Duterte SONA 2016: Push It, Change!

Photo Credit: GMA News

President Rodrigo Duterte's first State of the Nation Address (SONA) officially constructs the landscape for change - piece by piece, speedily and firmly. As most of us grapple in awe, the moment still needs extending far beyond our comfort zones and customary habits of indifference, mediocrity, even sarcasm over what the government does and doesn’t do. Now that we have the chance, are we willing to sacrifice and push ourselves to do our part in this social change?


Business people are taking great interest in the promise of a better investment environment. Criminality is being fought albeit not without innocent lives being taken.  Alongside, the President will create an Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs, a program for the rehabilitation of users. Peace and Order will be taken care of - peace talks are being open to all dissident groups of the government and peace with the proximate external world and country-allies will be undertaken with diplomacy and utmost consideration. The homeless and the poverty-stricken will be provided with services for their upliftment.

And, yes- the percentage of Personal and Corporate taxes are planned to be decreased. Taking this welcome development into practice, what direct benefits can the average taxpayer get for himself and for his family? What does he do with the added amount of income? If this went to answer individual and family food, education or health needs then well and good. One could easily say the government measure is effective. What if it won’t? Will the taxpayer blame the government for not giving enough? Will he say the latter’s action is not effective?

The same thoughts could apply to any government effort. President Duterte and his administration is now talking to and working with the police, the army, the working class, the REST OF US.  And perhaps as well as to and with the “haves” and elite groups of this country. Now we have a President who dares and defies, and even faces the risk of giving up his life, jokingly or not. The important thing is we now have the OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE things and change ourselves to the betterment of our nation.

Our country has a young population who will later take on the leadership and good membership of this republic. In order to do that, they need role models and the inspiration of the present. Will they find these as they grow? Will they find it worth their while staying and working in the country when their time comes? Or will they still need to clamor for a better nation like we do now? Will they be forced to leave their families for better jobs overseas? Finally, will the Filipino let this moment pass him by?

Sixteen million Filipino voters elected and selected the President and the new leadership. It appears that the momentum for change was not the President’s initiative– it was OURS. Do we now take responsibility over this act? After all, we are what we make of ourselves. Our nation is what we make of it.