By Sonny Angara The Pulitzer Prizes are considered among the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious awards for the fields of journalism, books, drama, and music. This year we saw three Filipinas who were among the finalists of the Pulitzer for journalism: New York Times contributor Hannah Reyes Morales for feature photography; and The Washington Post’s …
Better Days
Working for the welfare of all workers
By Sonny Angara For the month of January 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a decrease in the number of unemployed Filipinos. According to the PSA, there were 2.15 million unemployed Filipinos, down from the 2.38 million recorded over the same period in 2023. This is good news and a reflection of the strength …
Clamping down on bureaucratic red tape
By Sonny Angara Over the years the country has done a lot to improve its internal processes as part of its efforts to bring in more investments. We continuously introduce new policies and pass new laws to support these efforts, specifically to streamline the procedures for doing business in the country. We constantly make public …
Showcasing PH history, culture through art at Venice Biennale
By Sonny Angara For the fifth straight time, the Philippines is taking part in the La Biennale Di Venezia or the Venice Biennale. Now in its 60th year, the Venice Biennale is arguably the most prestigious and famous international art festival. A total of 88 nations will take part in the 2024 festival, including new …
Using technology for good
By Sonny Angara The Philippine National Police reported a rise in cybercrime cases during the first quarter of 2024. According to the police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), there were 4,469 cases recorded from January to March of 2024. This was an increase of almost 22 percent from the 3,668 cases over the same period in 2023. …
A ‘Tatak Pinoy’ classroom
By Sonny Angara Over the past few weeks, we have started seeing an alarming trend of schools suspending onsite classes because of extreme heat being experienced in various areas of the country. With temperatures reaching the high 30s and over 40 degrees Celsius, students and teachers alike have found the sweltering heat unbearable and not conducive …
Tatak Pinoy: What it is and what it’s not
By Sonny Angara There is growing excitement about the implementation of Republic Act 11981 or the Tatak Pinoy (TP) Act — the law that will pave the way for stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector towards the development of Philippine industries, sustainable economic growth and greater opportunities for our people in their own country. …
Breaking barriers and making history
By Sonny Angara As we celebrate National Women’s Month, we look back to the accomplishments of Filipinas and the issues that are relevant to them as part of the continuous effort to promote women empowerment and gender equality. In the past year, we were witness to several milestones for some outstanding Filipino women. The Filipinas women’s …
Unleashing the full potential of tourism as a driver of growth
By Sonny Angara Since the economy opened up after the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has been a key contributor to the growth of the Philippine economy. Based on official data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, tourism made up 6.2 percent of the economy as measured by gross domestic product. The tourism sector is also an important …
Addressing the gaps on gov’t procurement
By Sonny Angara More than 20 years have passed since Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) was enacted into law. Introduced by my father, the former Senate President Edgardo Angara, the GPRA was considered a world-class, landmark law for putting in place strong mechanisms to curb corruption in government procurement. In …