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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Leandro Legarda Leviste doubles down on pro-student advocacy, donates 150,000 school bags

Leandro Legarda Leviste doubles down on pro-student advocacy, donates 150,000 school bags

Published Jul 6, 2025 05:26 pm  |  Updated Jul 12, 2025 09:09 am

At A Glance

  • True to his pro-student advocacy, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has donated over 150,000 school bags for local learners.
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
True to his pro-student advocacy, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has donated over 150,000 school bags for local learners.
The activity--described as one of the largest private initiatives to support education in the Philippines--was carried out by Leviste’s Lingkod Legarda Leviste Foundation.
The foundation began delivering these school bags to elementary schools and high schools at the opening of the new school year. Each bag is filled with school supplies tailored to the student’s grade level, to help ensure children are prepared at the start of the school year.
Parents, students, and educators welcomed Leviste’s initiative across the 1st district of Batangas, which is comprised of Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, Nasugbu, Taal, and Tuy.
The school bags were personally donated by Leviste, at zero cost to the government. Apart from giving school bags, Leviste launched last school year a program to give students personal financial assistance, which he plans to expand in the coming weeks.
Leviste--the country’s youngest billionaire entrepreneur--decided to focus on public service in 2024 after selling a controlling stake in Solar Philippines New Energy Corporation to Meralco for P34 billion. Now a neophyte at the House of Representatives, he is working on educational programs aimed at ending the cycle of poverty.
Leviste has filed a bill to provide a monthly allowance of P1,000 to every Filipino student, from kindergarten to college, regardless of socioeconomic status.
The allowance would help cover basic needs such as food, transportation, and other educational expenses. Recognizing the limitations of government funding, the bill also proposes to seek donations and other funding sources to support the national student allowance program.
While work continues on increasing government support for education in the Philippines, Leviste aims to use the proceeds from his business ventures for his philanthropic initiatives.
“I feel it’s my responsibility to share what I have with others, especially to address the shortage of funding for education in the Philippines. A lack of budget for basic needs like food, transportation, or school supplies should not be an obstacle for any child’s education,” Leviste said.
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