RE-ELECT ED ANGARA FOR SENATOR!!!
A legislator, educator, lawyer, banker, farmer, patron of the arts, former Secretary of Agriculture and former Executive Secretary, Senator Edgardo J. Angara, more popularly known as Edong, has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Baler, Aurora. And in all of these, Angara has stood out and made his mark, rising up the ladder of the law profession, the academe, and public service to emerge as one of the country's top leaders.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines (Bachelor of Laws, 1958), and the University of Michigan (Master of Laws, 1964), he founded in the early 70's what eventually became the country's most prestigious law firm- the Angara, Concepcion, Cruz, Regala and Abello Law Offices, better known as ACCRA Law.
Angara gained recognition during his stint as President of the University of the Philippines from 1981 to 1987, where he defended the University's academic freedom and significantly improved its financial and human resources. In his term, he raised the salaries of the deserving U.P. faculty and staff and upgraded all the facilities making U.P. a world class University.
His achievements as U.P. President and his active involvement in the citizens group NAMFREL during the 1986 snap elections pushed Angara to national prominence. He placed 5th in the senatorial election in 1987, the first free election after martial law, and was named "the No. 1 Senator" of the 8th Congress by the UP Institute of Strategic and Development Studies.
In the 1992 senatorial elections, Angara placed 3rd, and from 1993 to 1995 served as Senate President, the third highest post in the land.
During his term as Senate President, the chamber was an activist and reformist institution, pushing the passage of over a hundred laws that turned the economy around and created the environment for economic dynamism and growth.
As a legislator, Angara has authored and sponsored many landmark laws in education, health, the arts, culture, social welfare, economics and agriculture.
There is free high school education for every Filipino in the country because of Angara, who authored the Free High School Act. He also authored another landmark law in education, the GASTPE or Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education.
Angara, known as "Mr. Education", also headed the Congressional Commission on Education that restructured and instituted major reforms in the country's educational system.
Two laws sponsored by Angara created the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), enabling the Department of Education to focus on basic education for the Filipino.
For the welfare of the elderly, he authored the Senior Citizens Act, now known as The Angara Law, which grants benefits for the country's more than seven million senior citizens, such as discounts in drugstores, restaurants, transportation, and even in movie houses.
Angara has also authored the Generics Drug Law, the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers, the Breast Feeding Act and the law that created PHILHEALTH, the national health insurance program.
A committed patron of the arts, Angara was responsible for the creation of the new National Museum and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. The law on the country's National Living Treasures, also authored by him, bestows great honor on the Filipino folk and traditional artists.
Angara, an anti-corruption crusader, principally authored and sponsored the Government Procurement Reform Act. The country's biggest anti-corruption measure in history, this law will save the government about 22 billion pesos a year, which can be used to build more classrooms and other infrastructure.
He has shepherded the landmark Absentee Voting Law, giving millions of overseas Filipinos the right to vote in the elections, when he was Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
A staunch environmentalist, Angara was the principal author of the NIPAS Act or the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, the most important piece of environmental legislation, which has greatly ensured the preservation of our country's natural resources. He has also been consistently for a total log ban, voting for it in the Senate.
Angara once again proved to be an excellent leader when he became the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. Under his stewardship, the agricultural sector made dramatic strides as the government, after years of neglect, made agriculture the number one priority for development.
Food security, research and development, seed and crop production became the hallmarks of his programs. Angara fought hard for the welfare of the country's farmers and fisherfolk and ardently pushed for the entry of Philippine agricultural products in international markets.
Even today, under the present administration, the strides recently achieved by the agricultural sector for the country's economy are largely attributed to Angara's leadership.
He served briefly as the Executive Secretary of President Joseph Estrada, and was one of the few committed officials who stayed with President Estrada until the very end. Angara, because of his unwavering commitment to serve the country, was responsible for the peaceful transition of power after Edsa 2.
Before joining the Estrada cabinet on May 25, 1999, he served as Chairman of the Philippine National Bank.
He was again elected Senator of the Philippines in the May 2001 elections, garnering the most number of votes among the opposition. In the current Congress, Angara continues to promote very important measures such as Political Party Reform Act and the Corporate Recovery Act, as well as issues concerning the environment and natural resources.
Angara is a highly regarded Filipino leader by the international community. Over the past several years, he has represented the country in many important international conferences and congresses. He was elected to the International Executive Board of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), representing Asia. Just recently, Angara was elected the first president of the South East Asia Parliamentarians Against Corruption or SEAPAC.
Today, Senator Edgardo J. Angara continues to advocate issues that seek to give every Filipino a fighting chance.
He is married to Gloria Manalang Angara, the former chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. They have four children. In 2004, his only son, Juan Edgardo, was elected to Congress, representing his home province of Aurora.
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President of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) 1981-87
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Outstanding Senator
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Chairman of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)
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Senate President 1993-95
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As Senate President, he pushed hard for the passage of key structural reforms that turned the economy around and laid down the environment for economic dynamism and growth.
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Served as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Executive Secretary in the Estrada Administration.
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Today, he is considered as the Leader of the Opposition.
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As a legislator, he has authored and pushed for significant laws in education, health, agriculture and social welfare.
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Among his landmark legislation are the following:
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Free High School Education Act
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Senior Citizens Act, better known as The Angara Law
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Procurement Reform Act (biggest anti-corruption law in history)
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PHILHEALTH (National Health Insurance Act)
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Absentee Voting Law
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NIPAS Act (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act)
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Magna Carta for Public Health Workers
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Generics Drug Law
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Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA)
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Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE)
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Breast Feeding Act
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Acts Creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
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He is currently pushing for major legislative measures such as the Political Party Reform Act, Magna Carta for Social Workers, Corporate Recovery Act, Credit Information System Act, Land Administration Reform Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act.
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