Legarda: Freedom is living through institutions, heritage, environment
MANILA, Philippines — On the 128th Philippine Independence Day, Sen. Loren Legarda said freedom is proven in how we govern, what we protect, and whose interests we serve, as the Senator linked the spirit of “Kalayaan Kinabukasan Kasaysayan.” to the work of the Senate, cultural heritage, and the environment.
“This year’s theme, ‘Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.’, reminds us that freedom is a duty we must live every day,” Legarda said. “Our Constitution enshrines that all power comes from the people. The Senate exists because of that mandate. When we debate, investigate, and legislate with courage and integrity, we respect the people who placed us in this position and the heroes who fought for this Republic.”
She noted that the Senate, as a co equal branch of government, should be one of the primary guardians of this constitutional promise of freedom.
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“The Senate must remain an august chamber where issues are taken without fear, facts are pursued without hesitation, and decisions are made with the highest regard for the public good,” Legarda said.
“No fear, no pressure, and no interest should be greater than our obligation to the Constitution and to our people because the moment we allow intimidation, convenience, or personal gain to dictate our work, we diminish the very freedom we claim to celebrate,” the four-term Senator stressed.
Legarda further underscored that independence is reflected in policies and legislation that shield communities from harm and open real opportunities for all.
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“We know freedom has weight when it changes lives for the better, from the air we breathe, to the catch a fisherfolk brings back from the abundance of the sea, to the steadier livelihoods of communities and farmers who can rely on their land, and to the discipline and knowledge a student gains in a classroom that trains both competence and character,” Legarda said.
Legarda has advanced key measures that translate these principles into law. The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and the Climate Change Act of 2009, among others, were designed to protect health, reduce risk, and build safer communities.
She also championed the Magna Carta for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which strengthens small enterprises and local livelihoods, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which expands opportunities for Filipino students.
She also pointed out that a free nation must know, understand, and preserve its culture and heritage.
“Independence is alive when our people see their heritage preserved. When we neglect our heritage, we make it easier for others to define us and divide us,” Legarda said.
Aside from projects she pursued in safeguarding culture and heritage and keeping it alive—such as the establishment of Schools of Living Traditions, support to weaving and indigenous communities, and showcasing culture in documentaries like Dayaw and books like Everyday Culture—she also authored the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, which strengthened protection for cultural properties and traditions; and the cultural mapping law, which requires local governments to identify, document, and protect their cultural resources.
These measures show that freedom gains depth when a nation values its history and when institutions uphold that memory into policy and practice.
“Our heroes fought for our freedom. Our task today is to keep that liberty intact,” Legarda stressed. “We must care for our seas, forests, and traditions, and we must keep our institutions strong, free, and accountable. Only then can we say that the freedom our ancestors won is alive in our time and is secure for every generation of Filipinos who will inherit this Republic,” Legarda concluded.
