Legarda urges climate-vulnerable nations to protect culture, heritage
Speaking at the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) meeting on Monday, Legarda said climate change poses a multidimensional threat, especially for nations that are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
"Climate change endangers all that you see and so much more: climate change imperils not only lives and livelihoods; it threatens to erase who we are," she said.
The four-term senator and longtime climate advocate stressed that risk assessments must expand beyond economics and infrastructure to include cultural well-being — from ancestral homes and sacred sites to time-honored traditions.
"It is this understanding that demands we broaden our definition of risk to fully encompass the cultural well-being of our people," she added.
According to Legarda, extreme heat could cost the Philippines as much as ?466 billion annually by 2030. But more than the monetary loss, she warned of the intangible costs of losing cultural heritage, forced displacement from ancestral domains, and the gradual erosion of social cohesion rooted in shared traditions.
She emphasized that preserving cultural memory and indigenous knowledge must be seen as central to climate resilience.
"As legislators, we are more than mere policymakers; we are the stewards of our nation's future," the lawmaker said.
"We must ensure that our laws reflect an unwavering commitment to both climate action and cultural preservation."
The CVF-V20 is a coalition of 74 climate-vulnerable countries, including Bangladesh, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Barbados, and the Philippines. Together, they are developing Climate Prosperity Plans (CPPs) — ambitious national investment strategies designed to harness renewable energy, nature-based solutions, and financial innovation to foster inclusive development and climate resilience.
The Philippines, which holds a founding role in the V20 group, has crafted its own Climate Prosperity Investment Memorandum, aligning climate goals with economic growth, clean energy transition, and local adaptation efforts.
Legarda, principal author of the landmark Climate Change Act and champion of the People's Survival Fund, urged fellow lawmakers to prioritize the implementation of the country's Climate Prosperity Plan.
"Let our collective efforts safeguard our precious cultural treasures, empower our resilient communities, and build a sustainable future for all Filipinos," she said. — Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News
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Legarda urges climate-vulnerable nations to protect culture, heritage
Senator Loren Legarda has called on climate-vulnerable countries to rethink outdated policies and adopt a more holistic and inclusive approach to climate action — one that protects not just lives and livelihoods, but also cultural identity, history, and heritage. Speaking at the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) meeting on Monday, Legarda said climate change poses a multidimensional threat, especially for nations that are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. "Climate change endangers all that you see and so much more: climate change imperils not only lives and livelihoods; it threatens to erase who we are," she said. The four-term senator and longtime climate advocate stressed that risk assessments must expand beyond economics and infrastructure to include cultural well-being — from ancestral homes and sacred sites to time-honored traditions. "It is this understanding that demands we broaden our definition of risk to fully encompass the cultural well-being of our people," she added. According to Legarda, extreme heat could cost the Philippines as much as ?466 billion annually by 2030. But more than the monetary loss, she warned of the intangible costs of losing cultural heritage, forced displacement from ancestral domains, and the gradual erosion of social cohesion rooted in shared traditions. She emphasized that preserving cultural memory and indigenous knowledge must be seen as central to climate resilience. "As legislators, we are more than mere policymakers; we are the stewards of our nation's future," the lawmaker said. "We must ensure that our laws reflect an unwavering commitment to both climate action and cultural preservation." The CVF-V20 is a coalition of 74 climate-vulnerable countries, including Bangladesh, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Barbados, and the Philippines. Together, they are developing Climate Prosperity Plans (CPPs) — ambitious national investment strategies designed to harness renewable energy, nature-based solutions, and financial innovation to foster inclusive development and climate resilience. The Philippines, which holds a founding role in the V20 group, has crafted its own Climate Prosperity Investment Memorandum, aligning climate goals with economic growth, clean energy transition, and local adaptation efforts. Legarda, principal author of the landmark Climate Change Act and champion of the People's Survival Fund, urged fellow lawmakers to prioritize the implementation of the country's Climate Prosperity Plan. "Let our collective efforts safeguard our precious cultural treasures, empower our resilient communities, and build a sustainable future for all Filipinos," she said. — Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News
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Legarda urges countries prone to climate change to update policies
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Senators file priority bills in 20th Congress
Several senators on Monday have begun filing their priority bills and resolutions for the incoming 20th Congress. According to the Senate's bills and index section, Senator Loren Legarda was the first to file her 10 priority bills, topped by the One Tablet, One Student Act. Her other bills are as follows: Pangkabuhayan Act Unpaid Care Workers Equity and Empowerment Act Magna Carta of Waste Workers Living Wage Act Monthly Maintenance Medication Support Act for Senior Citizens Women and Children Protection Units Act Low Carbon Economy Act Complementarity in Education Act Blue Economy Act Next to file was Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero, who included in his top ten bills is the act mandating government officials and employees to execute and submit a written permission to examine, inquire, or look into all their deposits and investments, thereby waiving the Bank Secrecy Law. Escudero also listed in his priority measures the act lowering the compulsory retirement age of teachers and non-teaching school personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) from 65 to 60 years old. His other priority bills are: An act prohibiting any form of interference by national government agencies with the use of the national tax allotment and locally-generated revenues of local government units; To further strengthen local autonomy through a more rationalized system of decentralization; An act promoting business competitiveness by providing temporary tax relief to single proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships or corporations classified as micro, small and medium enterprises An act promoting business growth and recovery by reducing the cost of business compliance for micro, small and medium enterprises; An act providing an increase and an automatic adjustment mechanism in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) granted to government employees; An act reinstituting mandatory credit allocation for micro, small and medium enterprises, imposing fines and penalties for noncompliance, and for other purposes; An act providing for the redevelopment of condominiums; An act establishing a tripartite council to address the problems of unemployment, underemployment, job-skills mismatch and technology-induced job displacement. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada came next, pushing for the promotion of safer communities and future-proof essential public services. Among his 20 legislative proposals is a measure that would guarantee a monthly stipend for all Filipino seniors—P1,000 for indigents, and P500 for non-indigents, to be increased after five years. He also sought for a measure granting senior citizens a 20% discount on travel tax. Estrada also filed the Disaster Food Bank and Stockpile Act, Department of Disaster Resilience Act, and the Rainwater Harvesting Facility Act, among others. Meanwhile, included in Senator Robin Padilla's 10 priority bills was an act expanding the grounds for dissolution of marriage, instituting divorce and setting the procedures thereof, providing protections to the parties to the marriage and its common children. He also filed measures seeking the medicalization of cannabis; the establishment of Muslim prayer rooms in all public offices and establishments; a P150 minimum wage increase for employees and workers in the private sector; and the prohibition of political dynasties. Senator Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, highlighted in his priority bills the Security of Tenure and End of Endo Act, which seeks to put a stop to the end-of-contract and labor-only contracting schemes. He also filed a bill on anti-online gambling which aims to ban all forms of online gambling in the country, among others. Topping the list of Senator Erwin Tulfo's priority measures was a resolution urging the Senate to review the Rice Tariffication Law, restoring the regulatory powers of National Food Authority. The first-termer senator also filed his version of the National Land Use Act which seeks to create a rational, holistic, and sustainable land use and physical planning mechanism. As a former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the younger Tulfo also proposed a bill that seeks to simplify the documentary requirements for accessing government financial assistance or ayuda. Senator Bong Go also filed his top 10 bills in the 20th Congress which included magna carta for barangays, across-the-board wage hike, establishment of Department of Disaster Resilience, and provision of expanded tertiary education subsidy. Returning senator Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III also filed 10 landmark bills aimed at strengthening government accountability, social welfare, public safety, and institutional reform. Among these were the People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025, Anti-False Content and Fake News Act, 14th Month Pay Law, Maternal Surname for Legitimate Children Act, and Rightsizing the National Government Act. For his part, Senator Bam Aquino filed 10 education-related measures, including proposals to bridge the education-to-employment gap and strengthen the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Free College Law. Aquino will also push for the School-to-Employment Program (STEP) Act which seeks to establish job placement offices in all public senior high schools, state universities and colleges, and local universities and colleges. He also filed the E-Textbook Para sa Lahat Act, which intends to improve access to textbooks for teachers and learners by requiring all DepEd-approved textbooks for basic education to be made available in digital format, free of charge, through official platforms or other authorized channels. —RF, GMA Integrated News
