SONA 2008

•Trainings

“In training, 7.74 million took technical and vocational courses over the last seven years, double the number in the previous 14 years. In 2007 alone, 1.7 million graduated.” - PGMA

This agenda of PGMA helped underprivileged students to graduate in any technical and vocational courses and will not leave them jobless in order for them to provide the necessary needs of their family and to deal with the economics crisis. If this project will continue, more and more underprivileged students will be able to avail such trainings.

•Pensions, Housing Loans, Health Insurances

“GSIS pensions have been indexed to inflation and have increased every year since 2001. Its salary loan availments have increased from two months equivalent to 10 months, the highest of any system public or private—while repayments have been stretched out.Pag-Ibig housing loans increased from P3.82 billion in 2001 to P22.6 billion in 2007. This year it experienced an 84% increase in the first four months alone. Super heating na. Dapat dagdagan ng GSIS at buksan muli ng SSS ang pautang sa pabahay. I ask Congress to pass a bill allowing SSS to do housing loans beyond the present 10% limitation.Bago ako naging Pangulo, isa’t kalahating milyong maralita lamang ang may health insurance. Noong 2001, sabi natin, dadagdagan pa ng kalahating milyon. Sa taong iyon, mahigit isang milyon ang nabigyan natin. Ngayon, 65 milyong Pilipino na ang may health insurance, mahigit doble ng 2000, kasama ang labinlimang milyong maralita. Philhealth has paid P100 billion for hospitalization.” - PGMA

Housing loans will ease the employee’s burden of paying monthly house rents if they have their own house and will be able to save money in order for them to provide the needs of their family. Pension by GSIS and SSS will provide not only the retired employees and their beneficiaries the necessary allowance for their needs, medical concerns, and even death. Lastly, health insurances were provided by the government with the help Philhealth. This will ensure that employees and their beneficiaries will be able to avail cheaper medicines, hospital bills and other medical needs not only during employment but until they retire. This shows that the rights of the employees are not neglected and they will be encouraged to work hard knowing that in the future, they will receive benefits.

•Jobs

“Our P 350 million training partnership with the private sector should qualify 60,000 for call centers, medical transcription, animation and software development, which have a projected demand of one million workers generating $13 billion by 2010.” - PGMA

This will not only provide one million jobs for jobless Filipinos not also this will help them deal with poverty and economic crisis.

I just hope that she will fulfill her promises and that the Filipino people will help themselves to improve their quality of life!