Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. is convinced President Benigno S. Aquino III has restored the people’s trust and confidence in government with his serious campaign against graft and corruption.
Defensor made the statement in reaction to the President’s third State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Monday (July 23) which he personally attended.
Defensor gave Aquino’s SONA a high grade of eight based on a scale of one to 10.
He lauded Mr. Aquino’s resolve to fight graft and corruption in government through leadership by example.
Defensor also cited the President’s concern for the poor who benefited much from the administration’s social services programs such as the expanded conditional cash transfer and the PhilHealth coverage.
He also lauded the President’s pronouncement to close the gap in the shortage of textbooks and classrooms in the country.
Defensor also acknowledged President Aquino’s thrust in making the country self-sufficient and become exporter of rice.
On the economic front, Defensor cited the President’s achievements which led to the improvement of our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an economic growth of 6.4 percent in the first quarter of the year.