House Deputy Speaker and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda has won a guaranteed strong endorsement for her bid to return to the Senate from presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos.

Calling Legarda the “green champion in the Senate”, Marcos cited the House official for pursuing legislative proposals aimed at improving the country’s “local crafts and local industry.” The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential candidate co-hosted on Thursday, Jan. 27 the online show “Sara for All” of his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

“Noong kasama ko si Sen. Loren sa senado, siya talaga ang ‘green champion’ dahil pinaglalaban niya ang kalikasan. (When I was in the Senate with Legarda, she really was the green champion who fought for the environment.) She’s also been a very strong proponent for our local crafts and local industry,” Marcos said.

“Pag nakikita ko na tumayo na si Senator Loren, alam ko na meron talaga siyang magagawa para sa environment, para sa green issues. (Whenever you see Senator Loren rise (to speak) I know she can do much for the environment.) Please continue that kasi it is more and more important than it ever was before,” he added.

The three-term senator vowed to continue and improve her Senate legislations should she win in this year’s elections.

Legarda pushed for the passage of ten environmental laws such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Renewable Energy Law, and the Climate Change Act.

She also co-authored the Free Tertiary Education Act of 2017, providing underprivileged Filipino students the opportunity to pursue college degrees through free tuition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges.

“Libre na ang matrikula at miscellaneous expenses sa lahat po ng mga State Universities at Colleges, at sa mga local government colleges at government-accredited TESDA institutions. (Matriculation and miscellaneous expenses are already free in all state universities and colleges and in local government colleges and government accredited TESDA institutions,” Legarda said.

She also vowed to focus on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Law, saying its more active promotion and execution will help Filipinos expand their employment and livelihood prospects.

“Alam natin na 99 percent po ng ating ekonomiya ay mga maliliit na negosyo. Ginawa po natin yong batas na yan noong 2007 at sana po pagbalik sa senado ay mapaigting pa natin ang batas na yan para mabangon natin ang ekonomiya ng mga mamaliliit na negosyante. (We know that 99 percent of our economy is comprised of small businesses. In 2007, we made this a law and I hope I can return to the Senate to further improve this law so that our small businesses will recover,” she said.

Duterte, thanked Legarda for her efforts and vowed to strongly campaign for her because of what she has been doing for the country.