The Senate adopted a resolution expressing its sincere appreciation to Senator Sonny Angara for his “exemplary service to the institution and to the Filipino people as a senator of the Philippines.”
Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 1070, taking into consideration SRNs 1074, 1079 and 1094, introduced by Senator Migz Zubiri, said Angara “has upheld the highest standards of public service over his two decade legislative career, spanning three terms as a representative of the lone district of Aurora from 2004 to 2013 and two terms as a senator from 2013 to 2024.
Aside from Zubiri, SRN 1070 was also authored by Senators Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Win Gatchalian, Loren Legarda and Joel Villanueva.
“In the last two decades, Senator Sonny has proven his worth as a legislator, authoring and sponsoring over 340 laws across his time in the House and in the Senate.”
“In the last two decades, Senator Sonny has proven his worth as a legislator, authoring and sponsoring over 340 laws across his time in the House and in the Senate, with a particular focus on education, youth empowerment, healthcare, labor, finance, local government and good governance,” the veteran legislator said in his sponsorship speech.
“Here in the Senate, he took on the responsibility of heading a number of key committees, most notably the Senate Committee on Finance–a daunting and demanding committee at any given time, but especially so at the height and in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
“A lesser legislator likely would have buckled under the weight of the unforeseen challenges brought on by COVID and the impact that it had on our national spending and our priorities. But as Finance chairperson, Senator Sonny was competence incarnate. We could always trust him to be prudent and decisive in running the numbers and ensuring that our national budget is truly responsive to the needs of our people,” the senator added.
Zubiri said it was this same competence that allowed Angara to ably lead the Committee on Ways and Means, another one that requires meticulous and heavy-duty work.
“Here, he readily took on the thankless task of being our resident taxman–a highly difficult but necessary role, and one that he rose to with great resolve,” he said.
“While we in the Senate are sure to feel his absence throughout the rest of the 19th Congress, we are also very proud to see him take on the enormous task of heading the Department of Education at this very crucial time for Filipino learners,” Zubiri added.
Senate President Chiz Escudero, author of SRN 1074, said Angara deserves the gratitude and commendation of the Senate for his outstanding performance as a senator and for his contribution to the Senate’s accomplishments during the 16th to the 19th Congresses.
“Senator Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara is a seasoned legislator and public servant who has been a lawmaker for two decades, serving three consecutive terms as representative of the lone district of Aurora (2004 to 2013) before serving as a senator for two consecutive terms (2013 to 2024),” Escudero said in his resolution.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the appointment of Angara on July 2, 2024, as the next DepEd secretary, replacing Vice President Sara Duterte who resigned from the post on June 19, 2024.
Angara formally took his oath as education secretary on July 19.
Building upon the legacy of his parents, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara and educator Gloria Manalang-Angara, he has long been a champion of delivering accessible quality education to the Filipino youth, pushing for the passage of landmark education measures such as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, the Unified Student Financial Assistance System Act, the Student Fare Discount Act, the Free Kindergarten Law, the Ladderized Education Act, the Enhanced Basic Education Act and the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) Act.
Aside from the Committees on Finance and Ways and Means, Angara also headed the Committees on Labor, Employment and Resources Development, and Youth from which he shepherded the passage of several landmark measures such as the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act, the New Government Procurement Act, Tatak Pinoy Act, Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, the Expanded Special Program for Employment of Students, and Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act.
He also served as Commissioner of EDCOM II where he took part in the comprehensive review of the country’s education landscape.
“The appointment of Senator Angara as the Secretary of the Department of Education bodes well for the future of the Filipino youth, given his track record as a legislator.”
“The appointment of Senator Angara as the Secretary of the Department of Education bodes well for the future of the Filipino youth, given his track record as a legislator who has been steadfast in his efforts to improve access to education, which he has identified as our most important tool against poverty,” Escudero concluded.
