Foreign Policy Address of Senator Loren Legarda (December 10, 2024)
I delivered a Foreign Policy Address today on soft power, speaking about cultural diplomacy as a pillar of foreign policy and urgent climate action. My speech was a synthesis of initiatives that I championed for decades, underscoring that our culture and environment are intertwined wellsprings of strength. Together, they wield a transformative power that unites, connects, and influences—not through coercion but persuasion and attraction. This is soft power, and it rests on our cultural identity, creative expression, and ecological stewardship.
While much remains untold, today’s speech is a call to recognize that our identity as a nation is our greatest strength on the global stage.
I am greatly pleased by the turnout at today’s Foreign Policy Address—its biggest audience yet, as noted by the DFA. Seeing a diverse gathering of members of the diplomatic corps, cultural advocates, environmental champions, academe, and government officials, fills me with gratitude, inspiration and hope.
I trust that today’s Address encouraged more engagements and initiatives that will emphasize how soft power, when wielded with purpose, reshapes perceptions and transforms societies. Soft power is anything but soft. It empowers us to stand proud as Filipinos, lead by example, and inspire the world with a vision of resilience, sustainability, and harmony.