Loren Legarda takes oath as senator, vows to address climate change, pandemic issues

Senator-elect Loren Legarda on Monday took her oath of office as a lawmaker of the 19th Congress in her home province of Antique, where she served as congresswoman for three years.

The four-time Senator took her oath before Mag-aba, Pandan Barangay Captain Macario Bagac at the Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park in San Jose de Buenaviste.

In her inaugural speech, Legarda reflected on the challenges that the country faces with the lingering effects of the “twin crises” of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“How do we translate laws into substantial benefits that would extend to the farthest reaches of our 7,107 islands? How do we recover from the afflictions of the last few years, the twin crises of climate change and the pandemic? Trabaho at kabuhayan. Ito ang dapat nating patuloy na isulong lalo na’t hindi pa tapos ang ating laban sa kasalukuyang pandemya at sa krisis ng klima,” she said.

(Work and livelihood. This is what we must continue to push for, especially that our fight against the pandemic and the climate crisis is not over.)

Legarda said that local entrepreneurs and indigenous communities should be tapped to ensure that they would benefit from government programs such as the MSME Law, which she was a principal sponsor and author of.

She said she will also promote green jobs and green skills in the country, and encourage people to engage in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, information technology, creative industries, and other careers that contribute to environmental and cultural preservation. 

Legarda further urged the House and Senate to ensure that the national budget is “a pandemic recovery budget, but one that is aligned with, and attuned to, the climate path.”

“There is no recovery from COVID-19 unless we attack it on the issue of environment and climate. Also, rather than just ‘Building Back Better,’ we must focus firmly on the future and build right at first sight,” she said.

“We now know that alongside investments in research and healthcare, we need to address the problem at its root: the destruction of nature. To save ourselves, we must save nature. Protecting nature is our fundamental, optimum, and most cost-effective line of defense against future pandemics and climate change,” she added.

Legarda, one of the senatorial bets in eventual President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s UniTeam slate, ranked second in the 2022 senatorial race with 24,264,969 votes.

“It has been tremendously fulfilling, an ongoing journey, an enduring one because today marks the 22nd year as your lawmaker. I stand honored and proud before you to accept my mandate once again, to be your Senator for the fourth time, the most senior in terms of tenure,” she said. — BM, GMA News