Government leaders, lawmakers and their guests flaunted their designer long gowns and Barong Tagalogs on the red carpet in the House of Representatives or Batasang Pambansa where President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III delivered his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Outside, tens of thousands of President Aquino’s supposed “bosses” braved thousands of police, heavy rains and layers of barriers to express their dismay with the Aquino administration.
Workers, women, youth, LGBT, farmers, indigenous people, urban poor and professionals relayed in their speeches the true state of the nation. The people are plagued by worsening poverty and exploitation, through the policies of Aquino such as Public-Private Partnership (PPP), labor export, mining and K to 12, among others.
This year’s SONA effigy showed a grotesque caricature of President Aquino on top of a broken MRT train called the “Kamatayan Express” (Death Express). Aquino serves as its operator as it traverse through the “tuwid the daan” election campaign and presidency slogan of Aquino.
According to the latest data of IBON, a non-government research think tank, the wealth of 10 richest Filipinos almost tripled (250%) under the Aquino government, from P630 billion in 2010 to P2.2 trillion in 2015. The net income of top 1000 corporations also increased by 25%. In contrast, the real value of the minimum wage in the National Capital Region only rose by P20 or by less than 6% since 2005. As of 2014, 11.1 million Filipinos also remain unemployed or underemployed.
But after his five-year term in the office, it is obvious who the real bosses of Aquino are and who truly benefits his “tuwid na daan”—certainly not the Filipino masses.
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Heavy rainfall failed to dampen the spirits of the thousands of protesters as they marched the length of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to express the true state of the nation, while President Aquino delivered his last SONA in the House of Representatives.
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Protesters carried banners and placards calling for President Aquino’s accountability in pork barrel and Disbursement Acceleration Program, Mamasapano incident and US violations of Philippine sovereignty, among others.
Some protesters were able to breach an un-barricaded U-turn slot. Police prevented them to cross the street and a skirmish ensued. Later on, both parties negotiated to avoid further violence, and the protesters were able to conduct their program.
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Various groups sang and danced to the beat of songs inspired by love for the nation and struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.
Workers expressed their dismay on the exacerbation of contractualization and labor export in Aquino’s time. Government workers also protested the lack of wage increase over the years, cuts in benefits and bonuses and increase in income tax cuts.
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Leaders and personalities joined the protest and expressed their dismay over the Aquino government. According to them, only a true nationalistic and democratic government will address the basic problems of the Philippine society.
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Volunteer artists participated in the people’s SONA and created their own interpretations of their assessment of President Aquino’s five-year term in his office.
Photos by Francis Villabroza.
An effigy showing a grotesque image of President Aquino on top of a broken MRT train was burned by protesters to further demonstrate their opposition to the policies of the Aquino government. The decrepit MRT caters to millions of the riding public, but a real mass transport system remains a dream. For the past year, it experienced countless breakdowns, train shortage and long queues.
