Ang magandang SONA, hindi lang naguulat, pero nagmumulat, at nanggugulat din.
Hindi lang puro magandang balita pero haluan din ng mapait na katotohan.
The President deserves his victory lap as there are good things to be happy about. But he must end it with a pep talk that must rally the people to steel themselves for the hard work ahead.
A SONA cannot be all happy pills that sugarcoat the pain but must include some bitter medicine to be swallowed, for the nation to be healed of its many problems.
A predictable SONA is a feel-good recital of achievements, the formulaic SONA na nag-uulat.
Pero ang kailangan natin ngayon ay isang SONA na nagmumulat at nanggugulat, by shocking us about the great problems that we face, surprise us with the bold solutions, and scare us about the price of inaction.
Huwag po kayong magalala, Ginoong Pangulo. We, the people, can handle the truth.
Sapagkat batid ng taumbayan na ang SONA na ang laman lang ay magandang balita ay umiiwas sa paglalarawan ng buong katotohanan.
Because for every Filipino who lands a job, many more remain unemployed.
For every business that opens, many entrepreneurial plans remain as dreams.
For every hospital ward added, many more patients cram into overflowing emergency rooms.
For every infrastructure built, there is a great backlog behind it.
Tomorrow’s SONA must therefore balance the “what has been done” with the more important “what is to be done?”