By Sonny Angara According to a recent Pulse Asia survey of 1,200 respondents, some 43 percent said they expected this year’s Christmas to be more prosperous than last year’s, while up to 42 percent believed their holidays would be as prosperous as what they had experienced the year before. Based on the same survey, it …
Better Days
Social safety nets for OFWs
By Sonny Angara Filipino families reunited during the holidays. For many, it was the first opportunity to be with each other again since the pandemic started in 2020. It was sweeter for many Overseas Filipino Workers, or OFWs, who toiled abroad despite the threat of COVID-19. The lifting of travel restrictions in almost all parts …
An alarming increase in teenage pregnancies
By Sonny Angara A recent Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report showed an alarming increase in girls getting pregnant during their formative years. The data indicates that births to mothers aged 10 to 14 years old have increased every year since 2016 even while the overall birth rate among all adolescents has gone down. According to the …
Improving the plight of commuters
By Sonny Angara Last week, several jeepney organizations staged a nationwide transport strike to protest the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program. Under the modernization program, the ubiquitous jeepneys that have been around since the end of the second World War, will gradually be phased out to pave the way for environmentally friendly …
Caring for children with disabilities
By Sonny Angara For couples blessed with children, there is nothing more gratifying than watching them grow up and become productive members of society with their own unique and individual personalities. But, in many instances, having a child could also be very challenging — especially when they are born with or end up acquiring a …
Providing adequate protection against elder fraud and abuse
By Sonny Angara Respect for elders is one of the well-known attributes of Filipino culture and heritage. In fact, our Constitution contains several provisions that deal with the protection of our lolos and lolas. It is the duty of the family and the State to take care of the elderly members of society. However, despite …
Developing and promoting ecotourism and nature-based tourism
By Sonny Angara On March 1, 2023, the Senate Tourism Subcommittee on Select Senate Bills on Ecotourism and on the Proposed Senate Resolution on Nature-Based Tourism held a hearing to discuss various measures and, ultimately, to find solutions and initiatives to advance the domestic tourism industry’s recovery while instilling eco-consciousness amid the country’s upcoming summer …
Systemic solutions
By Sonny Angara Recent surveys by Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations found that a majority of Filipinos were ready to face the new year with optimism and hope. Unfortunately, for many of our countrymen, the new year came with several challenges. Two in particular come to mind. First were the floods and landslides …
Enriching Filipino heritage through inclusive legislation
By Sonny Angara On March 26, 2010, Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act was enacted to boost our country’s efforts in preserving our cultural treasures. My father, the former Senate President Ed Angara, who was the principal author of the law in the Senate, said the law was not only a serious …
Taking Philippine-Spanish relations to new heights
By Sonny Angara This year, we mark the 21st Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day (Phil-Span). By virtue of Republic Act 9187, we commemorate the cultural and historical ties, friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and Spain on June 30 of each year. This was one of the legacies of my father, former Senator Ed Angara, who saw the …