We are pleased to provide the salient points or the highlights of the 2012 SONA speech of President Benigno Aquino III delivered at the Batasang Pambansa on July 23, 2012.

These were supplied online by reliable and credible sources; netizens in social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, websites, blogs, and other online fora; but majority of the inputs come from this author.

President Aquino started to deliver his report to the nation at 4:04 pm.

Highlights and salient points of the SONA:

* President Aquino mentioned perks for GOCCs, PAGCOR ‘coffee scam’, and secondhand helicopters sold to PNP as brand-new. * Aquino cited economic achievements, including the $1 billion loan the Philippines granted to the International Monetary Fund(IMF). * Free education - 4.57 million students who could not go to school before due to poverty are now able to study. * 85% of Filipinos are now Philhealth members. * Government expanding health services; PhilHealth extends coverage to cancer and leukemia patients. * More than 30,000 nurses deployed to over 36,000 barangays. * DOST Secretary Mario Montejo and DOH Secretary Enrique Ona lauded for the success of mosquito traps in bringing down the number of dengue cases in the country. * Congress urged to to pass sin tax reform bill to raise taxes on cigarettes and liquor. * Backlog of over 2 million chairs to be addressed by 2012; backlog of over 66,000 classrooms to be addressed by 2013. * The president received applause, standing ovation upon mention of responsible parenthood bill (or RH Bill). * State universities and colleges will get a 43.61% budget increase in 2013. * TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva commended for reforms and effective implementation of technical education scholarshipsand other vital programs. * Inherited 8% unemployment rate has reduced to 6.9%. *