Angara reveals agenda in Pampanga

CANDIDATE’S PROFILE

Hannah Torregoza

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Tuesday vowed to continue his family’s legacy of “Alagang Angara” anchored on education, health, job generation, social pension for senior citizens, and stronger local government units (LGUs) and barangays.

Angara has joined the campaign kick-off rally in vote-rich Pampanga organized by Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), the influential regional political party chaired by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

HNP is endorsing his reelection bid, apart from the senatorial bid of Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, and Cynthia Villar.

Angara now chairs the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the political party once led by his father—the late Senate President Edgardo Angara—who was behind the landmark legislation that created the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Free High School Act, the Senior Citizens Act, and the National Health Insurance Act that created the PhilHealth.

Angara has pushed for 173 national and local bills since becoming a legislator in 2004, first as representative of the lone district of Aurora and later as senator in 2013.

The younger Angara said he will continue his legislative agenda of helping every member of the Filipino family if voters return him to the Senate.

Among his notable legislation are the free kindergarten and college; VAT-exemption for senior citizens and persons with disabilities; free medical check-up, laboratory tests and some medicines under PhilHealth; year-round student fare discount; establishment of the Expanded Public Employment Service Office (PESO Act) in every local government unit to assist people seeking employment; tax exemption of “balikbayan” boxes of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs); and the scrapping of the 12-percent VAT on maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol.

“Our track record speaks volumes of what I have accomplished as a lawmaker and a staunch advocate for giving every Filipino equal opportunity for a better life though quality and free education and decent jobs,” Angara said.

If reelected, the senator said he will pursue his proposal to impose the 5-percent student discount on food and books of the underprivileged, medical scholarship, salary hike for teachers, establishment of dialysis center in every government hospital, social protection for workers in the informal economy, higher social pension for the elderly, fixed salaries and benefits for barangay officials, and rural employment assistance for poor households.

If other candidates were making promises, we have made a lot of other things possible. That is the typical ‘Alagang Angara’,” he said.

“That is why we are asking all of you to give me another chance to serve the Filipino family,” Angara appealed.