Rizal Day (2010) report of Noynoy to the Media - the real story

I noticed a few things in the latest "report" Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III issued to the Filipino public. "Gains are now being felt" was his "report" to reporters given after officiating Rizal Day rites in Manila. And what are these "gains"? He counts (1) a "budget surplus" registered now after a forecast of a P6 billion "deficit" when he first took office and (2) an "improved employment picture" mostly propped up by the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. From all that he was supposedly given a thumbs up by certain interesting sectors of Philippine society which I will go into in the third point I make.

Noynoy's dubious fiscal pronouncements

Firstly, I wonder how one can remain confident in Noynoy's pronouncements about his "budget" if he cannot even understand the differences in key concepts surrounding fiscal management -- specifically budget, expenditure, and allocations. Indeed, if we recall back in July of 2010 how he referred to "revelations" about the fiscal position he inherited from former President Gloria Arroyo as one that is "a 'shocking' 'exposé' of 'awe'-some proportions". The real revelation then became more about how pathetically inept Noynoy's Cabinet henchmen were, prompting calls for more revelations -- but this time around the question: "Who fed P.Noy moronic information?".

Noynoy's dubious hand in pepping up the BPO business

Second, initiatives to lay the groundwork to realise "gains" in employment prospects in the BPO industry don't happen within six months -- and certainly not these recent six months. So while Noynoy may be right about "gains" being felt in the BPO industry, those effects were certainly not a result of anything he had a hand in.

Noynoy's cheering squad in the Catholic Church

Third, is around who is reported to be giving Noynoy their seals of approval. Notice how the entire latter half of the Inquirer.net report is devoted to all these quoted statements from a bunch of Catholic Bishops. The report crows at the beginning of that last half...

[...] three Roman Catholic bishops are contented with the performance of President Aquino, who is just six months into his six-year presidency, as 2010 comes to an end.

What's up with that? More importantly: Who gives a shit what a bunch of men-in-robes who are in the midst of a campaign to keep the Philippines in the Stone Age have to say about the President's "efforts" to build a better country?

Perhaps we all should see 2011 as a time for more thorough and critical evaluation of results as well as a more intelligent regard for what Noynoy and his cadre of publicists are telling the Filipino people. Even with those approaches alone, we may already find ourselves substantiating this "hope" we would like to harbour for the future.