A Reaction Paper:
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo¶s Speech during Multi-Sectoral Jobs Summit
³Joining Hands Againts the Global Crisis´
Economic crisis, recession« the whole world is suffering from this problem, even
the biggest and most powerful country is affected. Many business firm and
establishment is closing, there¶s only few or worst no job opportunities offered. If big
countries were affected, what more did we expect in a third world country like
Philippines?c What will happen for the rest of the world if a superpower country like
America suffered the way it is; sooner or later what is happening to the US will have a
domino effect to the rest of the world, it will only be a matter of time.
I¶m glad our government officials are doing the best they can to combat or at least
to lessen the effect of global crisis in our country. Indeed, our President did a good job in
her projects. Take a look atc the infrastructure development, the number of tourists
arriving, the amount of micro lending, and the peso stability but the results of her
projects in this job summit still remains to be seen.
Removing penalties and surcharges on SSS loans sounds good but for me, it¶s not.
This could be the start of bankruptcy of SSS leading to its closure and leaving its
members hanging and angry. A strict guidelines and regulations and a careful
implementation should be made, there should be a character check to loaners, to assure
that they are able to pay their debt.
Raising fund for displaced workers is a good action from the government; it will
be very helpful to them. Livelihood programs and trainings is also a good idea, it will
help people to utilize their talents and their resources in community, just like making
different products out of water lilies. Here in Olongapo, different trainings like massage
therapy, computer workshop, English fluency class, welding and good housekeeping is
Abigail Victoria E. Adobo, RM, RN| Foundations of Education
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very helpful for Olongapeños, most of them are hired and became a good asset of their
families and communities.
We have many products here in our country that is export quality but we,
Filipinos doesn¶t realize that instead of supporting our own product, we like more the
imported products. This shows that we can never achieve a progress unless we change
our economic system. An economy which remains to be an export oriented and import
dependent will always ends up a loser. It will be very advantageous for us if we love our
own products, we can reduce the cost of importing, example, our country is very rich in
natural resources but we are not able to use utilize the full potential of it, one of this is
fuel. For almost two years, there¶s a continuous increase in price of gasoline and the Big
3¶s and other gasoline station blame it on the price increase in world trade, it will not be
a problem if we produce our own fuel.
Combat smuggling, this will be very difficult because the people behind it are the
person¶s in position. Smuggling affects local industries, the manufacturing sector is
down, companies lose profit and many small traders have gone bankrupt. Smuggling
wipes out jobs in the local economy and destroys the livelihood of farmers. It also
endangers the health and welfare of consumers since smuggled goods do not undergo
the necessary procedures for quality screening. Government until now, failed to fight
smuggling. The government has not yet prosecuted a major smuggler in the country. In
fact, no smuggler has ever been jailed.
What caught my attention is the NARS program; we have no problem in the
supply of nurses, in fact, there so many of us, unemployed and underemployed. The
program had been criticized by the Health Alliance for Democracy and the Alliance of
Health Workers, who said that it would only ³exploit´ Filipino nurses further. The two
groups have instead asked the government to open plantilla positions for nurses in
government health facilities to create employment for nurses. This NARS program is
another low salary job offer, don¶t they think that we deserve more? Health problems in
Philippines can be solved primarily when the government put Health Centers in every
Abigail Victoria E. Adobo, RM, RN| Foundations of Education
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community, a fully equipped Health Center. A health centers with doctors, nurses,
dentist, and midwife, a health center with necessary medical equipments and needed
medicines and immunizations.
In a sum, despite the criticism to President Arroyo, she made considerable
progress in restoring economic stability. However, long-term economic growth remains
threatened; as long as the educational and political system will not be change, worsen by
the calamities we¶re experiencing now, we are still considered as one of the poorest
country in the world.
It¶s good for us, Filipinos, being optimistic. Despite of poverty, different
hardships and suffering, we still manage to smile, to accept the reality. But accepting
reality is sometimes not good because we came to a point that we don¶t care at all.
Abigail Victoria E. Adobo, RM, RN| Foundations of Education
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