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

Senator Edgardo J. Angara recently launched a new initiative as part of his ongoing commitment to the growth and progress of MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) in his home province of Aurora--the Aurora Bamboo Center (ABC) located in the municipality of San Luis.

The ABC: A Center of Engineered Bamboo in Luzon is a project initiated jointly by the Office of Senator Edgardo J. Angara (OSEJA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Aurora Buffalo Cooperative.

Madame Margarita Zavala, spouse of the President of the United Mexican States, expressed interest in collaborative economic and cultural initiatives with the Philippines, including a monumental project to build a galleon museum in the country.

In her remarks during a cultural gala held on Thursday in her honor, Zavala said, “This museum could serve as an intercultural and globalization research center which will further help in uniting us.

Economic turbulence across Western Europe, Japan and the United States is stoking widespread civic unrest over increasing social inequity and lack of decent jobs, developments that the Philippine government cannot afford to ignore.

In his sponsorship speech of the 2012 National Budget, Angara called on the administration to purposefully channel spending toward creating a knowledge-based and innovative-driven economy to raise living standards, generate quality jobs, boost competitiveness and enhance access to education and infrastructure.

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara said that the dwindling number of agricultural workers in the country must be addressed by making the profession competitive for the youth today.

"Our farmers and fisherfolks work in dire conditions," said Angara in response to the report of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

"The government has yet to invest in modernizing the industry. If we do not make it appealing for the youth today to take over this industry, then there will indeed be a shortage in the future," says Angara, former Agriculture Secretary.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called on the private sector to form partnerships with top national universities on research and development (R&D) projects that would improve the country’s capacity for innovation.

According to a joint study conducted by the International Intellectual Property Institute, the US Patent and Trademark Office and IPO Philippines, annual research publications in the country increased by 250 percent between 2000 and 2010. However, patent filings from both public and private entities remained unchanged.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara yesterday defended the 2011 allocation of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and all its attached agencies in the last day of the marathon budget deliberations at the Senate.

During the period of interpellation for the budget of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO), Angara updated the Senate on the current progress of the project. He also enumerated the positive impact of the project on the people and the land in Aurora.