Personal Details

Education:
Assumption College (Primary to High School); graduated valedictorian
University of the Philippines; graduated a cum laude

Career:
Journalist, RPN 9 and ABS-CBN (1985-1998)
Senator, Philippine Senate, 1st term (1998-2004)
Senator, Philippine Senate, 2nd term and 2010 elections (2007-present)

Loren Legarda is chiefly responsible for the passage of the following laws, which she authored:

• Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (RA 9994)
• Barangay Livelihood and Skills Training Act (RA 9509)
• Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (RA 9501)
• Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (RA 9262)
• Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710)
• Anti-Child Labor Law (RA 9231)
• Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208)
• Philippine Ear Research Institute Act (RA 9245)
• Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 2009 (RA 9709)
• Food, Drugs, Cosmetics and Devices Administration (FDCDA) Act of 2009 (RA 9711)
• Philippine Tropical Fabric Law (RA 9242)
• Eid’ul Fitr Holiday Law (RA 9177)
• Tourism Act of 2009 (RA 9593)
• Clean Air Act (RA 8749)
• Environmental Awareness Education Act (RA 9512)
• Renewable Energy Act (RA 9513)
• Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)
• Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729)

Platforms:

Since she became a legislator in 1998, Loren co-authored various laws and established programs in support of her advocacies under the acronym L.O.R.E.N.

Law, Order & Good Governance

To provide a more secure environment for our people, Loren co-authored the following laws: the Anti Money Laundering Law (RA 9160), National Service Training Program (RA 9163), Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (RA 9165), and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), among others.

Likewise, Loren Legarda championed the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipinos. Believing in our modern-day heroes, Loren pushed for the passage of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act (RA 9189), the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act (RA 9225) and the law providing for additional benefits and privileges to balikbayans (RA 9174).

Rights of Women, Youth and Children

Committed to serve the most vulnerable members of the society, Loren Legarda works hard to protect the rights and promote the welfare of women, youth, and children, including victims of sexual coercion during the Second World War, commonly known as “comfort women”. Her dedication to this cause enabled her to develop leadership with a heart, leadership with passion and determination, with subtlety and firmness, drawing her concerns from her being a woman and a mother.

As such, she co-authored the Anti-Domestic Violence Act (RA 9262), Anti-Abuse of Women in Intimate Relationships Act (RA 9262), the Magna Carta for the Working Children (RA 9231) and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, which was passed into law as RA 9208.

Education

Loren Legarda believes that literacy is a fundamental human right. As such, she acknowledges the urgent need for a collaborative effort between government and non-government organizations involved in literacy promotion. While accessibility to education and literacy are basic problems inherent to every society, the Philippines is also in need of good quality education. Despite the existence of laws and programs aimed to improve the education system, much still needs to be done to see the effects at the grassroots level.

Loren co-authored the following measures that were enacted into law: the Early Childhood Care and Development (RA 9890), Negros State College of Agriculture (RA 9141), National Apiculture Research, Training and Development Institute (RA 9151), Leyte State University (RA 9158), and the Cebu International School (RA 9190).

Environment, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

A passionate environmentalist, Loren started her campaign for environmental protection and preservation in the 1980s when she became broadcast journalist.

During her incumbency as Senator, she actively espoused for the passage of important environmental measures such as the Philippine Clean Air Act (RA 8749) and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).

Apart from this, she also espoused the clean up of toxic wastes left behind by former United States military bases in Subic and Clark, and has helped provide medical assistance to children who were victims of toxic waste contamination.

Among her co-authored laws on environmental protection are: Mt. Kitanglad Range Protected Area (RA 8978), Batanes Group of Islands Protected Area (Ra 8991), and the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources Act (RA 9147).

In 2009, she espoused for the passage of the Climate Change Law, a landmark legislation that is considered as a model for other nations.

As current Chairwoman of the Climate Change Oversight Committee of the Senate, Loren ensures that climate change, including adaptation and disaster risk reduction, is addressed as a national priority and considered in policy making and development planning.

Employment & Entrepreneurship

Loren Legarda recognizes the constitutional mandate that labor is a primary social and economic force; and that the rights of workers must be protected and their welfare be promoted.

One of the first laws that she co-authored was the establishment of the Public Employment Service Office (RA 8759) in all capital towns, key cities and other strategic areas nationwide.

In the 14th Congress, Loren as Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee sponsored the amendments to the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (RA 9501) to generate employment and economic activities and essentially spur growth in the countryside.

Nationalism

Loren Legarda believes that nationalism should be nurtured by the unity of intention and oneness of motive for our country be great again.

Therefore, all efforts towards national reconciliation and healing must be pursued, particularly through legislation that seeks to recognize the richness of culture, the uniqueness of our diversity as a people, and those Filipinos who have labored to preserve our culture through the history of forebears. In line with this, she co-authored the declaration of Eid´l Fitr as a national holiday (RA 9177) and likewise co-sponsored the declaration of June 30 of every year as the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day (RA 9187).