By Sonny Angara The issue of our changing climate can be a matter of a few degrees — specifically, about 1.5 degrees Celsius. A report from the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that at only 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer across the world, about 14 percent of the global population will experience severe …
Better Days
Leaving big cities — part of the new normal?
BETTER DAYS By Sonny Angara A young couple in London was interviewed in a recent CNN Business article about their decision to move out of the city — something unheard of, practically a few months back. As the article explains, many people have tolerated the smaller living spaces combined with the noise and pollution, in …
Culture as an economic resource
By Sonny Angara The Senate’s finance committee had a hearing on the budgets of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and its attached agencies. There, I encouraged the NCCA to coordinate with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on an ongoing project to paint murals on the walls and banks along the …
The untapped potential of our blue economy
By Sonny J. Angara At the beginning of the 18th Congress, we filed Senate Resolution 10, calling for the appropriate Senate committees to conduct an inventory and inquiry into the government’s initiatives related to our seas and oceans. Our primary aim in calling for such an inventory was to formulate a comprehensive national policy for …
Self-reliance in food
By Sonny Angara Recently, the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW), led by Senate President Tito Sotto, conducted two extensive hearings on African swine fever (ASF) which continues to be a perennial threat not only to the local hog industry, but also the country’s food security. The hearings underscored the seriousness of this other outbreak, …
Community service as a multi-level solution
By Sonny Angara Any crime, if proven to be true, should be given the proper punishment — such as incarceration — with circumstances in consideration. Sometimes, however, the act of imprisoning someone may prove to be detrimental to the person’s well-being or may even encourage more criminal behavior. This is why we need productive and …
Bridging the digital skills divide
By Sonny Angara Our understanding of the digital world defines how we access it. The less we understand how it works and what’s possible within it, the fewer the chances there are to reap its benefits in full. Fast internet connections and low-cost smartphones mean nothing if we cannot partake of the economic possibilities the …
Additional funding for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center
By Sonny Angara The heart of Philippine culture is the family, and children are often the most cherished and protected. Hence, when a child is born with a congenital health condition, or suddenly develops a serious disease, it is an extremely difficult situation for parents and relatives. It is even more tragic when the family …
Our gaps in healthcare should be addressed now
By Sonny Angara Our experience in the past year demonstrated how shortages of beds, equipment and healthcare workers severely affect our response to large-scale medical crises. If anything, the Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized that medical facilities across the country urgently need to be upgraded. In fact, this problem was highlighted, even before the pandemic. Throughout …
Digital transition could start at the LGU level
By Sonny Angara The future is digital. When the Covid-19 pandemic required strict quarantine guidelines, it was no surprise that business, financial and even personal transactions went online. One need only to look into how more Filipinos now regularly use their mobile phones and computers to shop, do their groceries, and even transact with their …