When President Aquino delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), the end of wang-wang and self promoting bill boards of politicians plus presidential speeches delivered almost entirely in conversational Filipino were the most dramatic changes under the new administration. As in his inaugural speech, the first SONA dwelled on the mess that P-noy inherited from his predecessor, which he inhented to straighten out.
Today, as P-noy delivers his second SONA, the prohibitions on wang-wang and billboards are still generally holding with occasional violations. But people aren't impressed when positive change is sustained in this country. The end of wang-wang and self promoting billboard is remarkable for a month or two. The President is expected to present a much longer list of accomplishments or at least one major dramatic achievement. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in her first few months in power, had her predecessor arrested and detained without bail for plunder, And she survived EDSA 111. A credit rating upgrade to a notch shy of investment grade can't compare, unless P-noy manages to explain the possible impact of that upgrade on livelihoods . . .
