EdAngara.com - The Official Website of Senator Edgardo J. Angara

Senator Edgardo J. Angara sought to strengthen the country’s capacity to conduct research and development (R&D) in health under the sin tax measure passed by the Senate on Tuesday.

In his amendments, which were accepted by the chamber, Angara urged that the additional revenues be used to fund R&D projects into such key fields as aging, regenerative medicine, and the production of drugs from indigenous sources among others.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara underscored the need to make the sin tax bill equitable by setting aside a credit fund that will benefit affected stakeholders, particularly tobacco farmers.

Angara's proposal to create the credit fund was included in the final measure passed by the Senate on third and final reading on Tuesday.

The veteran lawmaker said the credit fund must be accessible to all eligible farmers from tobacco-growing provinces, and must provide low-cost loans.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged the government to allocate more funds for the skills training of frontline leaders and potential Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) employees as he expressed confidence that the country's healthcare information management outsourcing industry will continue to fuel the country’s economy.

by Senator Edgardo J. Angara
Published on November 18, 2012, Manila Bulletin


The controversial sin tax bill has taken much of the Senate’s time in the past two months. That accounts for a lot considering Congressional session—and legislative work—will be interrupted by the mid-term election next year.

The debate has been as heated in the media and on the streets as it has been on the Senate floor. This is one of the most contentious measures, in terms of revenues and healthcare, taken up by this Congress.

To meet the country's growing needs for qualified professionals especially in the Armed Forces, Senator Edgardo J. Angara pushed for the establishment of an educational institution that will equip Filipino pilot officers with the proper training and education during the Senate Committee hearing on the creation of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Academy.

During a recent Senate hearing for the 2013 budget of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. to improve on the dismal 2010 overseas voters turnout.

Angara, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, noted that P1.313 billion was spent on overseas voting last 2010, when only 152,323 Filipino overseas voted out of the 589,813 registered, resulting in a scant 26 percent turnout.

In continuing support for accessible quality education, Senator Edgardo J. Angara emphasized that a special unit within the Department of Education (DepEd) needs to be created to focus and target children with special needs (CSN)—those that are gifted or with disabilities.

According to the DepEd, there were an estimated 5.4 million Filipino CSN as of 2010, representing a mixture of students who are blind, deaf, mute, and with conditions like autism and of students who exhibited superior academic performance.

by Senator Edgardo J. Angara
Published on November 11, 2012, Manila Bulletin


In a historic election, Barack Obama swept into power as president of the United States of America in 2008. Last week, he gained a second term after another historic and bitter battle. He won despite a still sluggish economy, a populace and Congress remaining sharply divided, and the imminent threat of teetering off the fiscal cliff.

As power rates continue to soar, Senator Edgardo J. Angara called on the government to invest in so-called “green technology” through the use of renewable energy (RE) resources to spare Filipino consumers from high electricity rates and perennial power rate hikes.

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) recently announced that it will increase its electricity rates this month due to an increase in generation cost last month. Last month’s electricity rates were also higher than the previous month’s.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to use part of its P36.98 billion proposed 2013 budget to create and implement a rational road transport plan for decongesting vehicle traffic throughout Metro Manila.

During the DOTC budget deliberations in the Senate, Angara said, "Our roads are already over capacity, especially during rush hour. And the resulting delays due to traffic are costly to business and trade especially in Metro Manila."