Articles

Free college education, universal health

care investments in PH human capital –
Angara
The Philippines is in a better position to sustain its high economic growth after college education and health care have
been made more accessible to Filipinos through the Free College Education Law and the Universal Health Care (UHC)
Act, reelectionist Sen. Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’ Angara said Saturday.

Angara said these two important pieces of legislation he co-authored and co-sponsored would help boost the country’s
human capital, a key driver to economic growth.

‘’By making college education free and giving Filipinos equitable access to affordable and quality health care, we are
investing in building human capital which is a key factor that can sustain the high growth rate the country has been
experiencing in recent years,’’ he said.

Angara said people with access to education and health care have better chances of getting well-paid jobs and
becoming more productive.

“Consider now that we have made college free for all Filipinos. I can guarantee that there will be a palpable change,
shift or transformation in our society in the coming generations,” he said.

The lawmaker from Aurora is running for s second six-year term under the platform “Alagang Angara.”

Angara, who strongly believes that education is the great socio-economic equalizer and a stepping stone to something
higher and brighter, said that finishing college means being able to pursue employment opportunities that are
unavailable to those without a college degree.

“College education could ensure that all children of any class have a shot at success,” he said.

Angara said that investing in the health system does not only save lives, but also a crucial investment in wider
economy.

This is because ill-health impairs productivity, hinders job prospects and adversely affects human capital development,
he pointed out.

“An education would be for naught, however, if a person is unwell and sickly. And that’s why we also focus on health
care, specifically on making it more affordable and more accessible to many more Filipinos,” he explained.

As one of the authors of the UHC law, Angara pushed for the inclusion of free checkup, laboratory tests and some
medicines in the coverage of PhilHealth.

“It used to be that one sick family member would set an entire family back tremendously,” he pointed out.

This year, the government will spend P46 billion to implement the country’s Free College Education Law, making it
the biggest budget for free college education in Philippine history.

Angara, who sponsored the 2019 budget of the Commission on Higher Education and state universities and colleges
(SUCs) in the Senate, said 800,000 students in 112 SUCs and 78 local universities and colleges stand to benefit from
the law this year.

Aside from free tuition, Angara said allowance and other financial assistance will be provided to poor students to
enable them to finish their studies.

The UHC law, which was signed by President Duterte in February, automatically enrolls all Filipinos to the National
Health Security Program that replaced the National Health Insurance Program managed by PhilHealth. It received P18-
billion funding under the 2019 spending package of the government.
Sonny Angara wants senior
citizen pension doubled
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sonny Angara will double the pension of senior citizens in
the country once reelected, according to his wife Tootsy Angara.
The current pension of P500 will be doubled to P1,000 per senior citizen.
According to Angara, senior citizens are VIPs or Very Important Persons.
“My husband sees all senior citizens as VIPs,” stressed Tootsy, who represented Senator
Angara in the Dipolog campaign leg of Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

She also laid out her husband’s plans if reelected in the Senate to strengthen laws for
universal health care and free kindergarten and college education. She said he will also work
to make permanent the 20% year-round fare discount for students and to double the salary of
public school teachers.
On a personal note, Tootsy shared that she said ‘yes’ to the senator because of his kind heart,
caring character, and faithfulness.

We must properly compensate our

teachers’ – Sonny Angara
Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara said the government should pay teachers more if it wants to improve the
quality of education in Philippine public schools.

Angara expressed hope that the teacher’s pay adjustment would be equivalent or close to the rate he has been
pushing since 2016 when he filed Senate Bill 135.

Under the bill, the minimum salary grade level of teachers will be adjusted from Salary Grade 11 to 19, or
double their current monthly base pay of P20,179 to P42,099.

Angara calls on the DBM to prioritize the inclusion of teachers’ pay hike in the proposed 2019 budget to see
what funds can be realigned.

“Our teachers are considered to be the heart of the educational system. The government needs to give priority
to their welfare and interests,” Angara said.

Posts
An education would be for naught, however, if a person is unwell and sickly. And that’s why we also focus
on health care, specifically on making it more affordable and more accessible to many more Filipinos
#AlagangAngara #PHVote

Thank you Cancer Coalition Philippines for recognizing our efforts in the passage of RA 11215, the National
Integrated Cancer Control Act, a law that aims to make cancer treatment and care more affordable and
accessible,. #AlagangAngara
#AlagangTootsy at the Job Fair sa Araw ng Manggagawang Pilipino, in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Congratulations sa Public Employment Service Office at Munisipyo ng Bocaue Bulacan sa pangunguna ni
Mayora Joni Villanueva-Tugna.
Noong 2015 ipinasa ang Expanded PESO Act na ating isinulong. Sinigurado nito na sa bawat probinsya,
lungsod, at munisipyo, tulad ng Bulacan, ay may libreng tulong para sa trabaho mula sa mga Public
Employment Service Office o mga PESO. #AlagangAngara #PHVote