Legarda affirms backing of stronger law against online child exploitation

Senator Loren Legarda affirmed her support for the Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act of 2025, a measure amending Republic Act No. 11930 to strengthen safeguards against evolving forms of child exploitation in digital spaces, as she delivered her co-sponsorship speech in plenary on February 10.

She recalled that even before she entered public service in 1998, she was already documenting the horrors of human trafficking through her investigative […]

Legarda moves to secure earliest BARMM Polls after several postponements

Senator Loren Legarda, Co-Chair of the Philippine Congress–Bangsamoro Parliament Forum, co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1587, which sets the date for the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) following several postponements.

“This is not an ordinary measure, and it does not concern an ordinary election. It sits at the center of our nation’s pursuit of peace, justice, and self-determination for the Bangsamoro people,” Legarda said.

She emphasized the deep historical roots of the Bangsamoro struggle. “Hindi ganap […]

Legarda calls for return of PDIC funds, warns against weakening depositor protection

Senator Loren Legarda raised serious concerns over the remittance of ₱107.23 billion in funds of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) to the National Treasury, cautioning that funds held in trust to protect depositors must not be treated as ordinary government revenues.

Legarda pointed out that the remittance was made under a special provision in the 2024 General Appropriations Act that has since been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, making clear that the transfer of deposit insurance reserves was fundamentally […]

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

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, […]

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

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 […]