January 28, 1960
Born to a family of newsmen, educators, and physicians. She is the granddaughter of Jose P. Bautista, one of the pillars of Philippine journalism. Her paternal great grandfather Potenciano Cabrera was the first Mayor of San Pablo City, Laguna while her maternal great granduncle Vicente Gella was a Governor of Antique. Kapitan Moy Guevara, her maternal great granduncle, was the founder of the shoe industry of Marikina.  

1969
She won her first elocution contest at the Assumption Convent, Herran, Manila, the start of her annual recognition as an orator.

1971
Loren at 11 years old, first appeared in a French documentary filmed in the Philippines.

1973
She graduated from grade school as valedictorian from Assumption Convent, Herran, Manila.

 1975
She appeared in her first television commercial for Close-Up at 15 years old.

1976
She appeared in her first print ad for Pond’s cold cream.

1977
She graduated from High School at Assumption, San Lorenzo, Makati.

1978
She first appeared on TV for GMA 7’s What’s Up with Orly Mercado, Loren’s professor at the University of the Philippines Institute of Mass Communications. Orly gave her first break on television.

April 1981
She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Broadcast Communications, cum laude. Loren was president of the UP Broadcasting Association.

1981
She joined Discorama with the Apo Hiking Society on GMA 7 as a DJ, Loren’s first job.

December 1981
She first appeared as anchor of Newswatch late night edition – RPN 9 with Pat Lazaro. Loren was the youngest anchor on Philippine television.

1982
She wrote a cover story for the Daily Express’ Weekend magazine on National Artist Vicente Manansala. She applied as writer for Max Soliven’s Manila magazine and was given her first assignment.

1985
She debuted on US Television via KSCI channel 18 in Los Angeles, California as host and producer of Manila Envelope, a pioneering TV magazine for the Filipino community in the West Coast.

1986-1998
The years when she anchored the highly-regarded and multi-awarded The World Tonight with Angelo Castro, Jr. on ABS-CBN.

1986-1990
The years when she anchored PEP Talk, one of the most awarded television magazine programs on Philippine television.

1989
She received a Catholic Mass Media Hall of Fame award from the Archdiocese of Manila for PEP Talk.

1990
She launched PEP Talk, the book, the print version of the acclaimed TV magazine.

1990-1998
The years when she anchored the Inside Story, an award-winning investigative program, which brought Loren to the hinterlands and to the most remote areas of the archipelago.

1992
She received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award from the Philippines Jaycees for broadcast media.

1993
She received The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) award for excellence in media.

1993
She completed her Master’s Degree in National Security Administration at the National Defense College of the Philippines, thus becoming a reserve officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel. She was the topnotcher while being the youngest in class.

 

1995
She was a recipient of the Benigno Aquino award for journalism.

1996
She hosted Earth Link, a pioneering environmental program on television which made it to the finals of the New York television awards.

1998
She established the Luntiang Pilipinas Foundation where she spearheaded the planting of 2 million trees in public spaces across the country, a work cited by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

June 1998
She became the youngest woman Senator of the Philippines, garnering more than 15 million votes.

1999
Loren was instrumental in the successful peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF) thus securing the peaceful and unconditional release of 6 military and police captives from different parts of the country.

January 2000
She was named one of the Global Leaders for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

January 2001
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act became a law principally authored by Loren. She has authored and co-authored 291 bills and resolutions, a record for a non-lawyer. 13 of these bills became laws, while 41 of her resolutions were adopted by the chamber.

April 2001
After almost two years in captivity, Major Noel Buan was released to a humanitarian mission led by Loren and Bishop Jesus Varela in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro by his NPA captors.

June 2001
She won the United Nations Environmental Program award in Turin, Italy for her significant contributions to environmental work.

June 2001
She was voted by her peers in the Senate as majority floor leader, the first woman to occupy such post.

2002
Broadcast journalist Arlyn dela Cruz was released in Sulu by Muslim captors through Loren’s intervention.

December 30, 2003
She decided to run as Vice President with the opposition party, Kilusan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) as Fernando Poe Jr.’s running mate.

February - May 2004
Loren embarked on a gruelling 3 month campaign for the vice presidency amid heartwarming response from people all over the country.

July 23, 2004
She filed her vice presidential electoral protest after the elections that was marred by irregularities and fraud.

September 2004
She became an awardee for the environment by the Priyadarshni Academy in Mumbai, India.

November 2004
She aired the first episode of Real Stories, another breakthrough public affairs program on ABC5 during her television comeback. Real Stories received the KBP Golden Dove award, the first for ABC5.

September 2005
She represented the Philippines in the Beijing conference on the environment and delivered a paper on the state of the Philippine environment.

December 2005
With the Supreme Court giving Loren’s electoral protest due course, the retabulation of election returns and revision of ballots has begun. Findings indicate massive fraud. She is vindicated. Loren’s battle for truth continues.

From Loren Legarda's Coffee Table Book - "The Story of Loren Legarda: Her Legacy and Vision” by Maria Rosa Nieva Carrion-Buck, MNSA and Maria Lourdes Javier-Brillantes, MA