Alagang Angara

The Department of Health (DOH) will have a total of P7.54 billion for its national immunization program in 2020, Senator Sonny Angara said today.

Under the program, vaccines will be administered for free to children, pregnant women, men and women.

More or less 2.7 million infants will be given vaccines against tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, rubella, influenza and polio.  Two million of these infants will be given flu shots.

Senator Sonny Angara reiterated his call to hike the salaries of public school teachers in recognition of the critical role they play in the lives of our children and in nation building.

Senate Bill 131 filed by Angara calls for an increase in the starting pay of public school teachers, from the present Salary Grade 11 (P20,754) to Salary Grade 19 (P45,269) based on the fourth tranche of the Salary Standardization Law.

A corresponding upgrade in the salaries of the rest of the teachers above the entry level would also be implemented.

The Senate has received the House-approved General Appropriations Bill for 2020.

Our finance subcommittees are completing the hearings on the proposed budgets of the last few agencies. During the break, we will be consolidating all of the submissions into the committee report and once we resume sessions, we will be ready to sponsor the bill in plenary.

The Senate will work overtime to approve this most important piece of legislation so that the measure will be with the President for signing before the end of the year.

"Malapit na kami matapos sa pag-repaso at pag-review ng budget.  Bakit mabilis? Kasi dinamihan namin ang subcommittees. We have 9, headed by 9 vice chairpersons.  Pang-sampu ako. So we are  running on 10 pistons. When it comes to finetuning the budget, the Senate is a V-10 engine.  Kaya when I assumed  the chairmanship , ang sabi ko if we want to turbocharge our performance , then let us  create more sub-committees.

Government has no choice but to tap the full potential of the Pasig River "as a nautical road" which can ease  the “terrible congestion” in Metro Manila roads, Sen. Sonny Angara said today.

“I think the first order of business is to make the ferry system financially buoyant again,” Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, said. 

He said next year’s proposed P74  million national government subsidy to the Metro Manila Development Authority for running a ferry along parts of the river’s original 15-kilometer service route  “is clearly not enough.“

Inaasahan natin na mapapabilis ang pagdinig ng mga kaso at pagluwag ng mga court dockets sa pagpirma ng Presidente sa Republic Act 11459 o ang Judges-at-Large Act.

As the principal author of this bill during the 17th Congress, I am well aware of the delays being faced in the delivery of justice in the country due to the slow disposition of cases in the courts.

Government will sustain its “indigent senior pension program” with a P23.18 billion allocation next year that will grant 3.8 million senior citizens a P6,000 annual stipend each, Sen. Sonny Angara said. 

On top of this is a P3,600 annual assistance from the “Unconditional Cash Transfer” (UCT) fund, a three-year “safety net” program for “economically vulnerable families and individuals” which began last year.

Both will be administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, based on a national list and a set of criteria. 

Instead of “playing catch up with backlogs” in school buildings, government should  “build forward”, by constructing in advance classrooms for future enrollees, Sen. Sonny Angara said today. 

“I think we should now implement a zero-backlog program. Let’s choose a year of when it will be achieved. And once that’s done, let’s stock up on new classrooms that will be ready in time for new enrollees to come in,” he said.