Alagang Angara

Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the holding of early voting for close to 10 million senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) to ensure greater participation in the electoral process and to reduce the risks on their health due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angara aired his concern about how seniors and PWDs continue to be disenfranchised or are facing difficulties in casting their votes because of issues on access and the fact they have to line up with millions of other voters at the precincts.

Senator Sonny Angara reminded all the government agencies involved in the implementation of Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to enforce the provisions of the law without delay.


Addressing the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies during today’s budget hearing by the Committee on Finance, Angara reminded the agencies concerned that Bayanihan 2 became effective immediately after it was published September 15.

Senator Sonny Angara said today he expects the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to be able to fulfill its target of registering all 90 million Filipinos for the Philippine Identification System ID (PhilSys ID) before President Rodrigo Duterte ends his term in 2022.

Senator Sonny Angara said today that it is about time the government focuses on keeping Filipino talent here in the country instead of constantly losing them to overseas headhunters.

As chairman of the Committee on Finance, Angara suggested to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the state universities and colleges (SUC) to put more focus into helping industries produce more jobs in the country rather than losing the best and brightest to jobs overseas after they graduate.

The signing into law of Bayanihan 2 will ensure that the government’s response to the health crisis that our country is going through will continue without interruption. This will provide much needed support to our health sector, which is at the frontline in this battle against COVID-19. It will assist sectors that have fallen on their knees due to the lack of economic activity.

The signing into law of Bayanihan 2 will ensure that the government’s response to the health crisis that our country is going through will continue without interruption. This will provide much needed support to our health sector, which is at the frontline in this battle against COVID-19. It will assist sectors that have fallen on their knees due to the lack of economic activity.

For faster and more efficient transactions in both the government and private sector, all agencies and establishments should institute digital payment systems at the soonest possible time.

Senator Sonny Angara took note of the growth of digital payments in the Philippines at a rate of 27% to 30%, which is higher than the 25% average of emerging Asian countries, but is still just one percent by volume of the estimated 2.5 billion payments made per month.

Senator Sonny Angara said today the Bayanihan to Recover as One or Bayanihan 2 contains several provisions aimed at supporting local industries that have been suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apart from providing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) access to loans through the government financial institutions, Angara said the soon-to-be enacted law gives special preference for locally-manufactured products such as personal protective equipment (PPE) being used by health frontliners across the country.

Yung huling pagkakataon ng Bansa sa ilalim ng revolutionary government ay nung 1986 Ang Edsa revolution. Nung EDSA Dos 2001 sinunod natin ang constitutional succession when then VP Arroyo succeeded to the presidency vacated by Pres Estrada; yung ibang panahon na nagkaroon ng mga kudeta at pagtangka laban sa nakaupong gobyerno at konstitusyon di naging maganda ang karanasan ng bansa- bumagsak ang ekonomiya at sumama ang lagay ng lahat. Bahagi ng pag mature natin bilang isang bansang demokratiko ang pagtanggap ng pamumuhay sa ilalim ng saligang batas.

We will be thorough in our review for  that has always been the Senate way.  We will not sacrifice scrutiny for speed.  And I say this with confidence that we will meet the deadline of  a well-crafted budget ready for the President’s signature long before the year ends.

There is only one major macroeconomic assumption that underpins next year’s expenditures and that is COVID-19. It will dictate the thrust and content of the 2021 budget. It is through this prism that we will view the budget .