Sonny Angara

Harvard-educated lawyer Sonny Angara has built a career dedicated to advancing education, healthcare, and social welfare in the Philippines. Beginning as Aurora province’s representative in 2004, he served three terms in the House before being elected senator in 2013. In July 2024, he assumed the role of Secretary of Education, where his leadership is driving transformative change across the national education system.

In 2025, Angara oversaw the implementation of the Department of Education’s 5-Point Reform Agenda, which strengthens teacher training, modernises curricula, upgrades learning environments, improves governance, and expands access to quality education. Key initiatives include the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum, the ARAL programme for early-grade remediation, and the Education Center for AI Research (E-CAIR), enabling more effective, technology-driven learning. Public-private partnerships have addressed critical classroom shortages, while mental health and wellness programmes are being scaled nationwide.

Angara has also guided the development of a 10-year Education Reform Roadmap under the Quality Basic Education Development Plan, ensuring sustained progress beyond any single administration. His vision is an education system where every learner is seen, supported, and prepared to succeed—anchored in excellence, compassion, and national pride.

Married to media executive Tootsy Echauz-Angara, he continues to exemplify leadership grounded in empathy, collaboration, and a long-term commitment to the nation’s future.