SONA 2011 - President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in the local language, President Aquino said his "wang-wang" (siren) policy has changed the face of Governance in the Philippines. He said that as of June, the rate of hunger in the country has dropped from 20.5 percent to 15.1 percent. The country also now enjoys a higher credit rating, a feat that Aquino said the former administration was able to enjoy only once in a span of nine years. He also bared irregularities in the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). In addition, President Aquino told that his government was sending a message to the world by upgrading its poorly equipped armed forces, including acquiring a new navy ship and weapons. “We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know we are ready to protect what is ours,” Aquino said to a round of applause from politicians and invited guests. Aquino said the Philippines would no longer allow other countries to enforce their will over territorial disputes. “There was a time when we couldn’t appropriately respond to threats in our own backyard,” he said. “Now our message to the world is clear. What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.” Recto Bank is the Philippine name for Reed Bank, a group of tiny islands in the West Philippine Sea, also known as South China Sea, that is claimed by the Philippines and China, while Recto Avenue is a major road in the heart of the capital, Manila. The Philippines accused Chinese navy boats of harassing a Manila-commissioned oil exploration vessel near Reed Bank in March, one of the incidents that triggered a dramatic rise in bilateral tensions. Here is the State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno Aquino III: By Yahoo.com By GMA Network News Watch the SONA on Video by Philstar.com 2011 SONA - Part 1 2011 SONA - Part 2 2011 SONA - Part 3 2011 SONA - Part 4		So Help Us God (The Presidents of The Philippines and Their Inaugural Addresses) Corazon Aquino: The Story of a Revolution   Culture Shock! Philippines: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette Philippine Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century: Colonial Legacies, Post-Colonial Trajectories (Politics in Asia)