Who isLoren
Legarda?
She is a 3-Term Senator, Deputy Speaker, and Antique Congresswoman. She is also a UN Global Champion for Resilience, a UNFCCC Adaptation Champion, a Global Commission on Adaptation Commissioner, and a Climate Vulnerable Forum Thematic Ambassador for Parliaments. She is also a member of the UNITE Global Parliamentarians Network to End Infectious Diseases. She is a champion for women and children’s rights and is a passionate advocate for the promotion of arts and culture.
Passed
Filed
Filed
Adopted
Concurred
Top Notch Senator
Loren Legarda is the only female senator who topped the senate race twice, with more than 15 million and 18.4 million votes in 1998 and 2007, respectively.
“But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?”
Peace Builder
Loren Legarda has played a crucial role in contributing to peace efforts.
Loren Legarda has played a crucial role in contributing to peace efforts.
Family of Public Servants
Loren Legarda was born into a family of newsmen, educator physicians, and public servants.
Game Changer for Asia
Amid the increasing risks of a warming world and a changing climate emerges Loren Legarda, a woman development leader from the Philippines. She is a game-changer for Asia with a compelling vision of a safer and greener world for all.
Loren advocates for quality human living harmonious with nature by seeking the path for green growth and sustainable development for nations, and challenging world leaders to save our home planet and preserve humankind now.
Environmental Champion
As the Philippines’ foremost advocate of green development, Loren Legarda worked for the enactment of laws on environmental governance.
Women & Children's Rights Champion
Loren Legarda places special interest in protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of women, youth, and children.
Voice of the Indigenous Peoples
Loren Legarda has become the voice of Filipinos who continue to embrace their cultural roots and heritage.
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Fervently advocating for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and initiating efforts to liberate them from various forms of discrimination, Sen. Legarda has become the voice of Filipinos who continue to embrace their cultural roots and heritage
Her love for tropical fabrics and native products, and her visits to indigenous communities in different parts of the country inspired Loren to initially set-up cultural exhibits that showcased the exceptional skills and world-class products of IPs, and in 2011, in her capacity as Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, successfully organized regional assemblies—in Baguio City for Luzon IPs, in Iloilo City for Visayas IPs, and in Tagum City, Davao del Norte for Mindanao IPs—and the First National Indigenous Cultural Summit that served as avenues for dialogue with local and national policy-makers as well as international institutions.
Sen. Legarda supported the development of cultural villages of the Ata-Talaingod, Mandaya, B’laan, and Bagobo Tagabawa in various activities of their Schools of Living Traditions. She supported the establishment of the country’s first permanent textile gallery called the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles to celebrate indigenous artistry and revitalize our weaving traditions, as well as the Baybayin Gallery, a permanent gallery that promotes awareness of the writing systems used by ancient Filipinos, both at the National Museum.
In October 2012, the Senator launched the Hibla Pavilion of Textiles and Weaves of the Philippines with the hope of solving one of the greatest threats to Filipino indigenous artistry – extinction brought about by apathy. Said exhibition was a highlight of the Manila FAME Design and Lifestyle Event 2012 and showcased the rich and colourful heritage of Schools of Living Tradition.
As a sign of gratitude for advancing IP concerns, the cultural communities of Mindanao adopted Sen. Legarda as “Bae Matumpis,” which means “The one who takes care”.
The Panay-Bukidnon from Visayas declared Sen. Legarda as a “daughter of Panay-Bukidnon” and gave her the name “Cuyong Adlaw Dulpa-an Labaw sa Kadunggan”, which translates to “shining sun rising in power”.
Sen. Legarda was also named by the Cordillera Indigenous Elected Women Leaders’ League as “Tukwifi” which means “Bright Star”.
Multi-awarded Journalist
Prior to becoming a public official, Loren was well known as the award-winning anchor and producer of two of the Philippines’ most popular and respected news programs. As her television career advanced, however, she found herself interested, more and more, in finding solutions to the problems she was reporting on.
As a journalist, Loren earned prestigious awards such as the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) from the Philippine Jaycees (1992), The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Award (1995), and the Benigno Aquino Award for Journalism (1995) for her sterling record as a journalist for more than two decades, among more than 30 awards.
MSMEs Supporter
Loren Legarda is the principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 9501 or the Magna Carta for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs.)
Passion for Excellence
Loren graduated valedictorian in elementary school and completed her secondary schooling with honors at the Assumption Convent. She obtained a degree in broadcast communications and graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines.
Passion for Climate Change Loren joins world leaders on climate change
Loren joins world leaders on climate change
“But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?”
Global Thinker
The world recognizes the inspiring leadership of Loren Legarda in the global campaign for good environmental governance. In 2000, the World Economic Forum held in Davos named her as one of the Global Leaders for Tomorrow.
Similarly, the United Nations has also acknowledged Loren Legarda twice. In the year 2001, the United Nations Environment Programme conferred on her the title of UNEP Laureate and included her in the Global 500 Roll of Honor.
In 2008, the UNISDR appointed her as its Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia and the Pacific during the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in December 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Along with her appointment as regional champion is the mission to convey an important message to world leaders.
A couple of months before her appointment as champion, in a seeming test of her parliamentary leadership, Loren Legarda was asked by UNISDR to steer a meeting of parliamentarians in Manila on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Leading parliamentarians from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America came to the meeting in October 2008.
Through her able leadership, Loren successfully steered the meeting into a consensus dubbed as the Manila Call for Action by Parliamentarians which called on parliamentarians of the world to make disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation a national priority and a key consideration in development planning.
Loren, in her first official country mission as the Asia-Pacific Regional Champion in May 2009, addressed the Bhutan National Sensitization Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction, encouraging delegates to incorporate disaster risk reduction as an integral part of their development concept of Gross National Happiness.
At the Second Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Reduction in Geneva in June 2009, Loren challenged world leaders with a call for a new brand of politics and governance – the kind that shepherds proactive laws and policies to address disaster risks. She reiterated this challenge at the 2009 Forum on the Human Impact of Climate Change and at the parliamentary meeting of the climate change conference in Copenhagen.
In July 2009, Loren led a UNISDR delegation that sealed an agreement between Maldives and UNISDR to define a comprehensive disaster risk reduction strategy for the island nation, and find means for the UN and other partners to help the country implement this strategy.
In November 2010, Loren Legarda convened the Consultative Meeting for Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction: An Instrument for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals towards a consensus to undertake concrete actions embodied in the Manila Call for Action 2010.
Loren, with the UNISDR, spearheaded international dialogues in Paris, Beijing, Geneva, Copenhagen and Hanoi. She is a member of the Global Advisory Group of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Loren Legarda’s journey on the international level, the prominent role she plays in the Asia-Pacific region, and her advocacy among world leaders and citizens of the Philippines and the region, are recounted in a book entitled Redefining Development: The Living Advocacy of Senator Loren Legarda, as she challenges everyone to promote responsible leadership, good governance and sustainable living.
In the realm of foreign relations, Loren Legarda, who was Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the 15th Congress, sponsored the approval of 16 international agreements, deepening the Philippines’ bilateral relations with various countries and promoting the welfare of Filipinos in the country and abroad. These agreements are the RP-Japan Agreement on Technical Cooperation; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture; the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Convention, Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts; the Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management to Establish the Office of the WorldFish Center in the Philippines; the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the Philippines and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the MLAT between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China; the Consular Agreement with the People’s Republic of China; the Convention on Social Security between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain; the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement Between the Philippines and Australia; the International Labour Organization Convention 189 (Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers); the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006; the Protocol Amending the Agreement between the Philippine Government and the French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income; two (2) treaties on the Avoidance of Double Taxation – the Philippines – Kuwait Tax Treaty and the Philippines- Qatar Tax Treaty and the Agreement between the Philippine Government and the UNESCO to establish the Southeast Asian Center for Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development (SEA CLLSD) in the country.
On the occasion of the 2015 Paris Climate Summit (the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC) on 30 November 2015, Loren Legarda was appointed by the UNISDR as Global Champion for Resilience, with the distinguished role of providing leadership to build the resilience of nations and communities from disasters.
The French Government also recognized Loren’s commitment to the fight against climate change and to the promotion of culture and heritage. She was named Chevalier (Knight) in the Ordre national de la légion d’Honneur (National Order of the French Legion of Honor) for her invaluable contribution in strengthening the bilateral ties between Philippines and France.