Alagang Angara

Senator Sonny Angara called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to step up its efforts to provide assistance to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in finding markets to sell their wares during this COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of the community quarantines imposed across the country, many MSMEs, including those from the indigenous communities are having a difficult time selling their products because the movement of people, as well as access to traditional markets, is restricted.

With businesses struggling to keep their heads above water due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with more people losing their jobs as a result, Senator Sonny Angara said today that the reskilling and upskilling of workers is now more important than ever.

“Unemployment hit a high of 17.7 percent in April this year. That’s over 7.3 million Filipinos who need jobs. During this pandemic, many businesses have to cut costs or start exploring new ways of making money. We cannot operate on a business as usual basis anymore,” Angara said.

Several senators called out the Department of Health (DOH) for failing to compensate the health workers who have died while helping Filipinos who have been afflicted with the COVID-19 virus.

During the plenary debates on Senate Bill 1564 or the proposed Bayanihan To Recover as One Act, it was revealed that there have been no claims for compensation for health workers under Republic Act 11469 because the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for this provision has not been crafted.

Following reports of senior citizens facing difficulty in their movement under the general community quarantine, Senator Sonny Angara reminded the authorities that they are allowed outside of their homes to obtain essential goods and services.

“The guidelines for areas under GCQ are very clear. Senior citizens and persons below 21 years of age, while required to continue staying inside their homes, are allowed to go out to buy essential goods like food and medicine and to obtain essential services,” Angara said.

The Senate Committee on Finance is set to hold a hearing tomorrow on the economic stimulus and recovery bills to address the impacts of COVID-19 in the country.

Senator Sonny Angara, the chairman of the committee, said it is the intention of the Senate to work with the private sector, which has seen either a significant scaling down or a total shut down of their operations during the lockdowns, “to see how government can help reduce their hardship.”

Over the course of the lockdown imposed in Luzon and other parts of the country, work from home has become the new normal for offices that continue to function.

For many businesses and even the government service, Senator Sonny Angara sees the work from home arrangements continuing even after the lockdown is lifted or at least until a vaccine is found for COVID-19.

In some cases, businesses have also made adjustments to their operations because of the losses they have incurred over the lockdown period and this includes downsizing.

Senator Sonny Angara called on all the local government units in the projected path of Typhoon Ambo to activate its standard operating procedures during severe weather disturbances, but putting special emphasis on COVID-19 protocols this time around.

It’s been two years since he’s gone  and the world is sadly worse than he left it.

If he were alive today, he would be quarantined  because of his age. But his wisdom will be unfettered by physical restrictions, and his mind would roam far  and wide in  search for solutions. 

I would have loved him to be on my side,   offering his wise counsel as a statesman ,  and as a father comforting his son that our tough  Made-in-Aurora genes will triumph over the most nasty of diseases.

Senator Sonny Angara is seeking to amend Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act to allow qualified individuals to immediately receive compensation benefits and other applicable financial assistance under the law.

During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has become a critical issue for many people who find it difficult to seek help given the multitude of cases being handled by the overwhelmed health care system.