Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. —Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III believes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has delivered his best State of the Nation Address (Sona) yet.
But in his contra-Sona speech during the Senate’s Monday plenary session, Pimentel took his time to enumerate what the Marcos administration should focus on addressing.
He started with floods and how climate change should not be the reason flood-related problems remain unsolved.
READ: Pimentel on Sona: ‘Nation’s state is worrisome’
Climate change
“According to a budget expert who has analyzed our annual budget laws, we have allocated at least P1.14 trillion for flood control and flood management projects from 2015 to 2024. That figure is taken just from analyzing the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Close to one-third of DPWH’s budget goes to flood control,” said Pimentel, proceeding to ask what happened.
“We should not blame the high tide. There is no flood control project that deals with low tide only. Nor can the blame be passed on to the raging water because is it not already included in the definition of [a] flood?” he added.
Pimentel said the impact of poor flood management is not only felt in provinces, but also Metro Manila.
His comment came after the combined effects of tropical cyclone Carina and the southwest monsoon ravaged the country, particularly Luzon.
“This makes us ask what exactly the Metro Manila Development Authority is doing with taxpayer money for flood control. In 2022, it was P1.4 billion. In 2023, P351 million. In 2024, it will be P455 million. Let us also not use ‘Climate Change’ as the scapegoat,” said Pimentel.
Education
Another topic highlighted in Pimentel’s 33-page speech includes education. For the Senate minority leader, the educational system must be calibrated to improve levels of literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking.
“From 2009 to 2023, the average passing rate in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) for elementary is only 33 percent and finances. Not just for secondary. What’s worse here is that from 2012 to 2022, there are a total of 182 Higher Education Institutions (the ones with Zero passing rates in the LET,” he said.
With this, he hoped that the Commission on Higher Education would continue to monitor Higher Education Institutions to provide adequate aid and ensure quality education for all.
Health
Another topic highlighted by Pimentel was health. While Marcos mentioned “many things” about health during his 3rd Sona, the opposition senator said it was only just and right considering that health is what was being prioritized by Filipinos.
“So it is surprising why the national government will withdraw the fund balance or reserve funds of Philhealth worth more than P90 billion under the fourth trigger for funding the items under Unprogrammed Appropriations in the 2024 GAA, which many have nothing to do with the health of the people,” he pointed out.
In the end, Pimentel ended his speech by admitting he wanted the progressive Philippines and that this was, in fact, Marcos’ best Sona yet.
“We may not be political allies, we may not see eye-to-eye in our proposed solutions to our country’s most pressing and serious problems, but that Sona delivered by the President convinced me of these things: that President Marcos loves his country and that he is trying his best,” said Pimentel.