A Sona for real life

A Sona for real life President Marcos’ sharp rebuke, “Mahiya naman kayo (have some shame),” was the climax of his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last year, bringing drama and catharsis to an otherwise ordinary speech. Targeted at unscrupulous contractors and public officials implicated in ghost or substandard flood control projects, the President’s rallying cry signaled a push for public accountability. What followed next were headline-grabbing criminal investigations and high-profile arrests. The result was a rarity in officialdom when moral outrage was backed by presidential muscle. For a moment, it seemed to offer genuine momentum for an administration often disparaged by critics as underachieving. Yet as the President prepares to deliver his penultimate Sona, that sense of momentum seems far removed from the nation he addresses today. The shock-and-awe tactic succeeded in capturing media attention but did little to alter the daily struggles of ordinary Filipinos. The anticorruption thrust has been overshadowed by relentless political noise and an equally relentless cost-of-living crisis. Growing disillusionment The numbers surrounding the presidency tell a story of growing disillusionment. The latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed public trust in the President slipping to a record-low 34 percent, with 45 percent expressing little trust. Meanwhile, a Pulse Asia survey showed that controlling inflation remains the single most urgent national concern, followed by fighting graft and increasing workers’ pay. These figures do not negate the successes of the President’s crackdown on crooks but they also show its limitations, as political theatrics and institutional infighting, including the impeachment trial of the Vice President, have become distractions from honest-to-goodness governance. There is, too, a growing disconnect between the administration’s economic milestones and real-world conditions. The administration can legitimately point to structural gains, such as the World Bank’s reclassification of the Philippines as an upper-middle-income country. That represents a notable development for investor confidence, but, as economists rightly note, it does not reflect the lived reality of the people. “A family that has spent the last four years budgeting against either the price of rice or the price of diesel has lived a different economy from the one the classification describes,” economist Emmanuel Leyco told a pre-Sona forum last week. No parade of statistics For the average household, economic statistics matter less than the prices they pay at the public market, gas station, or grocery checkout. These families experience the economy every time they balance household budgets against soaring fuel prices and rising electricity bills, as the peso, hovering at historic lows against the dollar, buys less and less of what it once did. The energy crisis has turned every billing cycle into a source of anxiety as bill shocks swallow ever larger chunks of the family income. Even the historic daily wage increase in Metro Manila offers limited relief when inflation threatens to absorb those gains almost immediately. In his speech, the President must refrain from simply offering a parade of statistics or promising future audits. As Leyco said, “A nation that has been asked to tighten its belt is entitled to an address that tightens its claims.” The administration has reached its final stretch. Mr. Marcos will use this window to influence how his presidency will be remembered but he has little room for promises that could no longer be matched by results. Time to shape legacy Working families need policies that ease the burden of everyday life. The government must address energy security and power costs directly. Among the essential steps are enacting strategic petroleum reserve legislation and reviewing power pricing mechanisms that leave consumers absorbing recurring fuel cost increases. Laws must be enforced to the letter. “Many of the reforms long advocated by the business community have already been enacted,” the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines said in a letter to the President. “The task ahead is to translate these reforms into measurable gains in investment, productivity, innovation, and employment.” Finally, accountability must go beyond rhetoric. Investigations into anomalous public projects must produce safeguards that make similar abuses far more difficult to replicate. As Mr. Marcos enters the final two years of his term, he has enough time to shape his legacy but no time left to postpone difficult choices. His fifth Sona will no doubt recount what his administration has accomplished. It should devote equal attention to what millions endure every day: rocketing expenses and wages that never seem to catch up. Last year’s Sona challenged corrupt officials to feel shame. Today’s challenge is greater: to convince Filipinos that this administration can still improve their lives before its time runs out.