In the latter weeks of July, the Philippines experienced two events that demonstrated contrasting impacts on the Filipino nation. While one event aimed to instill a sense of growth and ignite aspirations for the future, the other wreaked havoc on the lives of numerous Filipinos. Nevertheless, these events raise similar questions about accountability.

From July 16 to 31, Capstone-Intel Corp., a high-impact research and actionable intelligence agency, collected trending topics online. They use social listening tools through artificial intelligence to scan more than 80 million publicly available Filipino Facebook accounts. Out of the several categories, events concerning the Second State of the Nation Address (SONA) and Typhoon Egay emerged as some of the most-searched topics online.

Drawing the line between resilience and accountability

Just prior to the 2023 SONA, the Philippines entered its wet and rainy season, known for the arrival of typhoons. Shortly after the second SONA, the country was hit by the fifth typhoon, locally called ‘Egay’, internationally known as Doksuri, which made landfall in the northern region. Many parts of the country experienced heavy rainfall. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest report, the central and northern regions bore the brunt of the typhoon’s impact, affecting approximately 2.3 million individuals in 45 provinces across 13 regions and causing PHP 5.4 billion worth of damage (INQUIRER, 2023). As a result, at least 16 provinces, towns, and cities in Luzon were declared under a state of calamity (Mangosing, 2023).

With yet another catastrophic disaster, the question arises: where do we draw the boundaries of Filipino resilience and start drawing the lines of accountability? As the country faces the aftermath of ‘Egay,’ it becomes crucial to assess and address the boundaries of resilience and the responsibility of relevant authorities in safeguarding the welfare of the Filipino people during times of adversity.

Restrengthening disaster response
On the 25th of July, PBBM delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA). This annual occasion holds significant importance for Filipinos as it allows the country’s chief executive to report on the government’s accomplishments and areas that need improvement.

Demonstrating the relevance of the occasion to Filipinos, “sona2023” emerged as the top-searched topic online on the day of the SONA. Additionally, related topics about the administration, such as the closing tagline “bagongpilipinas” (new Philippines) and the recently launched tourism campaign “lovethephilippines,” gained attention alongside the speech. These positive impressions may have been drawn from the president’s confident declaration that the state of the nation’s improving as he narrated an overview of his administration’s first year.
During the SONA, the president broached topics that centered on the global shipping industry’s green transition, the Balik-Scientist program, and the so-called circular economy. Though there was no mention of any major environmental issues such as the Mindoro oil spill back in February, he did address the country’s disaster response. The president states that it has been said that the country is sometimes over-prepared for natural disasters. Nevertheless, continuous efforts in disaster response are being performed, such as reorganizing response teams for more adaptable, agile, and effective responses and reinforcing evacuation centers.

Accomplishments and Accountability
In reference to the new branding of the Marcos administration, the president closed his speech with the line, “Dumating na ang Bagong Pilipinas” (the new Philippines has arrived).

The Filipino citizens may yet see the promises of scientific advancement and educational investment, as delivered by the President during the SONA, manifest themselves into proactive measures that can extend the government’s efforts in providing aid and assistance in times of crisis and calamity in hopes that they do not see disasters similar to that of Typhoon Egay again.

Through the capabilities of online technological innovations that facilitate more efficient data analysis, Capstone-Intel Corp. is able to provide content based on up-to-date trends and patterns. To learn more about how Capstone-Intel does this, be sure to visit the website: https://www.capstone-intel.com/

This story: Accountability and Accomplishments was originally published on Capstone-Intel Corp.