Peacebuilding and standing with people who have devoted their lives to the same mission remains her utmost priority, Sen. Loren Legarda said.

Legarda, in her message as guest speaker at the signing of the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Memorandum of Agreement between the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and local government units (LGUs), pointed this out saying her lifelong mission is peacebuilding, as she recalled her decades of work mediating in conflict areas, negotiating the release of captives and championing programs that transform peace agreements into development dividends for communities deprived of basic services.

“Negotiation may stop the gunfire for a time, but only development can prevent it from starting again,” Legarda said in her speech during the event recently held in Foro de Intramuros on March 26, 2026.

“I placed myself in the middle of a crossfire with no script and no certainty about what would happen, focused only on the outcomes that the captives would return home alive, that we could open space for peaceful dialogue, and that I would return safely to my children,” she recounted.

Legarda recalled her early missions in Sorsogon, Lianga, Marilog, Kalayaan, and Jolo, where she risked her life to secure the release of police officers, soldiers, and journalists.

The veteran lawmaker had also worked with the late Bishop Jesus Varela and Bishop Tomas Millamena of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in the release of Army Major Noel Buan, and later, the release of journalists Arlyn dela Cruz, Ces Drilon, and Jimmy Encarnacion.

Legarda emphasized that in order to sustain peace efforts, it must be sustained by addressing poverty, exclusion, injustice, and lack of opportunity.

A National Security professional and who graduated top of her class at the National Defense College of the Philippines, Legarda underscored that security is about ensuring conditions that prevent conflict from arising again.

“We stood firm that we would not validate abduction as a business model. We did not agree to ransom, instead, we committed to bring development assistance to communities long deprived of basic services,” Legarda said.

The PAMANA Program, the government’s flagship peace and development convergence program, targets conflict-affected and geographically isolated communities.

Since 2011, PAMANA has mobilized over ₱75.8-billion in investments for conflict-affected communities, delivering roads, bridges, housing, health services, and livelihood projects.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA) outlines the operational, reportorial, and post-implementation requirements for project execution, ensuring clarity, coordination, and accountability among implementing partners.

Legarda, who is also chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation, and head of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, reinforced this approach through Senate Bill No. 532, which institutionalizes a Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Program for the Bangsamoro.

On top of this is an additional ₱850-million in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to expand OPAPRU’s Educational Assistance Program.

“Through education, we aim to reduce the appeal of violence and expand the horizon of what is possible for the next generation of Filipinos,” Legarda said.

She also urged local government units (LGUs) to ensure inclusivity and transparency in implementing PAMANA projects.

“Peacebuilding requires the careful rebuilding of trust where none existed and the delicate balancing of principle and pragmatism in the face of real and unavoidable danger,” Legarda emphasized.