OSA spearheads Alternative SONA,
launches Ateneo Student Awareness and Action Program

More than 800 students, faculty and staff of the University community trooped to the Xavier Hall for the highly anticipated Alternative State of the Nation Address and live telecast of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s SONA spearheaded by the Office of Student Affairs.

At 1:30 p.m. the “talk-show” type Alternative SONA started with host Mr. Federico Jose T. Lagdameo, Philosophy faculty. It was graced by guests Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo, resident political analyst Renne F. Gumba, economics educator Rosario C. Felix and The Pillars Publication chief editor Marjorie Joy P. Alcozar.

Robredo made a review of the President’s SONAs since she was elevated to power by EDSA Dos in 2001. He refreshed the audience’s memory of her SONA speeches’ goals and inputs like food security, annual generation of at least a million jobs, prioritization of education, housing, the building of a Strong Republic, war against terrorism and quelling of destabilization efforts, poverty reduction, her Mamamayan Muna as a new direction, Super Regions and social investments. Robredo, however, showed the contradictions of these themes to the real outcomes as reflected by statistics and national experience. He cited the higher poverty rate, jobs created lower than the target, the low participation, survival and drop-out rates, rice importation despite the problem on rice production, the corruption issues hounding PGMA and other government officials, the under spending on education, and the unstoppable fuel price increase.

Robredo further presented how the Philippines scored low in International Math and Sciences Survey compared to other Asian countries. He also pointed the low standing of the Philippines in the Comparative HDI Ranking which is based on measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment and GDP per capita.

Felix, on the other hand, cited some interesting findings on a survey conducted by the Economics Cluster of the Social Sciences among 420 ADNU students.  One of the findings revealed that 25 percent of the respondents are neither interested in what the President will say during the SONA nor care of what she will promise. The survey also found out that 35 percent of the respondents were not aware of the content of her SONA last year. Thirty-six percent also expressed their dislike on PGMA.

Felix shared one of the sentiments expressed by one respondent: “At the end of the day, we do not need a Harvard graduate for a president. What we need is a person of good values who can lead the country to a life that God desires for us.”

Gumba’s version of SONA focused on the political issues hounding the PGMA administration and affecting the entire nation, including the Nagueños. He described in detail the issues of graft and corruption, suppression of basic freedoms and anti-poor policies of the administration.

Representing the youth sector was campus journalist Alcozar who presented issues affecting the life of the youth and students in the country. Some of the youth issues that she tackled were the failure of the government to prioritize education, youth migration and extrajudicial killings of youth political activists.

A free-flowing discussion and stream of reactions from the audience followed.