By Keziah G. Huelar

Sen. Sonny Angara addressing the CPU crowd during the 2018 Festival of Lights and Music.

Hon. Juan Edgardo Manalang Angara, widely known as Sen. Sonny Angara, visited CPU during its Festival of Lights and Music opening with the switching on of “Christ Lights @ Central” and induction of its CPU Alumni Association officers at the CPU Campus on December 7, 2018.

He, together with CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles; CPU Board of Trustees Chairperson, Atty. Von Lovel D. Bedona; CPUAAI President, Engr. Isagani J. Jalbuena; and other CPU and city and provincial executives switched on the Christmas lights and officially opened the 2018 Festival of Lights and Music @ Central.

With a deep love for Ilonggos, his wife, Elvira “Tootsy” Echauz-Angara, being an Ilongga, Sen. Angara shared his appreciation of the city and of CPU by familiarizing himself with the culture and history: “I love the warmth of the Ilonggo people. I feel very much welcomed here and I come here a lot. Today, I see how much [CPU] is an important part of the community because of its history and location.”

 The senator also commended the growth and development of the city, highlighting that so much has changed since his last visit to Iloilo: “There has been a renaissance in Iloilo, [it] has been known as the Queen City of the South and Iloilo and CPU have that history not many have.”

 As the Committee Chair of the Ways and Means and Local Government, Sen. Angara foresees more competitive workforce and industry that can compete in the ASEAN Region by providing more opportunities for investors: “We’re trying to lower corporate income taxes to attract more jobs. Our advantage is our people, our skilled young population. We want to be able to compete [among the] ASEAN [nations]. Especially [because we] have a common market, [we] can have a free market of goods and people.”

As a lawmaker, Sen. Angara makes it a goal to be informed of what is happening at the grass roots level: “You should have a good network of people in the locality. You just don’t rely on politicians. You also talk to civil organizations.”

Remembering his father, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, he talked about the late Angara’s influence as a public servant: “Many times, if I had a problem, I would think how [my dad would] approach the problem. His work ethic, his values, taught me that the job of a lawmaker is to open doors for people [so] that they can walk through. It’s up to them to walk through that door but you have to open doors that are closed to them. That’s the main thing my father taught me.”

 Sen. Angara is the co-author of  Republic Act 10653 which raises the take-home pay of Filipino workers by increasing the tax exemption cap for the 13th month pay and other benefits from P30,000 to P82,000; Republic Act 10708 or the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA)—a law that aims to promote transparency and accountability in the grant and administration of tax incentives to registered business entities; Republic Act 10754 or the VAT Exemption for Persons with Disability; RA 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act; the Free College Law and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System Act (UNIFAST); the Magna Carta for Women; and others.