Legarda pushes bill to streamline MSME support

In celebration of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Month this July, Senator Loren Legarda has filed the proposed ‘Pangkabuhayan Act,’ a bill aimed at simplifying access to government financing and livelihood programs, leveraging technology and innovation to encourage more Filipinos to start their own businesses and support the growth of existing ones.

“The future of MSMEs is anchored on our ability to innovate. By simplifying and strengthening support systems, and taking advantage of technology, we provide more opportunities for […]

Legarda Calls for Urgent and Strict Enforcement of Environmental Laws Amid Flooding from Southwest Monsoon

Senator Loren Legarda called for the strict and immediate implementation of environmental laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA No. 9003) to address the worsening effects of flooding in Metro Manila and across the country.
“We are drowning in our own waste and garbage”. Legarda, principal author of RA 9003, stressed that clogged waterways filled with solid waste resulting in recurring floods are a direct consequence of poor compliance with solid waste management regulations and a glaring example […]

Legarda files bill to address aging agri-workforce through youth-led reform

As the Philippine agricultural sector faces a looming labor crisis, Senator Loren Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 518, seeking to establish the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council to revitalize the industry with a new generation of agri-entrepreneurs.

“The average age of our farmers is now 53 years old. If this trend continues, we could face a critical shortage of food producers within the next decade, which will threaten our food security,” Legarda said.

The four-term Senator highlighted that nearly three out […]

Legarda files “corrective” bill to reclaim municipal waters for small fishers

Reaffirms Preferential Rights of Municipal Fisherfolk Amid Threats of Commercial Encroachment

Senator Loren Legarda has filed the Municipal Fisherfolk Protection Act, a bill that seeks to declare the 15-kilometer municipal waters as exclusively reserved for municipal fisherfolk, in order to safeguard their constitutional preferential rights and ensure the sustainability of coastal resources.

The bill is filed in the wake of the Mercidar ruling rendered by RTC Malabon Branch 170, which effectively allowed licensed commercial fishing vessels to operate in municipal waters seven […]

Legarda seeks to ban online gambling

Senator Loren Legarda filed a bill seeking to comprehensively ban all forms of online gambling and their promotion in the Philippines.

Legarda explained that the unprecedented move from licensed casinos to smartphones has exposed the most vulnerable sectors of society to addiction, exploitation, and financial harm.

“Anybody with access to the internet could easily log on to online betting platforms, and has blurred the lines between regulation and unregulated gaming,” said Legarda.

“It has exposed the most vulnerable, such as minors, students, and […]