Senator Sonny Angara formally began his campaign for another six-year term in the Senate with the promise of continuing the “Alagang Angara” family legacy which is anchored on education, health, job generation, social pension for senior citizens, and stronger local government units and barangays.
Angara joined the campaign kickoff in the 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, which is endorsing his reelection bid.
The seasoned legislator also chairs the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) — the political party once led by his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara.
“I will continue my legislative agenda of helping every member of the Filipino family.”
It was Angara’s father who was behind 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.
Since becoming a legislator in 2004, first as representative of the lone district of Aurora and later as senator in 2013, the younger Angara has pushed for 173 national and local bills, and vowed to continue his legislative agenda of helping every member of the Filipino family if voters return him to the Senate.
Among the senator’s notable legislation includes those for 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.
“Ngayon, hinihiling ko sa inyo ang isa pang pagkakataon para magkapagserbisyo sa lahat ng pamilyang Pilipino,” he said. “Kung ang iba ay nangangako pa lang, ang inyong lingkod po ay maraming nang naipatupad dahil iyan ang tatak Angara, iyan ang alagang Angara.”
Angara’s legislative priority includes medical scholarship, salary hike for teachers, higher social pension for the elderly, fixed salaries and benefits for barangay officials.
“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 added.
His legislative priority if reelected includes 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.