Legarda opens National Arts Month 2026, calls for broader investment in Filipino creativity

February 4, 2026

Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, marked the opening of February as National Arts Month 2026 with a call to strengthen support for Filipino artists, artisans, and creative communities whose work keeps local culture alive and drives innovation across the country.

This year’s celebration carries the theme “Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting,” captures how artists and cultural workers confront contemporary challenges with courage and creative integrity, and how the arts shape communities, governance, […]

Read More

Legarda addresses health fund gap, urges passage of PhilHealth Automatic Funding Act

February 3, 2026

Senator Loren Legarda, in her privilege speech during the plenary session in the Senate on February 3, called for immediate reforms to close persistent funding gaps that undermine the Universal Health Care Act and leave millions of Filipinos exposed to catastrophic out-of-pocket medical costs.

“The fight for a just and equitable health system in the Philippines has never been easy. It is a race against time,” she said, stressing that the government must show moral courage to protect the sick and […]

Read More

Legarda lauds DOT for turning promotions into measurable sales leads; highlights emerging tourism gains

February 3, 2026

Senator Loren Legarda commended the Department of Tourism (DOT) for delivering clear, measurable market outcomes from its promotional efforts, citing record tourism receipts, strong domestic travel growth, and gains in emerging destinations during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Tourism, jointly held with the Committees on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, and Finance on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Legarda emphasized that these results reflect the value of sustained public […]

Read More

Privilege Speech of Senator Loren Legarda on the health fund gap, urging the passage of the PhilHealth Automatic Funding Act| Senate of the Philippines | February 3, 2026

February 3, 2026

Mr. President,

Sa ating bansa, isang karaniwang kuwento na kapag may nagkakasakit sa pamilya, apektado ang takbo ng buhay ng bawat miyembro, may kailangang mag‑overtime sa trabaho, may humihinto muna sa pag‑aaral, may nagtitipid sa pagkain para lang may maipambili ng gamot at pamasahe papunta sa ospital.

The fight for a just and equitable health system in the Philippines has never been easy. Today, it is a race against time, a test of whether this government still has the moral courage to […]

Read More

Sponsorship Speech of Sen. Legarda | Senate Concurrent Resolution Adopting the National Education and Workforce Development Plan (2026–2035) and Recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, as the Ten-Year Policy Framework of the National Government | February 2, 2026 | Senate of the Philippines

February 2, 2026

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues,

I rise today to sponsor Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 09, co-signed by Sen. Joel Villanueva, which seeks to adopt the National Education and Workforce Development Plan for 2026 to 2035, together with the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM II, as the ten-year policy framework of the National Government.

This resolution is born out of a simple but difficult truth: the challenges facing Philippine education are systemic, longstanding, and deeply intertwined with our workforce […]

Read More