the anomalies of the past government and how the current leadership is creating solutions to solve these. Most people also said that the SONA of President Aquino was somehow weak and does not have a vision for the Philippines.

At first I was disagreeing on what most people were saying. In my mind, I support the idea of solving these issues first. If we were to rise up as a nation, we should correct the past errors so that we can learn from it, and evade it in the future, and then concentrate on the current status of the country.

But after reading a blog on the internet about the SONA, my views somehow changed. “Yes, solve these issues. What next?” like what my mother always says. Instead of focusing on the faults of the previous government, the President and his team should focus on the things this country needs in order to progress. The President has honest subordinates. That’s why recently, more lapses of the past administration rose from the graveyard.

I think that the government should simultaneously work on the development of our country and on solving the issues of the previous administration. If our government now is strong just like what P-Noy said, and the people are actively working hand in hand with the government, then we can handle both of these challenges with ease.

It’s still a year after his inauguration; let’s give him a chance to prove his worth to lead us.

We should also prove ourselves as responsible and empowered citizens of our country by not waiting for the government’s assistance to help us clear and clean our garbage-stuffed canals and rivers. Instead, we should find the solutions to these common community problems and solve them ourselves.

Project Pagsubay

(I'm posting the letter found below as manifestation of my support for this project. Please read on.)

Batchmate:

We are writing on behalf of the Elementary and High School Batches 1979 and 1983 of the Holy Spirit School and Holy Name University of Tagbilaran City, Bohol , Philippines . On December 17, 2010, our project 'Pagsubay' will be launched via a Medical and Dental Mission at the Cabawan Elementary School of Maribojoc, Bohol , Philippines .

'Pagsubay', meaning 'to retrace', is a word that punctuates a search for some forgotten footpaths from childhood . It also pertains to the search and retrieval of lost sheep.

‘Pagsubay’ is an outreach project which aims to help elementary schoolchildren in an underprivileged barangay school in Bohol , Philippines . This non-sectoral, non-political and non-profit engagement aims to provide sustained medical missions and educational assistance initiatives.

Our project recipients are 175 schoolchildren of the Cabawan Elementary School of Maribojoc, Bohol, Philippines who are in dire need of assistance in terms of health and education. The school is situated in a community where the most basic problems like poverty, malnutrition, and diseases bring day to day impact on the children's lives.

Our group is composed of committed and willing volunteers who are ready to face the challenge of elevating the standard of these schoolchildren’s lives. We are proud to say that we stand firm on these positions:

 That every child has the right to good education
 That good health and nutrition are major factors that affect and determine every child’s learning process
 That every child has the right to an adequately provisioned, well facilitated, and well maintained learning environment

The Medical and Dental Mission on December 17, 2010 will include obtaining a health profile and medical history for each child (measuring growth parameters like height and weight), and performing a complete physical examination to identify acute or chronic health problems; instituting immediate therapeutic interventions in the presence of acute illness by prescribing appropriate medications; educating caregivers on the preventive aspects of child health; and, identifying dental health problems and providing immediate and long term solutions. This one-day Medical and Dental Mission shall culminate in a children’s party and the distribution of Christmas give-aways.

We kindly seek your financial assistance in providing this opportunity to the schoolchildren of Cabawan Elementary School , and in making this project a success.

If you would like more information about Project ‘Pagsubay”, please feel free to contact us through these details:
• Website: http://www.pagsubay.org (coming November 2010)
• Facebook: http://www.causes.com/causes/524939

Donations can be mailed to the following Pagsubay coordinators. (Please make checks payable to the name of the Pagsubay coordinator.) We assure you of a proper accounting of all donations received.
• U.S.A.
o Gina Torralba Calipes
611 S. Bronwyn Drive, Anaheim , CA 92804
o Ricky Inting
18 Oceanside Drive, Daly City , CA 94015
• Middle East
o Cora Merilos Ropeta
P.O. Box 115427, Dubai, U.A.E.

Deposits can also be made directly to the Pagsubay bank account in the Philippines :
Account Name: Jonas Gilberto S. Inting
Rosario O. Chatto
Aimee T. Dela Peña
Account Number: 123-51550-8
Bank Name: Metrobank
Routing Number: 026002846 (within USA )
SWIFT Code: MBTCPHMM

The children of Cabawan have inspired us into the creation of this project, and we can only hope that their lives will touch yours as they have touched ours. So please consider this request and invite your family, neighbors, friends and your community to join in and know of your willingness to help.

Team Pagsubay:
Jose Nazareno
Ma. Neva Luna Batayola, M.D.
Mary Ann Alagon Ruiz, M.D.
Noel Lungay
Ricky Inting
Gina Torralba Calipes

What were you thinking?

Were you able to watch the television interview of Ms. Gloria Diaz where she mentioned about “Cebuanos not able to speak in English and Tagalog”? Wow! I was totally aghast! Of course the context was beauty pageants where contestants can’t articulate themselves very well in the English language.

Oh boy, what was she thinking? Does she even know that majority of Cebuanos speak good, if not fluent English? What a major blunder on her part.


Cebuano-speaking people have a hard time learning Tagalog because that’s not their mother tongue, however, they are more interested to learn and speak the English language.

I was expecting a torrent of complaint after she uttered her now infamous line. And it’s now happening. A Congress representative from Cebu has spoken about it. And more Cebu leaders are coming up with Resolutions decrying what she said.

I expect that. That was a very insensitive statement. Stereotyping is the word. It is ironic coming from an international beauty winner like her.

She should have been more careful and circumspect; more tactful. Tact, tact, tact, where art thou?
I speak Cebuano or Bisaya if you prefer that. I was born, raised and educated up to college in Bohol; I knew that Cebuanos love their language so much. Their Cebuano (Bisaya) music is very rich in poetry and prose; their Bisaya poetry is very prolific. I know this for a fact. I have met some Cebuano poets. My sister Delora dabbles in both Cebuano and English poetry and she has introduced me to some of her Cebuano poet-friends. They preserve and cultivate their language and yet they speak good English.

Here, let me share a trivia from Wikipedia:

The Visayan languages (or Bisayan languages) of the Philippines, along with Tagalog and Bikol, are part of the Central Philippine languages. Most Visayan languages are spoken in the Visayas region but they are also spoken in the Bicol Region (particularly in Sorsogon and Masbate), islands south of Luzon such as those that make up Romblon, most of the areas of Mindanao, and the province of Sulu located southwest of Mindanao. Some residents of Metro Manila also speak Visayan.

Over thirty languages constitute the Visayan language family. The Visayan language with the most speakers is Cebuano, spoken by 20 million people as a native language in Central Visayas, northern and eastern parts of Mindanao. Two other well-known Visayan languages are Hiligaynon, spoken by 7 million in western Visayas and Waray-Waray spoken by 3 million in eastern Visayas.

o O o

Have you seen on television how government officials are passing the buck about the bungled hostage crisis?
A mayor was identified by a police general as the person calling the shots; the mayor in turn, pointed his finger at the police as the over-all in-charge of operation.

Hello! We can see who’s lying through his teeth? It’s a shame that when one can’t take the heat, he casts the blame on another person (or organization).

Men, show us some backbone. Prove the stuff that you are truly made of.

If you messed up, just have the gumption to accept it. Leadership calls for the highest form of courage. If you don’t have the courage to face the consequence of your action, resign and save your dignity.

o O o

Three communications secretaries and no one was speaking during the day-long hostage crisis until its bloody end? To borrow the British expression: “bloody ineptitude”! Where in the world were the experts? A crisis situation requires crisis communication. The government has three communications secretaries for crying out loud but nobody even dared use crisis communication when it was needed.
The failure is appalling.

Our training in crisis communication teaches us that in times of crisis, the crisis management committee convenes with utmost urgency and appoints the official spokesperson whose personality will represent the company (or the government in this particular instance) for the duration of the crisis. The spokesperson can use any medium available to update the public about the on-going situation. In the case of the hostage crisis, television was the most effective medium. The spokesperson gives the rightful information without exaggerating and causing panic. She serves as the major link between the company (or the government) and the public most especially the affected sectors – maintain connectivity. She must be visible for the duration of the crisis situation. She assures the public that the company (the government) is working on the resolution of the crisis at hand. And when it is over, she wraps up the entire situation with an official statement or press briefing, whichever serves the purpose best. Needless to say, she has to be supported by a team which will facilitate her communication requirements like direct link with the company head (government leader); processing of updated information; crafting of the right messages to deliver to an anxious public and the like.
What a shame that with three cabinet communications secretaries, nobody was there to speak on behalf government.

Well, I’m only presenting this information since I have served as Corporate Communications Officer for three power companies for the past fourteen years. Our crisis situations were always the toppling of our towers by lawless elements; partial power system collapse or full power system collapse. We knew what we ought to do when these situations arise.

Personally, my commitment as a communications person is to prevent a communication vacuum. Why? Because the absence of information creates confusion and panic. When confusion and panic set in, speculations arise. You can only imagine what people will think given a prolonged blackout. So before people start speculating about the absence of power, give them the needed correct information right away (or as soon as available). In this manner, only the right information comes out.

If information is not readily available which happens all the time, come out with an initial statement and follow through. Like I said, never allow a communication vacuum to happen. An information vacuum encourages speculations. Absence of information itself is a crisis waiting to happen.

o O o

Food for thought:

Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own.
- Charles de Gaulle