SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE LOREN LEGARDA ON THE SIGNING OF THE HIGH SEAS TREATY BY THE PHILIPPINES

September 22, 2023

I welcome and laud the Philippines’ move to join other nations in signing the first-ever treaty on protecting the international high seas under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In my capacity as the Senate President Pro Tempore, I wrote to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in March, expressing my great anticipation and enthusiasm for the High Seas Treaty, formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

Adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine […]

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SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE LOREN LEGARDA’S STATEMENT ON CHINA COAST GUARD’S DANGEROUS MANEUVERS AND ILLEGAL USE OF WATER CANNONS DURING THE RECENT RESUPPLY MISSION

August 7, 2023

We condemn in the highest form China Coast Guard’s (CCG’s) recent blockage, dangerous maneuvers, and use of water cannons against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels escorting boats chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on 5 August 2023. These actions are not only reckless, but they are also illegal and have endangered the lives of Filipinos.
This violates international conventions, endangering our crew at sea. We demand that the China Coast Guard respect our sovereign rights, refrain from […]

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Statement on the 7th Anniversary of West Philippine Sea Ruling

July 12, 2023

Today, we commemorate the 7th anniversary of the historic Hague arbitral ruling issued by the International Permanent Court of Arbitration, which affirmed our country’s territorial claims covered by the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territories in the West Philippine Sea.
This historic ruling is crucial in strengthening our country’s efforts to preserve our territorial integrity, protect maritime resources, and our duty to safeguard marine biodiversity.
I commend the continuous efforts of our government in asserting our sovereign rights over territorial waters […]

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Statement on looming El Niño phenomenon

June 10, 2023

I stand with Malacañang in urging all national government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations and state universities and colleges in implementing water conservation measures amidst the looming El Niño phenomenon within the next few months. PAGASA projects an 80% chance of El Niño occurrence beginning June to August this year until the first quarter of 2024.
While El Niño does not directly cause water scarcity, the reduced rainfall it brings can influence decreased water supply and droughts. And as it […]

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SEN. LOREN LEGARDA’S FOLLOW UP STATEMENT ON THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE FIRE INCIDENT

May 23, 2023

I vow to give my full and wholehearted support to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) after the devastating aftermath of a fire that razed the Manila Central Post Office building. We should not take down the building but consider adopting the concept of adaptive reuse, that instead of destroying our heritage structures, we can restore them and use them for a new purpose. This is already being done in Intramuros, and there is no reason why it cannot be done […]

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