UP CMC fetes Legarda with special recognition anew

Senator Loren Legarda was honored with a special recognition by the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication Alumni Association (UPCMCAA) during the 9th Glory Awards ceremony at the UP Diliman College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) on Saturday, February 28.

Legarda received a Distinguished Recognition “as an eminent public servant and alumna” of UPCMC. The honor celebrates the senator’s “enduring contributions to the College and its alumni programs.”

“Tinatanggap ko nang buong pasasalamat ang natatanging pagkilalang ito, na para bang muli akong tinawag pauwi sa kolehiyong higit na nagpatatag sa aking paninindigan at nagpaunawa na ang bawat salitang aking binibitawan at bawat desisyon na aking ginagawa ay laging dapat nakataya para sa bayan,” Legarda said.

“When I entered UP, I did not want to be just another number in the student registry. I wanted to be someone who makes a difference, someone who carries what is expected of an Iskolar ng Bayan, not just to study with excellence, but more importantly, to give back and to serve,” Legarda added.

Legarda shared that she has carried the UP brand of critical thinking and service throughout her public life.

“When I entered public service, I brought with me what UP had instilled in me, and that is to do the work, do the reading, do not fear difficult questions, stand by facts even when they are unpopular, and never waste knowledge by keeping it to yourself. This is why being honored by UP has always felt different,” Legarda said.

Prior to her sterling career in public service, Legarda was a multi-awarded broadcast journalist who honed her skills in research, storytelling, and public communication, and has consistently drawn on these competencies in crafting laws, shaping policy, and engaging with communities. She has also continued to use media as a platform for education and advocacy through her long-running cultural docu-series “Dayaw,” where she amplifies indigenous voices and cultural narratives that inform her legislative work and development programs.

Over the years, Legarda has also been repeatedly recognized by the University. In 2013, she was named UP Distinguished Alumna for Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation; in 2017, she received the Glory Medal of Distinction during the inaugural Glory Awards; and in 2018, UP conferred on her the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa.

As a lawmaker, Legarda pushed for the funding of various UP projects.

“As a public servant, one of the most practical ways to give back is to ensure that public resources are returned to public education, especially to UP, which belongs to the Filipino youth,” Legarda emphasized. She has pushed for the funding of various UP projects, including the construction of the Faculty Center, public restrooms on campus, the renovation of Vinzons Hall and student dormitories, support for TVUP, and plans for the UP CMC Archives building, as well as more recent scholarship support for master’s programs at the UP Marine Science Institute.

Beyond Diliman, she has backed initiatives in UP Los Baños and UP Visayas, from the construction of theaters, auditoriums, and a multipurpose building to research and cultural work such as cultural mapping in Panay, publications on indigenous knowledge and languages, and the expansion and operationalization of the UP Visayas extension campus in Pandan, Antique.

In detailing these projects, Legarda underscored that channeling resources to UP is not just about infrastructure or scholarships, but about strengthening institutions that produce critical, service-oriented Filipinos who will, in turn, lead and transform their communities.
“These are not favors to UP. They are my humble repayments because UP invested in us first. And if UP invested in our minds, then we must invest our minds back into the country that made our education possible,” she said.

Addressing fellow alumni and awardees, Legarda issued a call to live up to the responsibility that comes with being an Iskolar ng Bayan.

“Let us all remember that ‘Iskolar ng Bayan’ should not just be a sentimental tagline, but we must attach it to our names as our lifelong obligation to be useful to our country,”she asserted, as she she congratulated this year’s Glory awardees and UP CMC alumni “who, in different fields and platforms, continue to uphold the University’s excellence and integrity by using your skills, insight, and talents in the service of the Filipino people.”

“Sa muli, maraming salamat sa karangalang ito. Ito po si Lorna Regina Bautista Legarda, patuloy na naglilingkod at humahayo ng may giting, dangal, at tapang bilang Iskolar ng Bayan sa paraang aking makakaya, sa mga batas, programa, at adbokasiyang hindi lang nananatili sa papel, kundi naipatutupad nang buo, nararamdaman, at may direktang ambag sa mas maayos at mas marangal na buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” she concluded. (30)

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Legarda, muling ginawaran ng espesyal na pagkilala ng UP CMC

Pinarangalan ng College of Media and Communication ng University of the Philippines Diliman si Senador Loren Legarda ng isang espesyal na pagkilala sa ika-9 na Glory Awards noong Sabado, February 28.

Tinanggap ni Legarda ang isang Distinguished Recognition “as an eminent public servant and alumna” ng UPCMC. Kinikilala rin ng parangal ang mga kontribusyon ni Legarda sa Kolehiyo at mga program anito.

Muling ibinahagi ni Legarda ang kanyang dedikasyon sa paglilingkod-bayan at tiniyak na patuloy siyang magiting, marangal, at may integridad sa pagbuo ng mga batas, programa, at adbokasiya bilang isang Iskolar ng Bayan.

Sa kanyang acceptance speech, ibinahagi ng mambabatas ang paninindigan na dala-dala niya mula pa noong siya’y estudyante pa lamang.

“When I entered UP, I did not want to be just another number in the student registry. I wanted to be someone who makes a difference, someone who carries what is expected of an Iskolar ng Bayan, not just to study with excellence, but more importantly, to give back and to serve,” ani Legarda.

Iginiit din niya na bitbit niya ang mga aral ng UP nang pasukin niya ang mundo ng public service.

“When I entered public service, I brought with me what UP had instilled in me, and that is to do the work, do the reading, do not fear difficult questions, stand by facts even when they are unpopular, and never waste knowledge by keeping it to yourself. This is why being honored by UP has always felt different.”

Bago pa man tuluyang sumabak sa mahabang karera sa serbisyo publiko, nagmarka muna si Legarda bilang isang multi-awarded broadcast journalist. Hanggang ngayon, ipinagpapatuloy niya ang kanyang adbokasiya sa media sa pamamagitan ng docu-series na “Dayaw.”

Hindi lang tropeo ang iniuwi ng senador. Iginawad din sa kanya ang isang espesyal na sculptured plaque bilang pagkilala sa kanyang patuloy na suporta sa College at sa mga alumni programsnito bilang isang public servant at loyal alumna.

Sa loob ng mga nakaraang taon, ilang ulit nang kinilala ng State U si Legarda. Kabilang rito ang pagkilala sa kanya bilang UP Distinguished Alumna for Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation noong 2013, pati ang Glory Medal of Distinction sa unang edisyon ng parangal.

Noong 2018, iginawad ng UP kay Legarda ang honorary degree na Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa.

Tinanggap niya ito nang may pagpapakumbaba at inalala na itinuring niya ang parangal hindi lang bilang karangalan kundi bilang paanyaya na lalo pa niyang paghusayan ang kanyang paglilingkod.

Bilang mambabatas, inilaan ni Legarda ang pondo para sa iba’t ibang proyekto ng UP. Pinangunahan niya ang pagsuporta sa pagpapatayo ng Faculty Center, pagsasaayos ng Vinzons Hall, at pagpapagawa ng mga student dormitory.

Isinulong din niya ang TVUP, itinaguyod ang pagpapatayo ng UP CMC Archives building, at kamakailan lamang ay sinuportahan ang scholarship para sa UP MSI master’s programs.

Hindi lang sa Diliman nakatuon ang kanyang suporta. Inendorso rin niya ang mga proyekto ng UP sa Los Baños at UP Visayas, kabilang ang pagpapatayo ng mga theater, auditorium, at isang multipurpose building.

Siya rin ang nagtulak sa pagpapalawak at operationalization ng UP Visayas extension campus sa Pandan, Antique.

Bilang may-akda ng Cultural Mapping Act, binigyang-daan din ni Legarda ang pananaliksik at publikasyon ng mga scholarly work tungkol sa mga katutubong wika ng bansa.

Sa huli, nag-iwan siya ng paalala sa kapwa niya Iskolar ng Bayan.

“Let us all remember that ‘Iskolar ng Bayan’ should not just be a sentimental tagline, but we must attach it to our names as our lifelong obligation to be useful to our country”, she asserted.

At sa kanyang pagtatapos, direkta niyang ipinahayag ang kanyang pasasalamat at pangako ng patuloy na serbisyo.

“Sa muli, maraming salamat sa karangalang ito. Ito po si Lorna Regina Bautista Legarda, patuloy na naglilingkod at humahayo ng may giting, dangal, at tapang bilang Iskolar ng Bayan sa paraang aking makakaya, sa mga batas, programa, at adbokasiyang hindi lang nananatili sa papel, kundi naipatutupad nang buo, nararamdaman, at may direktang ambag sa mas maayos at mas marangal na buhay ng bawat Pilipino.” (30)