Sen Angara plans amendments to economic provisions before July SONA

Senator Sonny Angara plans to sponsor amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution in the Senate plenary before President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

The subcommittee on Resolution of Both Houses RBH No. 6, chaired by Angara, has invited more resource persons from the higher education sector to continue discussions and aims to complete talks by October to facilitate a concurrent Charter change plebiscite with the 2025 elections.

RBH No. 6 seeks to amend provisions related to public utilities, education, and advertising, aligning with Marcos' directive for the Senate to review proposals easing restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution.

Among the proposed amendments is Article XIV on opening up higher educational institutions to full foreign ownership, a move that has raised concerns about its potential impact on basic education.

Angara emphasized the need for greater precision in the language of any proposed amendment and assured that the measure only aims to tackle higher education while keeping basic education in Filipino hands.