Hagad: The State of the Nation

AS THE country waits for the first State of the Nation Address of President Noynoy Aquino one thing appears certain: there's going to be a lot of bad news, of hard times ahead. P-Noy, as we have seen from his earlier statements starting from the Inaugural Address, is not one to pull punches when hard-knock statements are required and, from the tidbits of the SONA that have been dropped so far by his cabinet men, the state of the nation is not good.

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We have been used to seeing and hearing past presidents use the SONA to trumpet their achievements and, sometimes, to mask their failures. For a long time now, I haven't heard a Philippine president tell us about the true state of the nation. As bad as news he will dish out may sound, it will still be refreshing to hear P-Noy come out with the real unsullied truth this time.

One thing is certain: this SONA is going to grate against the sensibilities of former President Gloria Arroyo. Probably conscious of the fact that her officers - and especially she herself - have lost the faith of the people, Madame Gloria has taken the habit of painting a rosy picture of the country and its economy, hiding the ugly truth whenever she can. But the truth will come out one way or the other and for her, the day of reckoning may already be today when her successor has his turn to speak up.

Hopefully, though, President Noy's SONA will not just be a GMA-bashing affair. That is not the only state of the nation we want to hear. We also need to know that his government has both the will and the way to turn our situation around, that they can lead us to better times and to a more secure state of life. He should also be frank enough to tell us what sacrifices we have to take as citizens of the country, and to prepare us for the belt-tightening years that are sure to come.

When he first assumed the position as the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew also inherited a bankrupt nation. Singapore then was known as the brothel of the Malaysians, the "red-house district" of that part of the Asean. Morale (and morals) were at an all-time low.

But Lee Kuan Yew had the trust of the people. He was very frank with them, to the point of being brutally honest. But they knew, felt and experienced the crisis of the country that he spoke about, and that is why they believed him. He did not paint them a rosy picture; he told them the truth and they appreciated him for it. So, when he asked every citizen to give part of his valuables to the government to help it rise up from bankruptcy, they did so. They gave money, jewelry and pieces of property; they volunteered their services and gave up personal benefits so that Singapore may be reborn. Look where it is now.

Noynoy Aquino has a lot of Lee Kuan Yew in him today. He can speak brutally and frankly to the Filipinos about the poor state of the nation, and they will believe him. He can tell them to make sacrifices for the good of the country, and they will obey him. And right now he possesses enough international goodwill to ask the family of nations for help, and they will accommodate him. He has for the taking what Gloria Macapagal Arroyo eternally wished she had - the trust of people. He must grab the opportunity. It may not come again.