Bella Angara

Last updated
The Honorable
Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo
Bella Angara.jpg
House Majority Leader
In office
November 13, 2000 –January 24, 2001

She finished her elementary education at the Baler Central School in 1952 and her secondary education at the Our Lady of Loreto College in Manila. She graduated as cum laude from the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City with her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence degrees in 1962. She was also offered a scholarship for the Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program, at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, United States in 1963. She was a participant in the Leaders in Development Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA in 2001.

Political career

She served as representative of the lone district of Aurora in the 10th to 12th Congress from 1995 to 2004. She was the first and only woman in the history of the Philippine Congress to become House majority floor leader. She enacted the greatest number of national bills into law among neophyte lawmakers and sectoral representatives during the 10th Congress. Among the national bills she authored that became landmark legislations were the Magna Carta for Women, the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act (Republic Act No. 9072), [3] the National Tourism Policy, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8293), [4] the National Museum Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8492), [5] the ECCD Act (Republic Act No. 8980), [6] the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208), [7] the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9225), [8] and the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9262). [9]

As congresswoman, she acted as representative of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) in the special session on ICPD +5 of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, USA (June 29-July 2, 1999); head of the congressional delegation to the People's Republic of China upon the invitation of the Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU) (June 26-July 3, 2000); congressional delegate to the study tour on population and development in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (September 10–16, 2000); chairperson of the sub-committee on Labor Relations of the Congressional Commission on Labor (LaborCom); member of the Congressional LaborCom; voting member of all standing and special committees; vice-chairperson of the committee on rules; senior deputy majority leader (July 1998- November 12, 2000); chairperson of the committee on rules (November 13, 2000 – January 24, 2001); majority leader (November 13, 2000 – January 24, 2001); senior deputy minority leader (January 25, 2005 – June 30, 2001); chairperson of the committee on tourism and economic affairs in the Commission on Appointments (CA) (August 1, 2001- December 31, 2002); co-chairperson of the Philippine Legislator's Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD); and deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives (2003-2004).

She was elected governor of the province of Aurora in 2004 and re-elected in 2007 and in 2010. As the local chief executive of her province, she served as assistant treasurer of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) (2010-2013), president of the Central Luzon Investment Coordinating Council/Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation, Inc. (CLICC-CLGFI) (2007-2013), and member of the national board of the LPP representing Central Luzon. Angara is widely recognized for her socioeconomic contributions and projects during her gubernatorial term.

She was elected representative of the lone district of Aurora in 2013 succeeding her nephew Senator Sonny Angara.

Awards

As representative of the lone district of Aurora for three consecutive terms (1995-2004), she received such distinctive awards as the Diamond Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession/Bar Practice given by the Portia Sorority of the UP College of Law (1994); Woman of Distinction awarded by the Soroptimist Club of Lucena City, Quezon; special citation given by Iota Tau International Legal Sorority Rho Chapter on June 10, 1995; one of the Five Outstanding Women in Law in the Philippines awarded by the Women Lawyers' Association of the Philippines; Outstanding FIDAN awarded by the Federacion Internacional de Abogadas (FIDA Philippine Branch, Inc.) on August 27, 1999; Woman Legislator Promoting Women's Agenda awarded by the National Centennial Commission, women sector, House committee on women, and the Ugnayan ng Kababaihan sa Pulitika in 1998; special citation for being the representative with the most number of national bills enacted into law among the neophyte congressmen and sectoral representatives during the 10th Congress; one of the Most Outstanding Congressmen of the 10th Congress awarded by the Congress Magazine, the Makati School of Journalism and Arts, and the FGTV News Production in 1999; one of the official honorees in the Who's Who in Philippine Nation-Building, 1999 Achievers and Awardees Special Yearbook, awarded by the special projects committee of the Golden Mother and Father Foundation (GMFF) and the Parangal ng Bayan Awards Foundation jointly with the National Consumers Council of the Philippines in 1999; one of the 1999 Golden Parents Awardees, Outstanding Parent Achiever of the Year, awarded by the National Family Week awards committee during the Parangal sa Pamilyang Pilipino '99, Family and Parents' Week awards and celebration; one of 1999 Thirty Most Outstanding Congressmen awarded by the Congress Magazine, the Makati School of Journalism and Arts, and the FGTV News Productions in 2000; most consistent outstanding congressman for three consecutive years, awarded by the Makati Graduate School on January 29, 2001; the Ginintuang Rosas Award as Most Outstanding Woman Civic Leader, given by the Laging Dumamay Foundation, Inc. in December 2000; the Congressional Hall of Fame awardee for having won four consecutive outstanding congressman awards since 1998 awarded by the Congress Magazine and the Makati Graduate School on February 6, 2002; and the Ulirang Ina awardee 2002 chosen by the National Mother's Day and Father's Day Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. [10]

As governor of the province of Aurora for three consecutive terms (2004-2013), she received such awards as the Kabalikat Award given by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) recognizing her all-out support to skills development and adult education as a measure to create job opportunities and sustainable livelihood among out-of-school youth and helpless rural households in the province of Aurora; Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive for her exemplary performance and support to social welfare and development initiatives awarded by the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI) at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City on September 26, 2007; Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive for her exemplary performance and support to social welfare and development initiatives, awarded by the ALSWDOPI at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on August 27, 2008; Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive in Region 3 for her great passion and dedication to service as exemplified by her extraordinary efforts and selfless contributions to Student Technologist Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP) awarded by the DepEd-STEP 7th STEP Competition in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on October 30, 2008; Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive (National Category) awarded by the STEP at the Teachers' Camp in Baguio on November 20, 2008; the Kabalikat Award (Policy Maker Partner Category) given by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Malate, Manila on March 18, 2009; Outstanding Culture-Friendly Local Government Official awarded during the World Theater Week recognition by the International Theater Institute and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) at the Malacañan Palace in Manila on March 27, 2009; the Gawad Parangal Hall of Fame, Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive for three consecutive years, awarded by the ALSWDOPI at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel on August 26, 2009; Best Performing Governor, Exemplary Performance on Youth Welfare and Development, awarded by the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 3 in Clark, Angeles City on September 24, 2009; the Gawad Kampeon ng Kabataang Pilipino (Local Government Category) conferred by the National Youth Commission (NYC) at the Malacañan Palace in Manila on December 10, 2009; special citation for achieving Universal Coverage under the Sponsored Program, given by the Philippine Health (PhilHealth) Insurance Corporation the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall in Pasay on February 12, 2010; Most Child-Friendly Public Servant, 1st National Council for Children's Television-Department of Education (NCCT-DepEd) Lingkod TV Awards, conferred by the NCCT and the DepEd at the Rajah Sulayman Theater at the Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila on December 28, 2010; special citations for efficient implementation of Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) [11] and for exemplary leadership in the effective governance of solid waste and natural resources, given by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), respectively, at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) session hall at the provincial Capitol in Baler, Aurora on June 24, 2011; the Seal of Good Housekeeping given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at the Oxford Hotel in Clark Field, Pampanga on October 19, 2011; the Local Government Unit of the Year 2011, 26th Apolinario Mabini Awards, conferred at the Malacañan Palace in Manila on October 24, 2011; Outstanding Government Official of the Philippines, International Award in Public Service, 18th Annual Chicago Filipino-American (CFA) Hall of Fame 2012, awarded by the CFA community at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Downtown in Chicago, Illinois, USA on April 28, 2012; the Lifetime Achievement Award (Female Category) given by the UP Alumni Association at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City on June 23, 2012; the Gawad Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) sa Natatanging Kababaihan sa Mabuting Pamamahala, Ikalimang Taon ng Gawad Quezon, awarded by the KWF at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila on August 24, 2012; [12] [13] and Most Supportive Governor in Region 3, awarded by the DSWD Field Office III in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on February 8, 2013.

Among the strategic milestones during her administration as governor include Aurora as the first province to pass Reproductive Health Care Code in the Philippines (2004); [14] the opening of the Aurora Rice Processing and Milling Complex (a grant project from the government of Korea) (2008); [15] the launching of the Aurora E-Village Project (2009); [16] the Mutya ng Pilipinas sa Aurora (2009); [17] the joint declaration of Aurora as an insurgency-free province (2010); [18] the opening of the People Empowerment and Advancement Center for Employment (PEACE) in Baler; [19] the Local Government Unit of the Year, 26th Apolinario Mabini Awards (2011); [20] the Seal of Good Housekeeping Award for the province of Aurora (2012); [21] the first decade celebration of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day (2012); [22] the celebration of the 33rd foundation anniversary of Aurora on February 19, 2012 with President Benigno S. Aquino III as the guest of honor; [23] the opening of the new Aurora Memorial Hospital (a grant project from the government of Japan) in Barangay Reserva, Baler; [24] the record-high increase by 1,030% of tourist arrivals in the province of Aurora; [25] Aurora as the province with the lowest crime rate in Central Luzon; [26] Aurora as the province with the largest forest cover in the entire Philippines; [27] Aurora as the top tourism destination in the Philippines; Aurora as the home of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO); [28] the establishing of the UP School of Health and Sciences Baler Campus; [29] the sisterhood agreement between the province of Aurora and the state of Guam; [30] and the improved road networks in the province of Aurora (construction of Baler-Casiguran Road and Canili-Pantabangan Road). [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora (province)</span> Province in Central Luzon, Philippines

Aurora, officially the Province of Aurora, is a province in the Philippines located in the eastern part of Central Luzon region, facing the Philippine Sea. Its capital is Baler and borders, clockwise from the south, the provinces of Quezon, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Isabela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Luzon</span> Administrative region of the Philippines

Central Luzon, designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, primarily serving to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plains of the island of Luzon, for administrative convenience. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Granary of the Philippines". Its provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. Pangasinan was formerly a province of Central Luzon before President Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1, 1972, incorporating it into Ilocos Region. Additionally, the province of Aurora was part of the defunct political region Southern Tagalog when the region was divided into Calabarzon and Mimaropa, upon the issuance of Executive Order No. 103, dated May 17, 2002, by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which transferred Aurora to Central Luzon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baler, Aurora</span> Capital of Aurora, Philippines

Baler, officially the Municipality of Baler, is a 3rd class municipality and capital of the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,785 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commission on the Filipino Language</span> Philippine government agency that regulates the Filipino national language

The Commission on the Filipino Language (CFL), also referred to as the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), is the official regulating body of the Filipino language and the official government institution tasked with developing, preserving, and promoting the various local Philippine languages. The commission was established in accordance with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orders, decorations, and medals of the Philippines</span> Philippine honors system

The orders and decorations conferred upon civilians and military personnel in the Republic of the Philippines are listed by orders of precedence. Philippine civilian orders and decorations are conferred by the President of the Philippines in his or her capacity as head of state. In certain instances, the conferment of certain orders and decorations requires the concurrence of the Congress of the Philippines, or of certain advisory bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilma Santos</span> Filipino actress and politician

Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto is a Filipino actress and politician. In a career spanning over six decades, she has played dramatic roles in film and television in the Philippines. She is widely referred as the "Star for All Seasons". She began her career as a child actress in the 1963 film Trudis Liit, for which she won her first FAMAS Award. She won the FAMAS Award for Best Actress for her dual role in Dama de Noche (1972). She has portrayed the superhero Darna in four films beginning with Lipad, Darna, Lipad! (1973). Santos produced Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak (1978), which won both the FAMAS Award for Best Picture and the Gawad Urian for Best Film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilasag</span> Municipality in Aurora, Philippines

Dilasag, officially the Municipality of Dilasag, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,102 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Aurora, Aurora</span> Municipality in Aurora, Philippines

Maria Aurora, officially the Municipality of Maria Aurora, is the only landlocked and 2nd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,958 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgardo Angara</span> President of the Senate of the Philippines from 1993 to 1995

Edgardo Javier Angara was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as Senate President from 1993 to 1995. Angara had the second longest tenure in the history of the Senate, serving four terms and a total of twenty-three years. As a legislator, Angara has championed numerous important laws and bills including the free high school law, the Senior Citizen discount law, and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Commission for Culture and the Arts</span> Philippine government agency for culture organization

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture; an executing agency for the policies it formulates; and task to administering the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA) – fund exclusively for the implementation of culture and arts programs and projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirilo Bautista</span> Filipino poet, critic and writer (1941-2018

Cirilo F. Bautista was a Filipino poet, critic and writer of nonfiction. A National Artist of the Philippines award was conferred on him in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Chatto</span> Filipino lawyer and politician

Edgardo Migriño Chatto, more commonly known as Edgar Chatto, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is currently the Representative of the 1st Legislative District of Bohol since 2019. He previously served in that position from 2001 to 2010. He served as Governor of the Province of Bohol for three terms from 2010 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Normal University</span> Public university in the Philippines

The Philippine Normal University is a public coeducational teacher education and research university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 through Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission "for the education of natives of the Islands in the science of teaching". It has campuses in Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9647, it is the country's National Center for Teacher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Angara</span> Filipino politician

Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Manalang Angara is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2013. He is also the chairman of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the governing body of basketball in the Philippines. He had previously served as the Representative of Aurora's lone district from 2004 to 2013. His father, Edgardo Angara, was the Senate President from 1993 to 1995.

Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day celebrates the strong links between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain every June 30. It commemorates the day when General Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic, issued a decree requiring the last Spanish soldiers who had been besieged for almost a year inside Baler's church be treated not as enemies and prisoners of war, but as friends. It also ordered that they receive the necessary permission for their return to Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino</span> Political party in the Philippines

The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a liberal political party in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Angara</span> Filipino politician and national awardee

Arturo J. Angara, otherwise known as Arthur Angara or AJA, was a Filipino politician, dentist, and national awardee for public service. He was the former national deputy secretary-general of and former national adviser for the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP). He was the longest-serving mayor of the municipality of Baler in the Philippine province of Aurora, with his terms of office covering a period of 18 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rommel T. Angara</span> Filipino politician

Rommel Rico Teh Angara, better known as Rommel T. Angara is a Filipino politician. He is the incumbent representative of the lone district of Aurora elected in May 2019. He was the acting governor of the province of Aurora from mid-2018 to early 2019. He was the vice governor of the same province from 2013 to 2019. As a former vice governor, he acted as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, or the provincial board or legislature, of Aurora province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David C. Suarez</span> Filipino politician

David Catarina Suarez is a Filipino politician. He is the incumbent Representative of the 2nd District of Quezon in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He previously served as governor of Quezon from 2010 to 2019, vice governor of Quezon from 2004 to 2007, and councilor of Unisan from 2001 to 2004.

References

  1. ↑ Result of the May 13, 2013 Elections in the Province of Aurora Archived December 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Sons and Daughters: Municipality of Baler (Aurora)
  3. ↑ Republic Act No. 9072 - The National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act
  4. ↑ Republic Act No. 8293 - The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines
  5. ↑ Republic Act No. 8492 - The National Museum Act of 1998 [ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ Republic Act No. 8980 - The ECCD Act
  7. ↑ Republic Act No. 9208 - the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003
  8. ↑ Republic Act No. 9225 - the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003
  9. ↑ Republic Act No. 9262 - the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004
  10. ↑ Salute to the 2012 CFA Hall of Famers
  11. ↑ Republic Act 9003 - Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000
  12. ↑ Gawad sa Natatanging Kababaihan Archived October 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo: Governor of the Province of Aurora
  14. ↑ Aurora to teach sex education in schools
  15. ↑ Korea-funded rice processing project cited
  16. ↑ "Aurora e-Village Project launched in Baler". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  17. ↑ After the film 'Baler,' Aurora now hosts Mutya ng Pilipinas
  18. ↑ Aurora declared insurgency-free
  19. ↑ The First in the Philippines: People Empowerment and Advancement Center for Employment (PEACE) School launched
  20. ↑ Winners of 26th Apolinario Mabini Awards announced
  21. ↑ DILG confers Seal of Good Housekeeping to all provincial gov’ts and HUCs in Central Luzon
  22. ↑ 1st decade celebration of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day kicks off
  23. ↑ Aquino leads 33rd Aurora province foundation anniversary celebration
  24. ↑ Japan-funded Aurora Memorial Hospital inaugurated
  25. ↑ Aurora's tourist arrivals surpass 2010 figures
  26. ↑ Aurora is Central Luzon's most peaceful province
  27. ↑ A paradise comes to its own
  28. ↑ Republic Act No. 9490 - An Act Establishing the Aurora Special Economic Zone in the Province of Aurora
  29. ↑ P154-million UP campus to rise in Aurora
  30. ↑ Aurora inks pact with Guam municipalities
  31. ↑ Aurora gets P1-B allocation for concreting of roads in tourist spots
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.