12-hour power interruption in Nueva Ecija and Aurora this Sunday

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, October 6, 2012-The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced Thursday that certain parts of Nueva Ecija and Aurora towns will be experiencing a 12-hour power interruption this Sunday, October 7.

NGCP Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Officer Lilibeth Gaydowen said, “Patrons of Nueva Ecija Electric Cooperative II in the towns of Talavera, Sta. Rosa, Bongabon, and Natividad and customers of Aurora Electric Cooperative in the municipality of San Luis will have power outage from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

“This power outage will make way for the annual preventive maintenance and testing of power transformers and its associated equipment, and simultaneously repair and maintenance of selected line hardwares along the affected transmission line segments,” Gaydowen added.

Normal operations will immediately resume after work completion. (Joelyn G. Baluyut)

MORE INCENTIVES FOR BIOFUEL R&D SAYS ANGARA

MANILA, October 5, 2012-During the recent Department of Energy (DOE) budget hearing, Senator Edgardo J. Angara renewed his call for more support for research and development (R&D) on  alternative fuels, eyeing it as a new economic venture for the country. 

Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, spoke in response to the DOE saying that they affiliate their biofuel programs with state universities and colleges (SUCs) depending on the resources within their region.

"We have to provide incentives, monetary if necessary to existing SUCs especially when we are facing problems with sources of biofuel in the country.  These SUCs can provide us with R&D and a more focused approach in solving problems," said Angara. 

He explained that one of the many problems is the perennial battle between food and non-food biofuel producers. 

The veteran lawmaker continued,"If the government will support us in our efforts, we can convince producers to dedicate more of their energy in producing biofuel thus increasing the country's biofuel supply by 5 percent like the DOE suggested."  

Noting that biodiesel and biofuels are priced at a premium level compared to fossil fuels like gasoline, Angara explained that the country can consider exporting to markets in Brazil, India, China and Canada if excess supply is generated.  

DOE Sec. Jose Rene Almendras admitted that the awarding of incentives for R&D stopped a few years ago. 

Angara concluded, "There is a need for government to intensify efforts especially on R& D on biofuel. This is crucial since we need to encourage producers with incentives to address high initial cost of producing and inventing devices for production of biofuel. "

Angara, who is also Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), authored the Biofuels Act of 2006 (RA 9367) and the Renewable Energy Law (RA 9513). (Rikka Sotto w/ Anna Amores)

Legarda Underscores Filipino Teachers’ Multifaceted Role as World Celebrates Teachers’ Day

MANILA, October 5, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda underscored the multifaceted role of Filipino teachers as countries worldwide celebrate World Teachers’ Day today.

“Our teachers are primarily the second parents of our children. But they have fulfilled other roles in our society. Our teachers are the most reliable and dedicated public servants. They are being constantly called upon by officials of the local and national government to assist in various civic activities which contribute to the welfare of the community and the country, most notable of which is when they perform their functions during election period, and assist the National Statistics Office in gathering data even in the remotest places,” Legarda stressed.

The Senator noted that as educators, Filipino teachers already have a load of work as based on statistics of Department of Education for school year 2010-2011, more than 615,000 teachers are serving over 21 million primary and secondary students.

“As we pay tribute to our teachers, I stress once more the need to pursue the changes we eagerly want for our teachers because despite their significant contributions to the country, teachers, especially those in public schools, remain among the lowest paid government workers,” she pointed out.

“Teachers are considered the heart of our educational system, heralded as the molders of our children’s future, and among the most prized leaders of the country. It is only fitting that they be respected, protected, and given the privileges that they deserve including better compensation packages and other benefits,” Legarda said.

Legarda is the author of Senate Bill 10 of the Magna Carta of Teachers and Non-Teaching Personnel Act. This proposed measure seeks to ensure teachers and non-teaching personnel the security of tenure, timely payment of their salaries on a monthly basis regardless of semestral or summer vacations, annual salary adjustment to mitigate the effects of inflation, and gratuity benefits for those who retire before reaching the compulsory retirement age of 60.

P-Noy to witness oath taking, proclamation of LP bets in Pampanga today

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga October 5, 2012-President Benigno Aquino III will witness today the oath taking and proclamation of Liberal Party (LP) 2013 midterm election bets in Pampanga at Heroes Hall in City of San Fernando.

 

The oath taking will be administered by Transportation and Communications Secretary and acting LP President Joseph Emilio Abaya.

 

Prior to the event, Aquino will inspect the on-going construction of the nearby school building of City College of San Fernando that will be completed by the end of October.

 

 

The P100 million edifice has four-floors and will accommodate students taking tertiary degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM), Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Business Administration, and Information Technology.

 

The Chief Executive shall likewise be briefed on three other major projects of the city government of San Fernando namely Lazatin Fly-Over, Sagip-Ilog, and Tail Dike Breaching and Re-Channeling of Gugu Creek.

 

One of the oldest political parties in the Philippines, LP was founded on January 19, 1946 by former President Manuel Roxas.

 

Roxas formed it from what was once the “Liberal Wing” of the old Nacionalista Party.

 

Three more LP members would later be elected President:  Elpidio Quirino, Diosdado Macapagal and Aquino.

 

Two other former Chief Executives of the land came from the ranks of LP, being former members of the Party that chose to follow a different path and joined Nacionalista- Ramon Magsaysay and Ferdinand Marcos. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)

On the Philippine Stock Exchange Index’s latest record high

MANILA, October 4, 2012-Today, the Philippine Stock Exchange Index reached another record high of 5,443.74 points. This marks the 46th time the PSEi has broken its own record in 26 months.

This latest record-breaker is proof positive of confidence in the vibrancy and dynamism not only of our local bourse, but in the Philippines as an investment destination and a growing market. This bullishness in our stock market is in marked contrast to the uncertainty in other markets. It serves as market validation of good governance as the enabler of more inclusive economic growth. It offers continued prospects of a full-scale turnaround of our country.

The Aquino administration continues its efforts to provide the basis for enduring confidence: both by foreign investors and Filipinos. We continue the commitment we share with our citizens to enact reforms that matter, and to achieve lasting change by strengthening our institutions so that they are empowered to continue the virtuous cycle, which we fully believe will allow us to reach even more record highs in the future.

KIKO: BAMBOO INDUSTRY PROPAGATION WILL NEED FULL SUPPORT FROM GOV’T

MANILA, October 3, 2012-Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan urges the government to provide the country's farmers with the necessary technology and support to boost the Philippines' bamboo industry export output. The global demand is currently greater than the supply, and is expected to grow higher in the coming years.

“The global demand for bamboo is now at $10 billion. One would think that we should be among the top exporters of this 'wonder plant', but 69 percent of our bamboo exports come from natural stands in the forests. We must encourage our farmers to engage in bamboo cultivation to boost our output.”

Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, says that the government must cultivate and leverage the country's natural resources as a means of generating jobs and incomes to Filipinos.

China is currently the world's leading exporter of bamboo, with a 50 percent market share. The Philippines ranks sixth.

“We are doing so little with our natural bounty. Here we have global demand for bamboo, which grows well in our soil and climate, yet we are yet again ill-prepared to meet market needs when this industry could very well provide good jobs for our people. We need not reinvent the wheel, so to speak, in coming up with solutions to give our people jobs and increase their incomes. We could very well be sitting on a gold mine, but we need to act fast and act smart to take advantage of the opportunities.”

Pangilinan says that the committee will look into next steps and proposals to boost the sector's growth and sustainability.

“Fight floods through community action” – Legarda

MANILA, October 3, 2012-In light of the heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Marce, Senator Loren Legarda today reminded local communities that they are the first line of defense against widespread flooding in Metro Manila, and urged the heightened implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

“Heavy rainfall does not need to result in the extreme inconveniences we experience today. Communities, made up of vigilant and proactive individuals, can and should implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 to collectively build the country’s resilience to the devastating effects of climate change,” she said.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and author of the said law, noted that the monsoon rains last August submerged 80% of Metro Manila in floodwater, leaving 92 dead and more than half a million Filipinos displaced, a disaster that should not happen again.

“No amount of infrastructure will be able to solve this problem if we do not comply with our environmental laws. What we need to do is to alter the mindset of our people, step by step, barangay by barangay. We need to have information campaigns to increase awareness about what each and every Filipino can do. Waste segregation facilities, cleanup drives, and recycling centers are easy to set up and maintain,” she explained.

The Senator, also the UN Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, added that the new People's Survival Fund (PSF) law has been passed, giving better access to resources for those who combat the effects of climate change, especially in the grassroots.

“Through the PSF, barangays and LGUs will be better equipped to bring into fruition climate change strategies, especially for flood prevention and mitigation, within the context of community-based realities,” she concluded.

Early 2013 budget approval, assured

MANILA, October 3, 2012-Senator Franklin M. Drilon today said the Senate remains committed to passing the proposed P2.006-trillion 2013 national budget before the year ends as the Committee of Finance will be wrapping up its hearings on the individual budgets of departments in the next two weeks.

The committee’s chairman also said he expects the House of Representatives will submit its version of the proposed budget to the Senate before Congress takes a short break in the third week of October.

His committee, likewise, will formally submit the 2013 budget for the Senate floor deliberations by the second week of November.

“The budget is the most important piece of legislation the Congress is duty-bound to pass on time. Even if there are still pending measures such as the Sin Tax bill, the budget will not be put aside,” stressed Drilon.

“We will not allow any delay in the approval of the budget. We are committed to pass the budget on time in order to enable the government to implement its crucial projects and programs especially infrastructure at the start of the year to take advantage of good weather in the early months,” said Drilon.

“A delayed budget approval translates to a delayed service for the people, especially the poor and marginalized sector in the society,” he added.

“We plan to submit the budget to the President by the second week of December,” he noted.

So far, Drilon said, the committee was able to hear the proposed budgets of all key departments except for the Departments of Transportation and Communication, Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Energy.

Likewise, he said the Committee has approved and will submit all the budgets of the departments they have already heard except for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Commission on Elections, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority whose budgets are yet to be approved. 

Legarda Pushes for Greater Protection for Newborns as 9M Children Die Every Year

MANILA, October 2, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today stressed the need to provide greater protection for newborns, stressing that nine million children worldwide die every year before they reach the age of five.

In her speech at the 10^th Newborn Screening Convention, Legarda,  said that while under-five mortality rate in the Philippines has declined by 60% in the past 16 years from 80 deaths in 1990, to 32 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006, the government needs all the help and support it can get to save Filipino children from unnecessary death, especially with only three years left until the deadline to meet the Millennium Development Goals that include reducing child mortality to 26.7 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2015 .

“I believe that the target for the 2015 Millennium Development Goals is within arm’s reach for as long as we develop a concerted front against premature deaths brought about by lack of information or apathy,” she pointed out.

“Our children and the children of the next generation need not suffer from severe mental retardation, cataract, anemia, kernicterus, and even death when they could lead normal lives,” she added.

The Senator lauded the Newborn Screening Society of the Philippines for unceasingly supporting the government in its healthcare agenda and providing an opportunity among advocates and practitioners to discuss ways by which the nation can further the cause of children’s health.

Legarda also welcomed the 26.4 percent increase in Newborn Screening coverage as noted in a report conducted by the University of the Philippines, the National Institutes of Health, and the Newborn Screening Reference Center. But she stressed that the government can still do better by bridging the communication gap and expanding screening for Filipino newborns.

“We have a chance to change the course of history and touch the lives of millions of Filipino. With a united front against child mortality, I am confident that we will succeed in giving these children a chance to live. There is no greater weapon, than a nation united by a common goal,” Legarda concluded.

Who is Senator Angara?

BALER, Aurora, October 1, 2012-“No statesman of this generation has authored and implemented more far-ranging reforms than Senator Edgardo J. Angara,” says the business magazine BizNews Asia. “His reforms for education, agriculture, healthcare, anti-graft, senior citizens, and the economy have made life significantly much better for many Filipinos and laid the foundation for future growth for the country.”

Indeed, many of the laws he has crafted are called landmark and milestones. His prolific track record and solid performance spring from a rich background as an educator, lawyer, banker, farmer and patron of the arts.

Beginnings

The man who would become Senator Edgardo Javier Angara was born in Baler, Aurora on September 24, 1934, the sixth of ten children to Juan and Juana Angara. His parents were both graduates of the UP-PGH and were the first health workers in Baler. From their example, Angara learned to value healthcare, education and public service.

Angara graduated valedictorian from Baler Elementary School. He continued his secondary education at Roosevelt High School in San Juan, Rizal, where he was a school paper editor-in-chief and class valedictorian.

He went to the University of the Philippines College as an entrance scholar, and pursued his dream to be a lawyer. He graduated among the top of his law class in 1958 and passed the bar the following year. Afterward he joined the law firm Ponce-Enrile Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Belo Law Offices.

Angara did further studies in law. He was first granted a Columbia Law School Scholarship, but he accepted the University of Michigan DeWitt Fellowship, where he obtained his Master of Laws degree majoring in labor and corporate laws.

Early career

With leadership and service in his blood, Angara was elected delegate of Quezon province to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. At only 36 years old, he was one of the youngest delegates, and made his mark for proposing a parliamentary system of government, democratizing ownership of public utilities and creating an independent judiciary.

A year later, in 1972, with an enterprising group of law classmates, they founded the ACCRA Law Offices, dubbed the first Filipino law firm for catering to Filipino entrepreneurs, and has since been one of the country's top law firms.

While in corporate practice, he served in the boards of many leading companies, including San Miguel, RCBC, Insular Life and IBM.

The success of Angara’s law career made his rise to the pinnacle of the legal profession little surprise. In 1975, he was elected president of the Philippine Bar Association, the oldest voluntary bar society in the country, and in 1979, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the unified association of lawyers, demonstrating his emergence as one of the most prominent leaders of the Bar.

His visionary leadership reached the international arena. He was instrumental in persuading the Bar organizations in Southeast Asia to come together and form the ASEAN Law Association (ALA), one of the largest regional law associations in the world. Elected founding president, he envisioned the ALA as a transnational lawyers’ union committed to the goals of the ASEAN and cooperation among its member states.

A turning point in his career in the public eye was his term as president of the University of the Philippines (UP)  from 1981 to 1987. He was described as a “resolute technocrat” and a “tough-minded leader”.

Under his leadership, a multi-campus university organization was established, a common General Education program for all campuses introduced, a seven-year honors medical curriculum installed, and fiscal autonomy obtained. It was also during his presidency when he worked for the establishment of the Philippine Rice Research Institute and was henceforth called the “Father of PhilRice”.

“Angara’s administration’s solutions to the university’s problems would later go on the record as unprecedented and unsurpassed ... credited with the signal achievement of rationalizing the transformation of UP into a system of autonomous universities,” states an official chronicle of his presidency entitled At the Helm of UP.

Angara also rallied alumni in the country and abroad behind a massive fundraising drive both for UP’s diamond jubilee in 1983 and centenary in 2008, when he chaired the UP Centennial Commission. Massive funds raised went into faculty development, scholarships, student assistance program, and infrastructure development.

The UP Board of Regents honored him with the UP President Edgardo J. Angara Fellowship, the largest single grant available to UP professors.

At the height of the political turmoil arising from the assassination of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 1983, Angara was invited to join the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) as Board Member and later Chairperson to lead the watch over the 1984 Constitutional Plebiscite.

Legislative career

Angara’s foray into politics was upon the invitation of President Corazon C. Aquino, who personally invited him to join her senatorial slate. “Ed Angara is the face of decent politics abroad,” she once said. He placed 5^th in the 1987 senatorial elections in spite of being a political neophyte.

The Philippine Star says that, through his legislative work, he has dramatically changed the lives of all Filipinos “from womb to tomb.”

Angara earned the title “Mr. Education” for taking up the cause of education reform, neither dramatic nor headline-grabbing but to him was vital to quality of life and nation-building.

He authored the joint resolution creating the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM), and headed it. Through its landmark report “Making Education Work, An Agenda for Reform”, EDCOM restructured the country’s educational system.

Angara also sponsored the laws which created the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority, both of which enabled the Department of Education to focus on its main concern: basic education.

His were among the most groundbreaking laws on education: the Free High School Act; the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE), the country’s biggest scholarship program to this day; the Philippine Teachers’ Professionalization Act; the Fair and Equitable Access to Education Act[1]; the Science and Technology Scholarship Fund; the Higher Education Modernization Act; and most recently the Kindergarten Education Act, which institutionalizes learning during the most critical years of a child’s development.

Health was another major advocacy of Angara. He authored the Senior Citizens, one of our most enduring laws on social welfare, as well as its succeeding expanded act; the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers; the Breastfeeding Act; the Generics Act; and the National Health Insurance Act which created the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) providing social health insurance for all Filipinos.

Angara has consistently shown deep commitment for the promotion of culture and the arts as the author and sponsor of the laws creating the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the new National Museum and the Natatanging Manlilikha ng Bayan Award, the equivalent of the National Artist Award for Filipino folk and traditional artists.

He authored the National Book Publishing Industry Development Act; the National Cultural Heritage Law to protect the country’s tangible and intangible heritage, and set up Sentro Rizal around the world; and the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act, for which Spain’s Congreso de los Diputados and Senado separately passed parliamentary resolutions thanking the Philippines.

National Artist F. Sionil Jose said Angara “showed himself to be the national leader most actively engaged and committed to our cultural uplifting.

Agriculture and countryside development were also very close to Angara’s heart, having grown up in Baler. He authored the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), which created a special purpose fund called the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) that makes credit available to small farmers and fisherfolk, as well as the Magna Carta for Small Farmers, which empowers small-scale subsistence farmers, cooperatives and independent farmers’ organizations. During his term as UP President, he created spearheaded the creation of the Philippine Rice Research Institute.

Angara, a firm believer in the power of strong institutions to eradicate corruption and promote good governance, has authored or sponsored relevant landmark pieces of legislation, namely the Ombudsman Law, the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Salary Standardization Law, the GOCC Governance Act and the internationally lauded Procurement Reform Act. He also sponsored the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, and co-sponsored the Anti-Red Tape Act and the law strengthening the Office of the Solicitor General.

Angara has endeavored to lay down the groundwork for sustainable economic growth through banking and financial markets reform. He revised the charters of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Pag-Ibig Fund.

To deepen the country’s capital markets, Angara initiated the Personal Equity And Retirement Account (PERA) and the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). He sought to establish the regulatory framework of pre-need firms through the Pre-Need Code, as well as increase access to credit through the Credit Information System Act. His Financial Rehabilitation and Insolvency Act (FRIA) updated the country’s 100-year-old law on bankruptcy.

His National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act has made the Philippines compliant with the standards on biological diversity management and protection set under various international conventions, such as the World Heritage Convention and the ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Ever the visionary, Angara sought to create the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), which now serves as the primary proponent of science, technology and research and development in the country. In this regard, he has pushed for the passage of the Biofuels Act, the Technology Transfer and the Renewable Energy Law, touted as one of the finest models of clean energy legislation in Asia.

Most recently passed were the triumvirate of ICT bills he authored or sponsored—Data Privacy, Cybercrime Prevention and creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)—that will serve as the foundation of a knowledge and technology-based economy.

Angara was elected Senate President at a crucial time (1992-1995). Against a backdrop of uncertainty, Angara was instrumental in uniting Congress and the Executive. He strived for cooperation and consensus to avoid disastrous deadlocks by introducting the Legislative and Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). Former Senator Ernesto Herrera credited Angara for institutionalizing planning for the legislative agenda ahead of the official session of Congress.

Angara strived to build a purposeful and working Senate. During his term, the chamber passed more than 500 laws, 130 of which were reform measures including the creation of an independent Central Bank (New Central Bank Act). His tenure remains one of the most outstanding to date, according to the Social Weather Stations survey.

Having been elected to four consecutive terms (1987-1998 and 2001-present), Angara is the longest serving Senator in the post-EDSA era.

He also remains the chairman of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the only political party to which he belongs since 1995.

Executive positions

Angara remained productive during the mandatory term break. He first served as chairman of the Philippine National Bank (1998-1999). Though a brief tenure, he managed to institute an equitable profit-sharig scheme for the bank’s rank and file employees—a first in the bank’s history. He also put up a non-contributory pension fund and expedited a Collective Bargaining Agreement that had been dragging on for two years. Overall, PNB posted a strong performance and was the most trusted bank of OFW’s and small depositors.

As Secretary of Agriculture from 1999 to 2001, Angara came full circle in his efforts to make the sector more competitive. He successfully steered efforts toward food security and improved productivity. He invested in R&D and massive education and training programs for agricultural scientists and technologists, sending over 150 Filipino scholars to US universities under the DA-Fulbright program he enacted. He also undertook a comprehensive improvement of the national irrigation network.

From 1993-1997, the real Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture, fishery and forestry only grew by 2.6 percent per year. From the beginning of his stint at the DA until 2004, average growth rate nearly doubled to 4.1 percent per year, on par with ASEAN.

His term also recorded the highest growth in corn production, increased farm incomes to match the cost of living, stabilized the price of rice and helped the fish and livelihood industry recover from a slump.

Angara’s stint as Executive Secretary (2001) lasted for a mere 14 days but was crucial in the peaceful transition of leadership from President Joseph Estrada to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, avoiding violence and death during the turbulent second people power revolution.

Honors and recognitions

The former Senator Blas F. Ople has called Angara a “national living treasure”.

As one of the country’s foremost intellectuals and academics, Angara has been bestowed several honoris causa from the Philippine Normal University, De La Salle University, Pangasinan State University, Southwestern University, Mindanao State University and the Don Mariano Marcos State University, among others.

His alma matter has honored him with the Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, while his home college UP Law gave him the Highest Professional Award.

Angara has also been conferred with the Commandeur dans l'ordre des Palmes medal, a citation given by the French Republic to individuals engaged in promoting excellence in higher education. He was also the first Filipino Lee Kuan Yew Fellow.

Angara has strived to rekindle the Philippines' historic ties with Spain and Mexico by pioneering the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act and the International Dia del Galeon celebration. These efforts earned him Spain’s Premio Casa Asia in 2010, making him the first Southeast Asian to win the foreign policy prize.

Likewise, he was chosen as the official representative of the Unión Latina, an organization consisting of 37 member-nations of the neo-latin languages, to the Philippines.

Angara was recently welcomed into the global fold of scholars as a Corresponding Academic Member of the prestigious Real Academia Hispano Americana De Ciencias, Artes Y Letras (Royal Hispano-American Academy of Science, Arts and Letters) based in Cadiz, Spain, the first Asian and non-Spanish speaker to be elected as such.

His drive for good governance enjoys international support. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) and was elected its Vice Chair during the group's 4th Global Conference in Mexico City in 2011.

True to being a trailblazer, he led the formation of the South East Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) and was elected its charter president in 2005. Because of his untiring commitment, GOPAC chose the Philippines as the host of its next biennial conference in 2013 which will bring together more than 500 members of parliament from 50 countries.

For being a reformer of unequalled skill and zeal, Angara was named by PeopleAsia magazine as one of the People of the Year 2011-2012.

Continuing legacy

After decades in public service, Angara is not displaying signs of slowing down.

He pioneered the Oh My Gulay! (OMG!) campaign to jumpstart school and backyard in the hopes of encouraging young students to eat fruits and vegetables.

He is also the Vice President of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI) in the recent concluded organization’s biennial Leaders' Meeting in Rome, Italy.

In his hometown of Baler, he has built an Artists Village, the first of its kind in the Philippines and even in the whole of Southeast Asia.

A voracious reader, Angara has channeled his interests toward writing his own books. Together with esteemed writer and curator Sonia P. Ner, he has co-authored beautiful yet scholarly coffeetable books: Baler, Mapping the Philippines, Manuel Luis Quezon, Aurora Aragon Quezon, and soon a monumental book on the Galleon Trade.

Angara is married to Gloria Manalang Angara, a social science teacher and former Chair of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. They have four children: eldest daughter Anna; only son Sonny, who has his own brood, Manolo, Ines and Javier, with wife Tootsy; daughter Katya who has a daughter Alegra with husband Anthony; and youngest daughter Alex.

Angara will be remembered for making a difference in the lives of ordinary Filipinos, for contributions that are measurable, not merely rhetorical.

As Nick Joaquin, the Grand Old Man of Philippine Literature, wrote, "If clothes make the man, laws make the solon, for his product describes the lawmaker. On that rule it can be assumed of Senator Edgardo J. Angara that he has range and relevance.” (Jason de Asis)

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KIKO WELCOMES BAM AQUINO INTO LP SLATE, SAYS HE WILL "BREATHE FRESH LIFE" INTO PUSH FOR REFORMS

MANILA, October 1, 2012-Speaking at the proclamation event of the Liberal Party Senate slate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan welcomed Benigno “Bam” Aquino into the official Senate slate and said that the younger Aquino will "breathe fresh life into the Aquino administration's push for reforms."

"Bam is a welcome addition not just to the LP Senate slate, but also to the Liberal Party itself, as we are confident that his youth, his dynamism, and his innovative ideas would help to reinvigorate the party," Pangilinan said.

Aquino, 35, is the youngest LP senatorial candidate for the 2013 elections. He was chairman of the National Youth Commission from 2003 to 2006--also the youngest to occupy the post at the time--and is a multi-awarded social entrepreneur for the social enterprise, Hapinoy.

“Bam represents a new breed of Filipinos who look at society's problems and say, 'What else can be done about this? What new approaches can we take? How can we do things better?' We need precisely that kind of mindset and that kind of reform candidate as we push good governance and accountability to greater heights in this administration,” Pangilinan said.

The lawmaker also earlier pointed out that a broad coalition was welcome as long as “it's clear that it is PNoy calling the shots.” 

“What is foremost in the 2013 elections is for more reforms to be institutionalized, and for the Aquino administration's good governance policies to be continued. We cannot sustain our current growth pattern if we go back to our old ways, so candidates such as Bam and all those who will embrace the President's reform agenda are what this country needs in order to achieve developed nation status in a decade and a half. There is no other way to go but to keep pushing for reform, genuine change, and good governance.”

Loren Accepts PNoy’s Invitation Based on Principled Cooperation

MANILA, October 1, 2012-Anchored on the need to promote principled cooperation among leaders, Senatorial topnotcher Senator Loren Legarda has accepted the invitation of the President to be part of the LP/NPC/NP coalition in the midterm elections. The LP and NPC, Legarda’s party since 2007, signed a partnership agreement. Loren has also been adopted by the UNA as guest candidate earlier.

 

“I am accepting the personal invitation of the President to be part of the LP coalition as the NPC nominee in the slate because of the need for principled cooperation among leaders. I share the values of pro-inclusive growth, pro-people, pro-poor, pro-environment, pro-good governance, pro-women and pro-resilient development principles in our governance. I want to see genuine development aspirations to be felt by the people, a development agenda that transcends political boundaries. The present administration, in the next three years, has the capacity to achieve the development gains that the people deserve. Every working day of the remaining years of the Aquino administration counts and I trust that this cooperation will allow us to advance our shared advocacies with a sense of urgency,” she added.

 

“My loyalty is to the people who entrust their future to me, which is the biggest responsibility I bear and I want to fulfill everyday,” Legarda stressed.

 

“At the end of the day, I will be judged based on my track record, not so much on the political affiliation especially in a multiparty system like ours. It’s not about me – politicians or politics. Let us not lose sight of the fact that this election is about the people and their deliverance from poverty, corruption and disasters.”

 

On the filing of her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for the 2013 elections, Legarda said that she will highlight her green advocacy in her senatorial bid.

 

“Ang nagmamahal sa kalikasan ay nagmamahal sa mga mahihirap (Those who show love for the environment also show love for the poor),” she stressed, adding that she will continue to champion her green advocacy on the road to the May 2013 elections and beyond.

 

 “I will continue to spearhead tree-growing activities, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation workshops for local leaders and stakeholders, information and education campaign for the youth and green job fairs,” Legarda added.

 

Legarda has worked for the passage of laws and promotion of advocacies for the environment (Solid Waste Management law, Clean Air Act, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Climate Change Act, and People’s Survival Fund law), protection of women and children (Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, Magna Carta of Women, Anti-Child Labor Law, and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act), resilience of culture and rural livelihoods (Philippine Tropical Fabrics Law, Barangay Kabuhayan Act, and Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act), empowerment of indigenous peoples through support to Schools of Living Traditions, growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (Magna Carta for MSMEs), and promotion of every Filipino’s right to health (Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act, Food and Drug Administration Act, and Expanded Senior Citizens Act), all for the pursuit of a resilient Filipino society.