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 […]

Opening StatementCommittee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Future Thinking, Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 10:00 AMSen. A.M. Tolentino Room(Right Wing), 2nd Floor, Senate Building

Good morning, Madam Chair, esteemed colleagues, and our resource persons.

At the core of our work in government is one simple but profound duty: that is to provide better lives for our people. The Sustainable Development Goals give us a set of international commitments, a guidepost and a set of targets to help measure how far we
have gone in fulfilling that duty.

But after more than two decades of experience in this Senate, I have seen a recurring challenge: agency reports […]

Senator Loren Legarda’s Manifestation of Support on Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s Privilege Speech on Corruption

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I rise today in support of the privilege speech of my colleague, Senator Lacson, and I echo his outrage at the corruption that continues to stain our flood control programs and many other public projects. Billions, and possibly even trillions of pesos are lost, substandard works are delivered, and yet—year after year—the floods still come, washing away homes, dreams, and lives.

Pero kung tutuusin, hindi lang po ito problema ng flood control. Itong sakit ng korapsyon ay […]

Keynote Address of Senator Loren Legarda | DFA Ocean Talk | Key Takeaways of the Philippines from the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) | 13 August 2025

For Filipinos, the ocean is the soul of our archipelago. It sustains our communities, shapes our culture and our way of life, and anchors the livelihoods of 2.24 million of our people. Each year, it contributes ₱787 billion to our economy, yet its true worth is beyond measure, for it is life itself.

That life is now under severe threat. By 2040, sea-level rise could displace 150,000 Filipinos, inflicting losses exceeding ₱18 billion. Each year, over four million metric tons of […]

Senator Loren Legarda’s Co-Sponsorship Speech on the Concurrent Resolution Strengthening the National Budget Process by Adopting and Enforcing Transparency and Accountability Measures to Ensure Public Access to Information and Allow Public Participation in the Deliberations of the 2026 General Appropriations Act | August 12, 2025

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues,

I rise today in support of this concurrent resolution, which seeks to make the 2026 General Appropriations Act truly reflective of the people’s will by ensuring public access to budget-related documents that promote transparency.

The Senate’s work to make our budget process more transparent and accountable should not end with this concurrent resolution alone. This is not a panacea to the deeper problems that have long affected the way we craft and approve our national budget. It is […]