Opening Statement of Senator LegardaCommittee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs | 20 August 2025

Mr. Chair, esteemed colleagues, distinguished guests, good afternoon.

Allow me to begin by expressing my deep gratitude to our Chair, Senator Robinhood Padilla, for designating me as one of the Vice Chairpersons of this Committee. Having served as Chairperson of this Committee in the 15th and 16th Congress, I remain mindful of the hopes of our Indigenous Peoples and Muslim brothers and sisters who look to this institution for recognition, justice, and inclusion.

That is why, across my four terms here in the Senate, I have championed various legislation advancing the rights and recognition of these communities. Among these are RA 9177 declaring Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha as national holidays; RA 9997 creating the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; RA 10908 integrating Muslim-Filipino and Indigenous Peoples’ history and culture into our education system; RA 11054, or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; and most recently, as co-author and co-sponsor of RA 12224 establishing the National Day of Awareness on the Hijab and other traditional garments.

Yet we must recognize that legislation is only the foundation. The greater task lies in ensuring that our Indigenous Peoples and Muslim communities live with dignity, security, equal opportunity, and that they are part of policy decision-making, especially in shaping an inclusive national development.

And I have always emphasized that addressing these gaps is not an act of charity. This is the mindset we must transform. We learn so much from these communities, especially from their traditions, knowledge systems, and cultures, which must be preserved, celebrated, and harnessed as a means of empowerment. In turn, the entire nation gains strength, long-standing historical injustices are corrected, and our shared identity as Filipinos grows deeper and stronger.

Thank you.