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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Pampasya sa Pasko': Leviste gives away 250,000 Noche Buena packs

'Pampasya sa Pasko': Leviste gives away 250,000 Noche Buena packs

Published Nov 29, 2025 05:35 pm

At A Glance

  • Billionaire businessman-turned-lawmaker Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste knows how to share his blessings, especially during Christmas time. It was learned on Saturday, Nov. 29 that Leviste donated some 250,000 Noche Buena packages, funded entirely from his own pocket.
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste, in a warehouse full of his Noche Buena packs (Facebook)
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste, in a warehouse full of his Noche Buena packs (Facebook)


Billionaire businessman-turned-lawmaker Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste knows how to share his blessings, especially during Christmas time.
It was learned on Saturday, Nov. 29 that Leviste donated some 250,000 Noche Buena packages, funded entirely from his own pocket.
Reports said that every family in Leviste's district will be provided with a Noche Buena pack, with additional packs to be given to families in other districts.
“I grew up fortunate to always have Noche Buena with my family for Christmas, and I don’t want any child in my district not to have the same, even if I have to fund it myself,” Leviste, a freshman in the House of Representatives, said.
The Lingkod Legarda Leviste Foundation has stored the Noche Buena packs in Leviste’s warehouse and will distribute these to families in the coming weeks leading up to Christmas.
Leviste also gave Noche Buena packs for every family in his district last year. This time, he will also be giving away 250,000 umbrellas.
“I choose not to accept kickbacks or even my salary or congressional office budget, but I can’t not donate these Noche Buena packs after seeing how it makes other people happy," said the solon, who had made headlines for his hardline stance against infrastructure project-related corruption.
“That said, the government should not increase spending on this kind of ayuda (aid)," he noted.
"We should decrease the VAT (value-added tax) and other regressive taxes so that ordinary families can afford to buy more, and instead get more from the wealthiest Filipinos through taxes and philanthropy,” added Leviste, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Leviste shifted hia focus to public service in 2024 after selling his controlling stake in Solar Power New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) to Meralco for approximately ₱34 billion.
Leviste, son of Senator Loren Legarda, had earlier donated ₱6 billion of his shares and proceeds from share sales to help underprivileged Filipino students and typhoon victims. He had also pledged to eventually give away all of his wealth.
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