Hon. Edgardo J. Angara delivers St. Thomas More Lecture 2014Hon. Edgardo Javier Angara, former Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines delivered the 46th St. Thomas More lecture before the faculty and students of the Faculty of Arts and Letters on February 26, 2014 at the UST Medicine Auditorium. In his lecture with the title Rising Philippines: Can We Sustain Growth? Sen. Angara noted the reforms, institutional transformation and policy tweaking across succeeding administrations helped improve the structure of the Philippine economy. The current administrations central focus on good governance helped the countrys macroeconomics to become stronger with the business environment becoming more hospitable. Furthermore, the former Senator added that these helped the Philippines earn investment grade ratings and register higher global competitiveness ranking. However, he also noted the the country still facesincome inequality and and joblessness. He associated such situation with structural unemployment and underemployment which the International Labour Organization (ILO) describes as the mismatch between the skills and competencies of the unemployed and what is demanded in the labor market.

Senator Angara believes that for the Philippines to sustain its rise, key reforms need to be undertaken, foremost of which in education. He stressed that education boosts skills and develops competencies, providing individuals better chances at living more productive lives. Education also imparts necessary values which help in keeping societies together and more cohesive. While he believes that several educational reforms are already in place, they are not yet complete. In his concluding remarks, he stressed that The momentum has to be sustained. With the government keen to continue cleaning up its act, all stakeholders ought to seize the singular opportunity to enact even more sweeping reforms.

Hon. Edgardo J. Angara as he delivers his lecture to the AB Community

Prof. Michael Anthony C. Vasco, Ph.D., Dean of the faculty of Arts and Letters awards the Plaque of Appreciation to hon. Edgardo J. Angara assisted by Asst. Dean Nancy N. Tabirara (right) and Rev. Fr. Joseto N. Bernadas, O.P., AB Regent (left)