On a scale of five, Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara deserves four stars for pushing legislation promoting free quality education and welfare of senior citizens.

Considered to be among the hard-working and productive members of the present 17th Congress, the reelectionist senator is living up to the legacy of his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara.

As a lawmaker for the past 15 years, the younger Angara, nicknamed Sonny, has more than 180 laws passed as three-time congressman of his home province of Aurora and as a neophyte senator in the 17th Congress.

Apart from continuing his father’s advocacies for free education and the promotion of the welfare of senior citizens, the younger Angara actively pushed for measures providing opportunities for overseas Filipino workers and improving the country’s health services.

Among the laws filed, sponsored and supported by Angara were the Free College and Kindergarten Laws; Expanded Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Law; Balikbayan Box Law; Seafarers Protection Law; Expanded Peso Law that created the Public Employment Service Offices in every province; Higher Take-Home Law; Mental Health Law; and Universal Health Care bill.

Angara expanded his father’s Senior Citizens Law by giving an additional 12 percent tax exemption on food, medicines and other goods and services being availed by senior citizens and exempting persons with disabilities from the 12 percent value added tax.

As a sports enthusiast, Angara also sponsored the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentive Law that grants bigger cash incentives and benefits to national athletes and coaches for their victories. Olympic medalist Hidilyn Diaz was the first beneficiary of the law — receiving P7 million in incentives.

As chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Angara supported the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, which was aimed at propelling the country’s economy.

He is now the chairman of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino founded by his father.

A former youth leader and social entrepreneur, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino has 19 laws under his belt and continues to empower Filipino families through education, entrepreneurship and employment.

Aquino should have earned more stars if not for his obstructionist efforts, primarily his politically-charged opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature legislation TRAIN law.

His adamant opposition to the law is inconsistent with his supposed advocacy to improve the business climate in the country, which is the primary aim of TRAIN.

His first law — the Go Negosyo Act — supported Filipinos who want to start and grow their own businesses. The law created hundreds of Negosyo Centers in different parts of the Philippines to help Filipinos earn a living through entrepreneurship.

Aquino has also helped the micro-finance sector and its beneficiaries in pushing for the Micro-Finance Institute NGO Act. He ensured that financial literacy and entrepreneurship will be taught in our schools through the Youth Entrepreneurship Act.

Among Aquino-supported measures that were enacted into law recently were the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act that makes tuition and other miscellaneous expenses free in state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges and TESDA-accredited technical vocational Institutions.

Aquino continues to work and fight for legislation designed to offer prosperity for every Filipino family.