Senator Loren Legarda has made the call for stronger support for Filipino artists, artisans and creative communities whose work keeps local culture alive and drives innovation across the country.

Legarda made the call when she marked the opening of February as National Arts Month 2026. This year’s celebration, “Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting,” centers on how artists and cultural workers confront contemporary challenges with courage and creative integrity.

“Every February, we celebrate the soul of our nation through the arts. This year’s theme reminds us that truth and courage are lived through the creativity of our people,” said Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts.

“The arts continue to guide us toward justice, cultural strength, and progress,” she further said.

Two key measures she recently authored and sponsored that have passed on third and final reading in the Senate play a crucial role in promoting Filipino arts and culture:

the Aklan Piña Conservation and Innovation Center Act (Senate Bill No. 1425) and the Schools of Living Traditions Act (Senate Bill No. 1507).

SBN 1425 seeks to establish the Aklan Piña Conservation and Innovation Center in Kalibo to expand the planting of Red Spanish pineapple, build facilities for research and innovation, and strengthen cooperation among weavers, farmers, and educational institutions.

Meanwhile, SBN 1507 institutionalizes the Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) as community based, intergenerational cultural education mechanisms.

“SLTs are sanctuaries of wisdom where cultural masters transmit knowledge to younger generations, ensuring that oral traditions, crafts, and rituals continue to inspire our future,” she said.

Legarda’s long-standing work in culture and heritage policy includes major laws such as the National Cultural Heritage Act, National Museum of the Philippines Act, Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, Philippine Tropical Fabrics Law, Cultural Mapping Act, and National Music Competitions for Young among others—collectively designed to make the cultural sector a driver of employment, innovation, and inclusive development.

The senator also initiated the National Arts and Crafts Fair (NACF), launched in 2016, which continues to give local artisans national exposure and market opportunities.

The 2025 edition, held at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall, featured over 300 exhibitors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, showcasing how heritage and culture can sustain livelihoods while preserving tradition.

She said this year’s celebration of the National Arts Month is both a celebration and a call to action: to honor Filipino artistry, to uphold truth and courage, and to ensure that culture continues to shape a fair and sustainable society.

“Every work of art and every piece ofculture is part of the larger story of who we are as a people. When we stand beside the artists and cultural workers who keep that story alive, we also keep our future more imaginative, more just, and more humane," Legarda said.