Better Days

By Sonny Angara When my late father, former Senator Edgardo J. Angara, retired from public service in 2013, he said something worth remembering during these times: “Good politics is also marked by close collaboration between the branches of government.” He was talking about his time as Senate President under the Ramos Administration, where he challenged …

By Sonny Angara In preparation for the 19th Congress, my office recently convened a consultative meeting focused on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in line with our Tatak Pinoy advocacy. The roundtable discussion was headlined by former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion and attended by officials from various government agencies, MSME mentors and …

By Sonny Angara Over the past three years, I have been advocating for a transformation among our industries — from one that produces common, low-value goods to one that churns out complex, high-value products. We dubbed this Tatak Pinoy (“Proudly Filipino”), which embodies our vision and ambition to see Philippine industries, entrepreneurs, professionals, workers, artisans, …

By Sonny Angara Recently, Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI) released the latest Commitment to Reduce Inequality (CRI) Index, which gauges the performance of countries in bridging the gap between the rich and poor according to three main dimensions or pillars — public services spending, the progressivity of taxation, and labor policies. The CRI index …

By Sonny Angara Filipino healthcare professionals have long been recognized for their capabilities and professionalism, and the outstanding quality of care they provide their patients. Whenever I travel overseas, be it in the United Kingdom, the United States or some other jurisdiction that employs a significant number of Filipino healthcare workers, the feedback I get …

By Sonny Angara Last week, our country, with representatives from the Kingdom of Spain led by the Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Jorge Moragas Sanchez, physically gathered in Baler, Aurora to celebrate the 20th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day and the 123rd Anniversary of the Historic Siege of Baler. This celebration, which commemorates the iconic friendship …

By Sonny Angara The Senate recently wound up its deliberations on the proposed national budget, which is under the new administration of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. We have ensured that our Committee’s proposal aligns with the administration’s major thrusts — the foremost of which include boosting growth, cutting poverty, trimming our yawning deficit, paring down …

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 …

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 …

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 …