Alagang Angara

Most of the country’s hospitals have been facing extreme pressures due to the COVID-19 pandemic so whatever the government owes them for their services should be settled swiftly, Senator Sonny Angara said today.

“There is growing concern over a possible surge of new cases of COVID-19 now that the deadly Delta variant of the virus is already in the country so our hospitals should be prepared to deal with this scenario,” Angara said.

Senator Sonny Angara today thanked Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez for suspending the implementation of the provisions of Revenue Regulations No. 5-2021 pertaining to the tax on schools.

President Duterte’s last budget request should “capture the urgency and the dimensions” of the national recovery from the pandemic that he laid out during his final State of the Nation Address Monday, Sen. Sonny Angara said today.

“The budget puts the money where the rhetoric is,” Angara said.

He said the plans Duterte spelled out during his speech should end up in the proposed 2022 national budget, which Malacañang will be sending to Congress soon.

(Author and Sponsor of National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Law)

Historic! 

This was how Senator Sonny Angara described the feat of Hidilyn Diaz of winning the first gold medal in 96 years for the Philippines in the Olympic Games.

Provide accommodations to public school teachers who need it the most-- Angara

Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the provision of living facilities for public school teachers, especially those who have to travel long distances to get to their schools.

“For years we have heard of stories of our teachers who have to travel far and oftentimes through rough terrain and even turbulent waters just to reach the schools where they teach. This is the type of dedication to work that we must recognize and give proper attention to at all times,” Angara said.

Senator Sonny Angara today urged the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) to consider putting up satellite venues for its licensure examinations scheduled for this year as a way to help aspiring doctors, nurses, policemen, teachers and other professionals with financial and mobility issues during this pandemic.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Angara noted that travel across borders has become very challenging because of quarantine restrictions imposed by local government units.

Senator Sonny Angara is set to file a bill that will provide assistance to deserving Filipino students who wish to pursue their higher education overseas.

Angara said he is looking at expanding the scope of Senate Bill 961 or the proposed Pensionado Act, which he filed at the start of the 18th Congress in 2019, to cover high school graduates.

The law extending the availability of appropriations under Bayanihan 2 has expired but many of its provisions will continue while the state of national emergency declared by President Duterte remains in place, Senator Sonny Angara said today.

Republic Act 11519 or the law extending the availability of Bayanihan 2 funds expired on June 30, 2021 and along with it were most of the funds appropriated for various purposes.

Senator Sonny Angara said today that all Filipinos, regardless of social status, should be able to avail of annual medical check-ups as a way to catch potential critical ailments at an early stage.

As one of the authors of Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, Angara noted that many Filipinos still do not seek medical care in their lifetime or only do so when their conditions are already at a serious or critical stage.

Health care frontliners have arguably made the greatest of sacrifices in the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by putting their lives at constant risk while treating patients afflicted by the deadly virus.