Keynote Address of Senator Loren Legarda: Cultural Thoughts and Trajectories

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: magandang araw sa inyong lahat.

Two thousand years ago, in the highlands of pre-colonial Philippines, a child stood at the edge of a terrace, his toes curled over the ledge. Below him, his grandfather waded knee-deep in the paddies, tending to a vast staircase of earth, mud walls carved with precision, rising along the mountain’s natural contours to altitudes and inclines unmatched anywhere else in the world.

The child does not yet understand what he is […]

Message of Senator Loren Legarda Launch of Cordillera Heritage Workbook

Naimbag nga bigat kanyayo amin!

My warmest congratulations go to Ifugao State University on the launch of the Cordillera Heritage Workbook. Today’s event is a decisive act of cultural preservation and empowerment, reinforcing the continuity of the Cordillera’s rich heritage.

As a four-term Senator, I have championed laws that not merely narrate the story of the Filipino people but honor their depth, diversity, and dignity. Through the Integrated History Act of 2016, we mandated the inclusion of the rich histories of Muslim […]

Co-Sponsorship Speech of Senator Loren Legarda CR -514: Report on the Privilege Speech of Sen. Hontiveros on Human Trafficking

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues,

Let it be clear and firmly placed on the record: this inquiry has never been solely about one individual. It is about an extensive web of deceit—a network of human trafficking, money laundering, document falsification, corruption, owning hectares of our lands by aliens for criminal activities, and other illegal operations. The fraudulent acquisition of legitimate government documents by aliens carries grave and far-reaching consequences. It facilitates crimes such as human trafficking and identity theft, inflicting direct harm […]

Co-sponsorship speech of Senator Loren Legarda on Committee Report no. 499 on House Bill No. 7005 or the Araw ng Anini-y

Thank you, Mr. President.

It is with pride that I co-sponsor “An Act Declaring August 5 of Every Year a Special Non-Working Holiday in the Municipality of Anini-y, Province of Antique”.

Mr. President, during the previous Congress, while serving as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, I had the privilege of filing this bill to honor the vibrant history and heritage of my kasimanwa in Antique. In this Congress, alongside Representative Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda Jr. and Representative Felimon Espares, and […]

Opening Remarks of Senator Loren Legarda during the Hearing of the Committee on Culture and the Arts (January 15, 2025)

Opening Remarks of Senator Loren Legarda
Committee on Culture and the Arts
15 January 2025
In my four terms in the Senate, there is a question I have often heard, lingering like a quiet challenge: “Nakakain ba ang kultura?”
This question reveals a deeper tension—not simply a matter of policy or funding, but a challenge of perspective.
In a world where many struggle to put food on the table, where natural disasters test our endurance, and where security is a fragile promise, why, […]