EDUCATION Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and several lawmakers yesterday praised President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for giving attention to the education sector, particularly on the needs of teachers and students.
Others welcomed Marcos’ warning to corrupt officials involved in government projects and joint venture agreements, which the President issued in his State of the Nation Address.
“I clapped the loudest and the longest when he mentioned about the graft-ridden flood control projects, even calling for an accounting of the same while holding accountable those responsible, whether government officials or contractors,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said, referring to government officials who have connived with contractors to steal money for anomalous or non-existent flood control projects.
Lacson earlier raised the alarm on graft-ridden flood control projects, as he said more than half of the P2 trillion allotted for such projects in the past 11 years could have gone to corruption.
Lacson said he “clapped even louder and longer” when Marcos said he would return the budget bill passed by Congress if it is not aligned with the government’s expenditure program.
“This would make my scrutiny of the general appropriations bill easier, with less insertions and realignments from some congressmen and senators,” Lacson added.
Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to push for reforms in the annual national budgeting process and open the bicameral deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill to the public in response to the President’s call to align national priorities with the daily needs of the people.
Angara said he Marcos’ decision to give more attention to education issues would surely alleviate the condition of teachers and students.
Marcos earlier said his administration would build 40,000 new classrooms by 2028 to help reduce the classroom shortage. He also called on local government units to help locate and repair damaged hanging bridges that he said put more burden on teachers and learners in going to their respective schools.
“I didn’t think the president could top last year’s SONA. But somehow, he has — simple language and simple message that put more emphasis on the needs of ordinary Filipinos,” Angara also said, in mixed Filipino and English.
Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (PL, Akbayan), a member of the minority bloc, said the President was correct to underscore the need to make the prioritization of education a primary policy of his administration.
He said the annual budget for education should be raised to 6 percent of the country’s GDP as recommended by the United Nations and called for the passage of Akbayan’s “Baon Bill” which seeks to give a P5,000 monthly allowance to students.
Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, said he is happy with president’s pronouncements on addressing challenges facing the country’s education sector.
“We are happy that education will be the priority for the next three years,” he said in mixed Filipino and English, adding he will make sure that the reform measures being proposed by Marcos in his SONA will be tackled.
Among these are how to address classroom shortage and the Internet connectivity problem.
He said he is also happy with Marcos’ pronouncement on flood control projects.
“I welcome this call of the President,” he added.
BUDGET
Romualdez said the House leadership is prepared “to act decisively on long-needed structural changes to the national budget process, and that these reforms must prioritize accountability, eliminate inefficiencies and ensure that spending directly addresses the needs of Filipino families.”
“The President’s message was clear: make government work better for the people,” he said adding that as speaker, he is “committed to making sure the budget reflects that – every centavo must go where it’s needed most.”
Romualdez recognized calls for transparency in budget deliberations in Congress, particularly in the bicameral conference committee, where the Senate and House reconcile their versions of the national budget.
“No backroom haggling. The people have every right to know how their money is being spent. If we want trust, we have to earn it, starting with an open bicam,” he said.
The Speaker also vowed to fund “high-impact sectors such as agriculture, public health and job creation, especially for vulnerable and underserved communities.”
“We need to put food on the table, ensure no family is crushed by hospital bills, and create jobs that restore dignity and hope. These are not abstract goals, they are urgent, real and long overdue,” he said.
Diokno said the President’s order to review flood control programs is not enough because there is a pressing need to “institutionalize corruption control.”
“The people should be part of the fight against corruption. It’s high time for a transparent bicameral committee (on the national budget). We should amend the rules of the House and the Senate to allow the media to cover the scrutinize the proceedings where overpriced ‘flood control’ projects and other questionable items are inserted,” he said in Filipino.
Rep. Percival Cendaña, also of Akbayan, said he was disappointed because the President’s speech “was noteworthy only for its’ absence of substance and lack of nutrition.”
Cendaña criticized how the President capitalized on “investing in the Filipino,” while not mentioning “anything that would improve the lives of our workers.”
“There was not even a mention of wage hike for minimum wage earners for government workers. Where’s the investment in that?” he said in Filipino.
Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada lauded the SONA, particularly the part where he warned those involved in anomalies or even non-existent flood control projects.
Estrada said he was also “elated” with Marcos’ focus on addressing relevant social issues, whether it be on poverty, education or health.
“I am very much elated of State of the Nation Address of President Bongbong Marcos. But what’s struck me most ay ‘yung plan niya lalung-lalo na para sa mag kababayan matin mahihirap — na libre lahat ng pasyente sa lahat ng public hospitals. ‘Yun and pinakamaganda sa lahat ng kanyang sinabi,” he said.
NO SHOW
Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos did not attend the SONA. Earlier yesterday, she said there are a lot of “urgent and important” things to attend to. She said was scheduled to visit those affected by last week’s flooding due to typhoons “Crising” and “Emong.”
She said she will just listen to the speech which she said will be reported by newspapers, radio and television.
Marcos has admitted her rift with the president, following the arrest and subsequent transfer to the Netherlands of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Robin Padilla and Christopher “Bong” Go also did not attend the SONA.
Go earlier yesterday said he has “severe back spasm” that needed to be attended immediately by a doctor, but will listen to the SONA because he wanted to know what the Marcos administration has accomplished in the past three years and what will be his promises in the remaining three years of his administration.
Padilla said his non-attendance is a protest against the continued detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa already made known his intention not to attend the SONA as early as last week, adding that he has no expectation from the president.
Dela Rosa, Padilla and Go are members of the so-called Duterte bloc in the Senate.
There was no word from Sen. Rodante Marcoleta who is also part of the so-called Duterte bloc in the Senate that helped Senate President Francis Escudero retain the top Senate post.
