PRRD's SONA – Colorful Words Flying, Malacañang Media Boys Flailing

The SONA could have been PRRD's Tour de Force – there was enough content to strut out with, but the Malacañang Media Boys failed him. They failed to rise to the occasion (image from google.com). The patriotic thing those boys could have done was immediately come up with a 1,500 word summary of what was actually said, minus the colorful language.

There was much substance to chew on for the SONA, but those boys were not paying attention. For instance, in the case of Land Bank, PRRD was saying:

What the heck is happening to you? You are supposed to finance agricultural enterprises and endeavors. Bakit wala? (Why none?)

PH President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's, PRRD's State of the Nation Address, SONA, was delivered last Monday, 22 July 2019, at the House of Congress in Quezon City, and I have found it educational. With full text reproduced by PhilStar (22 July 2019, philstar.com), my count was 9,500 words including such entries as [applause] and [laughter] and "p***** i**." Never mind.

So, how did I deal with such a long-winded, unstructured, uneasy speech?

Simple. Because I'm a positive thinker and senior citizen, I looked for the silver threads among the gold!

As an agriculturist, I looked for occurrences of farmer, fisher, and enterprise. Enterprise? Yes, and related words like loan, because I believe that the farmers and fishers should be educated, extended loans, and expertly advised to become at least small-scale entrepreneurs. Yes, I found such vital matters as coco levy fund, and rice tariffication.

My UP Los Baños grade for PRRD of his SONA? 2.5 (Above Average).

And my UPLB grade for the Malacañang Media Boys? 5 (Failed)! They failed to come up with a bright presentation. They failed PRRD!

Those Media Boys could have prepared the SONA in 2 parts:

Part 1 – Executive Summary – To be read. Printed out, distributed.
Part 2 – State of the Nation – Sectioned into hot issues of the year, also printed out.

SONA 2019 should have highlighted the achievements and potentials in different fields.

As a writer and editor public and private in the last 44 years, I know what the Malacañang Media Boys did not know – how to assemble the jumble of data and information coming to them from the different departments and units of the national government.

Not me! I could have shown them how to handle the chaos of content – I have been doing that for 4 decades alone or with a group. It's picking up the grains from the chaff – it's creative thinking.

At the end of his 93-minute long-winded SONA, PRRD said, "I dream of a Philippines better than the one I grew up with." And I? I dream of a better-prepared SONA!

Now then, to the Malacañang Media Boys, here is my birthday gift – it is more blessed to give than to receive. Right in Malacañang, I would love to tackle that mountain of reports in a whole-day free Friday lecture-demo and come up with a coherent & condensed whole.

Boys, you owe it to PRRD!  Help yourselves.

frankahilario@gmail.com@517