{"id":624420,"date":"2014-07-28T22:03:56","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T14:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/?p=624420"},"modified":"2016-11-01T11:41:44","modified_gmt":"2016-11-01T03:41:44","slug":"state-of-the-nation-address-2014-english-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/624420\/state-of-the-nation-address-2014-english-translation","title":{"rendered":"State of the Nation Address 2014 (English translation)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivers his 5th State of the Nation Address during the joint session of the 16th Congress at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines Monday, July 28, 2014. (AP Photo\/Aaron Favila)<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

[This is an English translation of the speech delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, on July 28, 2014]<\/p>\n

Vice President Jejomar Binay; President Fidel Valdez Ramos; Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and members of the Senate; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and members of the House of Representatives; Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and our Justices of the Supreme Court; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; members of the Cabinet; officials in local government; members of the military, police, and other uniformed services; my fellow public servants; and, to my Bosses, the Filipino people:<\/p>\n

Good afternoon.<\/p>\n

This is my fifth SONA; only one remains. We have a saying: Those who do not look back to the past, will never get to where they wish to go. Therefore, today it is only right for us to reflect on what we have gone through.<\/p>\n

This was our situation in the past: To dream was an absurdity. We had a senseless bureaucracy; padded contracts had become the norm; and corruption was endemic to the system. We were known as the \u201cSick Man of Asia.\u201d The economy was weak; industry was sparse. We failed to gain the confidence of investors. The result: very few jobs were created. We found a people deprived of hope. Many of us had already given up, and were forced to take their chances in other countries. With heads bowed, we had come to accept that we would never be able to rely on our government or our society.<\/p>\n

The Philippines sank deep into despair because of dirty politics. Our trust in each other disappeared; the confidence of the world in the Philippines ebbed, and worst of all: we lost faith in ourselves.<\/p>\n

It was at this juncture that we began our journey on the straight and righteous path.<\/p>\n

As the father of our nation, on my shoulders rest not only the problems that we inherited and the problems that arise today\u2014it is also my duty to prepare for the future. At every moment, I must be mindful of the concerns and perspectives of all. Think about it this way: it is as if you are watching two hundred TV channels at the same time. You need to understand not just what is unfolding before you\u2014you also need to know what happened before, and where it could all lead. Confusion is not an option, and you must have a response for every question, suggestion, and criticism\u2014and you must have all the answers even before the questions are asked. This is not an easy job, and I am only human, one who at times is also capable of feeling apprehension.<\/p>\n

In spite of this, my resolve is firm because my primary goal is clear: To return government to its rightful mandate\u2014to serve the Filipino people always. [Applause]<\/p>\n

Is it not true that we have a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. An example of this is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The Disbursement Acceleration Program contributed 1.6 billion pesos to TESDA\u2019s Training for Work Scholarship Program. This amount enabled the graduation of 223,615 beneficiaries. 66 percent of these\u2014or, 146,731 graduates\u2014now have jobs. As for the remaining 34 percent, TESDA is helping them find employment. Just take a look: All of these scholars have their names and other pertinent data listed down, should you wish to confirm them. [Applause]<\/p>\n

If we divide the allocated funding by the number of graduates, we will see that government invested around 7,155 pesos in every scholar. In the BPO sector, a monthly salary of 18,000 is already considered at the low end. Every year, he will earn 234,000 pesos. If he is given the maximum tax deduction, his annual income tax will be: 7,900 pesos. This means that in the first year alone the 7,155 pesos that the government invested in him would have been paid back\u2014and there will even be a profit. This and all the taxes he will be paying the government until he retires will, in turn, provide his countrymen with the same opportunities he was given. This is good governance: [Applause]<\/p>\n

The right intentions, practices, and results. Everyone wins.<\/p>\n

Let us listen to the stories of two TESDA graduates:<\/p>\n\n\n

Testimonial of Marc Joseph Escora, TESDA beneficiary<\/p>\n