Opening Statement | Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Future Thinking, Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 10:00 AM

August 20, 2025

Good morning, Madam Chair, esteemed colleagues, and our resource persons.

At the core of our work in government is one simple but profound duty: that is to provide better lives for our people. The Sustainable Development Goals give us a set of international commitments, a guidepost and a set of targets to help measure how far we
have gone in fulfilling that duty.

But after more than two decades of experience in this Senate, I have seen a recurring challenge: agency reports […]

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Senator Loren Legarda’s Manifestation of Support on Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s Privilege Speech on Corruption

August 20, 2025

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I rise today in support of the privilege speech of my colleague, Senator Lacson, and I echo his outrage at the corruption that continues to stain our flood control programs and many other public projects. Billions, and possibly even trillions of pesos are lost, substandard works are delivered, and yet—year after year—the floods still come, washing away homes, dreams, and lives.

Pero kung tutuusin, hindi lang po ito problema ng flood control. Itong sakit ng korapsyon ay […]

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Legarda reaffirms support for breastfeeding, pushes Breast Milk Banking Act

August 20, 2025

Senator Loren Legarda manifested her full support for the privilege speech of Senator Pia Cayetano on Tuesday, reaffirming her stance on the continuing need to protect and promote breastfeeding in the Philippines.

“Breastfeeding is a proven life-saving intervention. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend initiating it within the first hour after birth, exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, and continuing breastfeeding with complementary feeding up to two years or beyond,” Legarda explained as she underscored the critical role […]

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Legarda enforces mandatory drug testing for staff; workplace policy on prohibited substances and activities reiterated

August 18, 2025

Senator Loren Legarda has mandated drug testing for her staff as a decisive effort to demonstrate accountability and set the highest standards in public service amid recent drug-related allegations involving a Senate employee.

“The public deserves a Senate that sets an example. We act with concrete actions to uphold our role as a model of integrity and professionalism,” Legarda said.

The drug testing will be conducted in coordination with authorized agencies, in full compliance with civil service and health regulations. All staff […]

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Legarda Champions Living Wage Act, Demands for Fair and Dignified Pay for Filipino Workers

August 18, 2025

Senator Loren Legarda is calling to urgently pass the Living Wage Act, a long-overdue reform to update the wage-setting framework enshrined in the Labor Code, which has remained unchanged for the last thirty-six years.

“For 36 years, our wage standards have barely moved while the cost of living has surged ahead. We cannot solve the crises of 2025 with solutions from 1989,” Legarda stressed.

Filed as Senate Bill No. 163, the proposed measure amends Article 124 of the Labor Code of the […]

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