Legarda: “Sa wakas, wala nang VAT ang system loss” – Other charges tomorrow, refund must follow

Senator Loren Legarda said the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s removal of value-added tax on allowable system loss charges marks an important step toward fairer electricity bills, months after she first brought the issue squarely into the Senate’s energy-crisis discussions and pushed for action before it became a broader public issue. As early as March 2026, Legarda had already questioned the VAT treatment of system loss and other electricity charges and filed legislation seeking to address the issue.

The BIR issued Revenue […]

Legarda honors 10 new National Artists, calls for sustained support for Filipino arts and culture

Senator Loren Legarda paid tribute to the ten distinguished Filipinos proclaimed as National Artists for 2025, hailing the recognition as a celebration of the creativity, memory, and imagination that give the nation its identity.

Conferred through Proclamation No. 1414, the Order of National Artists, the country’s highest state recognition for the arts, honors outstanding contributions to architecture, dance, design, film and broadcast arts, literature, music, theater, and the visual arts.

“Taos-puso kong binabati ang ating sampung bagong Pambansang Alagad ng Sining. Pinalawak […]

Legarda welcomes PISA 2025 gains, calls for sustained momentum in education reforms

Senator Loren Legarda welcomed the Philippines’ improved performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), saying the results provide measurable evidence that efforts to address the country’s learning crisis are beginning to make headway, while stressing that much more remains to be done.

The Philippines posted its highest PISA scores since joining the assessment in 2018, recording 373 in Science, 371 in Mathematics, and 367 in Reading. Compared with 2022, the country improved by 17 points in Science, 16 […]

Mana Mo 2026: Legarda urges Filipinos to protect our rights, care for our seas

For an archipelagic nation like the Philippines, economic development, climate resilience, food security, and environmental protection must move together, Senator Loren Legarda stressed as the country observes Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo) this September.

With this year’s theme, “Karapatan sa Karagatan, Sama-sama Nating Alagaan,” Legarda said MANA Mo is an opportunity for Filipinos to deepen their understanding of the country’s maritime heritage, identity, interests, and responsibilities as an archipelagic nation.

The sea is part of everyday Filipino life. It […]

Legarda puts literacy at the center of learning recovery on International Literacy Day

Senator Loren Legarda placed literacy at the center of the country’s learning recovery efforts as we mark International Literacy Day, stressing that reading with understanding remains one of the strongest foundations of a child’s education and future opportunities.

“Nagsisimula sa pagbasa ang pagkatuto. Kapag nauunawaan ng isang bata ang kanyang binabasa, mas kaya niyang sumabay sa mga aralin at matuto nang mag-isa. Kaya dapat malinaw ang ating prayoridad: tiyaking marunong bumasa at umunawa ang bawat batang Pilipino,” Legarda said.

Recent data from […]