What lawmakers want to hear from PNoy's SONA

Today, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III gives his 4th State of the Nation Address since his term. In this occasion, the government, specifically the president will present his achievements in the months since his last SONA and also his plans for the remaining months or years.

It can already be expected that his speech will gain favor from some and disappointment from others as well. In fact, even lawmakers already have different expectations from the president and things they want or do not want to hear from him.

Neophyte Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, PNoy's cousin wants the president to focus on how the poor will feel the economic growth that the administration has been saying.

Meanwhile, Veteran lawmaker and neophyte Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara expects for more jobs for the next 2 years. "I think there should be a jobs program because the latest figure of 7.5 percent (jobless rate) is not so good," Angara said. "Honestly, economic growth and solving unemployment is not just the responsibility of the government but largely of the private sector as well," he added.

Sen. Angara also wants the President to give more emphasis on giving incentives to investors so they will put more businesses here in our country. "The government can be a factor in the sense that it can make business easier if it gives incentives for people to do so," he explained.

The senator also wants the President to disclose faster infrastructure projects. "I think after three years, our infrastructure projects have been slow. After three years of making sure the processes are transparent, I expect more to be rolled out this year," Angara said.

Another Senate newbie Senator Grace Poe wants to hear the President talk about new programs in poverty alleviation. "I would like to hear him talk about new approaches to alleviate poverty and modern strategies that can sustain our economy," Poe said. "I hope he includes concrete programs about economic reforms in the manner that will be best understood by our countrymen," she added.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Teddy Ridon on the other hand hopes that the President will not forget about the budget increase for health and education sector.

Ridon is also suggesting that the President will consider stopping program Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT). "Next year, we'll be calling to scrap the CCT because I think it breeds a culture of mendicancy and dependency among our people," Ridon said. "We should put the funds to the sectors that address poverty in a long term. We should use it to actual funding to state schools in terms of budgeting," he clarified. "We'd rather that these things be placed on agricultural and other social services instead of it being used as a tool of corruption mendicancy tool," he noted.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat wants the President to make a clear stand about the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. For Baguilat, FOI is the way to stop the corruption in the different sectors of the government. "The FoI would have prevented cases of corruption like the P10-billion pork barrel scam," Baguilat said. But Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte assured FoI supporters about President Aquino's sincerity when he made a promise to pass the bill before his term ends. "We passed several bills which were pending for several congresses. So the fact that it is missed in one or 2 congresses doesn't mean let's lose hope," Belmonte said. "This happened in 15th congress where RH, Sin Tax, Marcos compensation just to name some were all taken up and approved," he said.

Baguilat also thinks the President should pass the genuine Alternative Mining Bill. "If you're talking about inclusive growth in terms of legislation, I would also think Magna Carta for Social Enterprises should be prioritized," Baguilat said. "Social enterprise is a new terminology in which the poor are the stakeholders in business," he explained.

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, wants the Chief Executive to have a statement about Charter Change so that it will not affect the passage of other important bills. "I think he should categorically state already that he is not for Cha-cha so that the leadership of the House (of Representatives) will hear it loud and clear," Tiangco said.