Panelists dissect PNoy’s fourth SONA

Several members of the DLSU community today commemorated as one with the country as President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). A live streaming followed by a panel discussion and open forum, through the joint effort of the Office of the Vice President for External Affairs (OVPEA) and the Political Science Society, was held at Yuchengco 407-409 in line with the said event.

Moderated by Jose Arcadio Malbarosa, the discussion panel was composed of several faculty members including Rene Pilapil Jr., Anthony Borja, and Mitzie Conchada, as well as student leaders including Romeo Lanzarrote from the Political Science Society and Angelo Gutierrez from the La Salle Debate Society.

Panelists expressed disappointment at the President’s failure to include or elaborate on several issues, citing the growing income gap, foreign relations, inclusive growth, and education as some examples. During the open forum, Darel Pichay (POM-BSA) even contested, “How stable is our economy, really?” He further mentioned that most of the growth the President had mentioned in his SONA came from foreign direct investments.

Another question was raised about why the President, in his SONA, failed to discuss information on the country’s territorial disputes with China over West Philippine Sea territories. This brought to light the validity of the speech, as it could be noted that it may had ommitted some critical issues the country is facing today.

Discussions furthered into the effectiveness of the President’s platform which centered in on the “Tuwid na Daan” and long term sustainability of the country’s high economic growth, the issue of growth being exclusive and largely unavailable to the common tao, and the Pantawid para sa Pamilyang Pilipino conditional cash transfer program, among others.