Alagang Angara

We thank the House of Representatives and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for making good on their commitment to send the 2021 General Appropriations Bill to the Senate by October 28. This gives us time to go over the amendments made to the NEP as we start drafting the committee report on the budget measure. We also thank our vice chairpersons and members of the Senate for submitting inputs on what should be in the committee report. We await the submissions of our Finance Committee vice chairpersons who are in the process of completing their respective reports.

Senator Sonny Angara has endorsed the proposed entry of Angelo Kouame to Gilas Pilipinas with the filing of a bill calling for the grant of Philippine citizenship to the standout from the Ivory Coast.

Angara, who is chairman of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), filed Senate Bill 1892 last Thursday as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to build up its national team in time for the 2023 World Cup.

Senate Bill 1892 is a counterpart of House Bill 5951 filed by SBP vice chairman, Antipolo City Rep. Robbie Puno.

In recognition of the indispensable role of prosecutors in the country’s criminal justice system, Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the grant of survivorship benefits to the members of the National Prosecution Service (NPS).

A lawyer himself, Angara took note of how retired prosecutors have no survivorship benefits unlike their counterparts in the Office of the Ombudsman or the judiciary even though the nature of their work is the same.

The President's report to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee and the Commission on Audit (COA) on the implementation of R.A. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One (Bayanihan 2).

• 2nd Report - November 3, 2020

• 1st Report - October 5, 2020

Senator Sonny Angara issued an appeal to the banks and mobile payment systems to suspend the collection of fees for digital transactions while the country is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several banks and mobile money services will resume their collection of fees today in spite of an appeal by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for them to extend their waiver for PESONet and InstaPay transactions.

Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the holding of early voting for close to 10 million senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) to ensure greater participation in the electoral process and to reduce the risks on their health due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angara aired his concern about how seniors and PWDs continue to be disenfranchised or are facing difficulties in casting their votes because of issues on access and the fact they have to line up with millions of other voters at the precincts.

Senator Sonny Angara reminded all the government agencies involved in the implementation of Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to enforce the provisions of the law without delay.


Addressing the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies during today’s budget hearing by the Committee on Finance, Angara reminded the agencies concerned that Bayanihan 2 became effective immediately after it was published September 15.

Senator Sonny Angara said today that it is about time the government focuses on keeping Filipino talent here in the country instead of constantly losing them to overseas headhunters.

As chairman of the Committee on Finance, Angara suggested to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the state universities and colleges (SUC) to put more focus into helping industries produce more jobs in the country rather than losing the best and brightest to jobs overseas after they graduate.

Senator Sonny Angara said today he expects the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to be able to fulfill its target of registering all 90 million Filipinos for the Philippine Identification System ID (PhilSys ID) before President Rodrigo Duterte ends his term in 2022.

The signing into law of Bayanihan 2 will ensure that the government’s response to the health crisis that our country is going through will continue without interruption. This will provide much needed support to our health sector, which is at the frontline in this battle against COVID-19. It will assist sectors that have fallen on their knees due to the lack of economic activity.