Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Manalang Angara (born July 15, 1972) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the 39th secretary of education since 2024. He previously served as a senator from 2013 to 2024 and as the representative of Aurora's lone district from 2004 to 2013. He is also the chairman of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the governing body of basketball in the Philippines, since 2016. He is also a member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino party, where he currently serves as the chairman.

Early life and education

Angara was born on July 15, 1972, in Manila to lawyer and former Senate President Edgardo Angara and Gloria Manalang-Angara, a teacher who would become chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He took up his basic education at Xavier School in San Juan, Metro Manila, then attended Douai School in the UK, and finished his Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations with honors from the London School of Economics. He finished his law degree at the University of the Philippines College of Law, and earned his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Early career

Angara worked as a trainee at the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) in Makati in 1991. He worked as a news reporter for The Philippine Star in 1992. He served as an apprentice and member of the delegation in the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York in 1994. He worked as an associate attorney at the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) law firm from 2001 to 2003. He taught as a professor at the New Era University (NEU) College of Law and at the Centro Escolar University (CEU) School of Law and Jurisprudence.

Political career

House of Representatives (2004–2013)

Angara was first elected to public office in 2004 as the representative to Congress for the lone district of Aurora, where he succeeded his aunt, Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo, a three-term representative and erstwhile governor of Aurora. Elected at age 31, he was one of the youngest members of the 13th Congress. He was a member of the House minority and served as House deputy minority leader, thereby becoming an ex officio member of all standing and special committees of the 13th Congress. He authored a number of laws of national significance and was able to focus on work in his constituency, where he used the funds allotted to his office to build over 100 classrooms and provided funds for indigent constituents in 12 government hospitals and hundreds of scholarships to deserving students at various state universities and colleges (SUCs). He also worked together with socio-civic groups on various projects and funded the creation of the Gawad Kalinga villages for the homeless in three of Aurora's municipalities and the provision of computers and Internet access to Aurora's public high schools, together with the GILAS Foundation, and access to vocational, skills, and livelihood training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other groups. He was elected to a second term as congressman in 2007, when he ran unopposed under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the same political party as in 2004. He served as deputy majority leader and vice chairman of the committee on rules, also as an ex officio member of all standing and special committees in the House during the 14th Congress (2007–2010). He was one of the remaining congressmen who offered aid to some of the wounded persons and personally took some of the survivors to the nearby Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation in Quezon City for treatment when a bomb was planted at the premises of the House of Representatives in 2008 which resulted in the death of Congressman Wahab Akbar and the death and serious wounding of other congressmen and congressional staffers. He topped the list of "prolific and hardworking members of the House of Representatives" for filing the most number of bills of national importance that were enacted into law in the 14th Congress. A report by the House Indexing and Monitoring Group of the Bills and Index Department showed that in the 14th Congress of 2007–2010, he, then deputy majority floor leader, filed 10 national bills that eventually became laws of the land. Angara was elected to a third term as congressman for Aurora in 2010. He was a signatory to the impeachment complaint against then-Chief Justice Renato Corona, which was signed by the 188 members of the Philippine House of Representatives in December 2011, was eventually adopted as the Articles of Impeachment, and was passed for consideration of the Senate impeachment court. He acted as deputy spokesperson of the House prosecution panel, together with Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada III, in the impeachment trial of the Chief Magistrate. As a three-term congressman, he authored several measures signed into law by the President of the Philippines, such as:

Senate (2013–2024)

Angara was elected to the Senate in 2013 and was reelected in 2019. He ran under the then-administration coalitions Team PNoy and Hugpong ng Pagbabago, respectively. He has sponsored or authored more than 200 laws in his nearly two decades of service as a legislator. In the 19th Congress (2022-2025), Angara has authored, co-authored and sponsored into law the following measures: In the 18th Congress, Angara chaired the Senate's Finance and Youth committees. As chairman of the Committee of Finance, he sponsored into law measures crucial to COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery: Other laws sponsored/authored in the 18th Congress (2019 onwards): Laws sponsored/authored in the 17th Congress (2016 to 2019): Laws sponsored/authored in the 16th Congress (2013 to 2016): Formerly, Angara was the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Angara has already worked for the enactment of: In the 16th Congress, Angara formerly chaired Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports, where he was actively pushing for greater support for Filipino athletes and competitiveness of national sports teams competing in international competitions. Through this committee, he has authored and sponsored the following laws: Angara was formerly acting chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources. He sponsored RA 10691 or the amended Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act, which aims to improve and strengthen PESOs' employment facilitation services to help more Filipinos land a job especially in rural areas and poorer municipalities, and RA 10706 or the Seafarers Protection Act, which protects Filipino seafarers from ambulance chasers, particularly lawyers, who charge excessive legal fees arising from accident, illness, or death of seafarers in the course of their service. In May 2024, Angara was among the six senators who voted to retain Migz Zubiri as Senate President. Zubiri was eventually ousted with 15 senators voting against him and replaced by Francis Escudero. The seven senators who did not vote for Escudero were collectively called "Magic 7," as they were also seatmates in the session hall. On May 22, Angara was named as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Secretary of Education (2024–present)

On July 2, 2024, President Bongbong Marcos announced the appointment of Angara as the next secretary of education, which would take effect on July 19. Angara succeeded Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned from the post on June 19, 2024. On July 18, Duterte officially turned over the post to Angara, who later resigned from the Senate, leaving his seat vacant until the 2025 election, unless the Senate calls for a special election. Angara formally took oath as education secretary on July 19. His appointment was later confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on August 7. Angara wanted the Department of Education to simplify teachers' performance review.

Personal life

Angara married ABS-CBN executive Tootsy Echauz in 2003; they have three children. On March 26, 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19. Angara was one of the first four highest-ranking government officials to have been infected with the SARS-CoV2 including Senators Migz Zubiri and Koko Pimentel, and AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr.. He then recovered from the disease. On May 2, 2020, Angara tested positive for COVID-19 again but has since recovered as well. Angara is a fan of the NBA team Boston Celtics.

Awards

Angara was one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines awardees for 2010. He received his trophy from President Benigno Aquino III in a ceremony held at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan. He was also a recipient of the Tanglaw ng Bayan 2011 award, the highest award given by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila to individuals with exemplary achievements in their respective fields. He was conferred honorary doctorate in law (honoris causa) by the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) in Iba, Zambales in November 2011. He was one of nine recipients of the Outstanding Manilan Award in 2017.