We toil today to provide a brighter future for our children. But that future can be bleak, dark and dirty if we go business as usual, if we continue to burn fossil fuels, if we continue to believe that coal is cheap, if we continue to rely on oil to fuel our needs.
The late Nelson Mandela once said, “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation.”[1]
Senator Loren Legarda commended filmmaker Lav Diaz for garnering the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival for his critically acclaimed feature film Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery.) The Alfred Bauer Prize is given to a feature film that “opens new perspectives on cinematic art.”
The Berlin International Film Festival is one of the world’s leading cinema events. It annually brings together the global industry’s top filmmakers, actors, actresses, and producers in one venue to celebrate the best works in the cinematic world.
“I prefer to use two simple words to describe your achievements and to explain why we decided to give you this honor—inspiration and action.”
These were the words of French Ambassador Thierry Mathou as he bestowed upon Senator Loren Legarda the title of Chevalier (Knight) in the Ordre national de la légion d’Honneur (National Order of the French Legion of Honor).
Sen. Loren Legarda held a small post-birthday dinner at the Baluarte de San Diego located within the historic Walled City of Intramuros. The gardens of this Spanish Fort, which Loren helped restore in collaboration with the Intramuros Administration, served as a perfect backdrop for the senator who has made it her passion to reawaken our pride and love for our culture and heritage.
The Baluarte, whose shape resembled an ace of spades, had a fiesta atmosphere with the “dirty ice cream” and Pinoy dishes served for guests. Seen at the party were guests from the world of politics, the academe, media and, of course, the culture and the arts, among them Philippine literature greats F. Sionil Jose and Rio Alma.
MANILA, Philippines – French President Francois Hollande, through French Ambassador Thierry Mathou, has bestowed upon Sen. Loren Legarda the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight in the National Order of the French Legion of Honor).
The Legion of Honor is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and is one of the most prestigious French distinctions. Legarda was given the award for her “truly invaluable contribution in strengthening the bilateral ties between Philippines and France.”
