By Gonzalo Duque

 

TO me, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last July 22 was like a reading class. All he did was to read what was before him on the teleprompter.

In his SONA, he bragged that 550 flood control projects had been built all over the country but this was quicky refuted by Typhoon Carina when flooding in Metro Manila even became worse, judging from the havoc of destruction Manila had suffered in the wake of Typhoon Carina.

Many compared the flooding that happened in Metro Manila last week with that of Typhoon Ondoy on September 25-26, 2009. But that is water under the bridge now.

The Senate should investigate what happened with the funds allotted for the flood control projects boasted by President Marcos Jr..

To me, the best SONA ever, which I sorely miss, was delivered by then President Rodrigo Duterte because he frankly stated the real state of the nation.

He did not cite things that were in the realm of fantasia, like making the price of rice at P20 per kilo, and of lowering prices of other agricultural products.

People loved Duterte because nagpakatotoo siya, connecting to our broad masses of people. He did not care if he was connecting to the congressmen and senators and other public officials in attendance.

He was connecting with the ordinary people in the streets, the unwashed and those walking in slippers and sandals and on barefoot. No wonder, up to this time, he is still a revered statesman because he never failed to tell the truth, no matter what the mainstream media would say to the contrary.

Even the congressmen and senators who attended Duterte’s SONA were made to understand that he did not like ostentatious display of wealth and fashionable clothes, as if every SONA is a fashion show.

There was also a time when he even broke security protocol when he went outside the Batasang Pambansa to confront the demonstrators to show to them that he was not afraid of them.

When I attended his penultimate SONA, I observed he had no elaborate presentations whatsoever to impress anyone.

Pasikatan, patalbugan pa-plastikan was the order of the day last July 22.

There lies the difference, my friends.

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It seems that the prayer of the Magic 7 in Dagupan for a weather disturbance that could flood Dagupan finally came with the heavy rains dumped by Typhoon Carina. 

But that didn’t happen. The rains were not able to bring flood to the newly elevated roads along .A.B. Fernandez Avenue, Arellano Street, M.H. Del Pilar Street and Perez Boulevard.

 Maybe, they have to pray harder because there was no disruption of transportation in these stretches compared to the days back when they were not yet elevated. 

 Sabagay, wala pa naman yong malaking tubig from Sinocalan River which, up to this writing, was only 4.8 meters above sea level, very far from the 7.0 masl critical level. 

 Game changer will be the effect of the Sinocalan River. So, if the feared impact of the 7.0 masl level of Sinocalan River  happens, expect the Magic 7 to go to town and proclaim that the projects of DPWH, Toff de Venecia and Belen Fernandez are a failure. 

 So far, nothing unusual or dramatic has happened yet to attack and criticize these projects, Let’s wait and see.

 But whatever, my advice is- let’s move on and live with what we have because these projects are already a done deal.

 Also, if the Magic 7 with their obstructionist behavior, have other issues against the Belen administration, they must already allow her to accomplish her programs and projects for our beloved Dagupan. 

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I have it from reliable sources that Teofilo Guadiz III is being enticed to run for mayor of Dagupan City with Celia Lim as his vice mayor.

I think the seduction is too early. Let us give the chairman of LTFRB three more years to marshal his resources before becoming a viable candidate for mayor.

By then, he would be able to successfully implement the PUV Modernization Program.

But wait. Senators Raffy Tulfo and JV Ejercito as well as Senate President Escudero are now opposed to the program because of its alleged suspicious machinations.

As I’ve said before, no one is ready to give Belen a run for her money. Perhaps a Mayor Alice Guo can. That would be Red China versus CSI.

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