Senator Loren Legarda played a key role in five out of the seven laws enacted so far in the 20th Congress.

As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and having previously headed the said panel, Legarda helped shape the ₱6.793-trillion General Appropriations Act or Republic Act (RA) 12314 for Fiscal Year 2026.

Legarda also ensured that the education sector received the largest share of ₱1.34-trillion, equivalent to 4.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), including ₱37.4-billion for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program.

Her earlier work as chair of the Senate Committee on Finance also secured an P8-billion tuition subsidy under the 2017 national budget, proof that free college was feasible even before the Free College Law (RA 10931) was signed into law in 2018.

Legarda also authored and principally sponsored RA 12315, extending the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) where she is also a co-chairperson.

As EDCOM II co-chairperson, the senator worked closely with educators and policymakers to advance reforms based on the Commission’s findings, which revealed severe learning gaps among Filipino students.

Legarda said her role is not only to file targeted measures such as strengthening the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and establishing a national program for early literacy and nurturing care, but also to ensure that reforms are collaborative, sustained, and responsive to the realities of education nationwide.

Aside from this, the veteran lawmaker also authored and co-sponsored RA 12316, the Fuel Tax Relief Act, which authorizes suspension of excise taxes on petroleum products amid rising prices.

She also pushed complementary measures as well, including the proposed Differentiated Value Added Tax (VAT) Rates Act, Murang Bilihin at Serbisyong Medikal Act, and removal of VAT on electricity charges, all aimed at keeping essential goods within reach of ordinary households.

In the area of governance and peace, Legarda, former chair of the Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unificaiton and Reconciliation, also authored and co-sponsored RA 12317, the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) Governance Act, which resets the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro region to September 2026.

The fifth measure Legarda also helped usher into passage into law include the RA 12320 or the Philippine Veterans’ Month Act. The measure, principally authored and principally sponsored by Legarda, primarily seeks to institutionalize national commemoration programs for Filipino veterans.

The law ensures that the sacrifices of soldiers are permanently honored through education, remembrance, and benefits, embedding their legacy into the country’s civic consciousness.

These five measures, two additional laws, the naturalization of athletes Maodo Diouf (RA 12318) and Elizabeth Jeanette Means (RA 12319), complete the seven laws enacted so far in the 20th Congress.

Legarda expressed her support for these measures, recognizing their contribution to national identity and pride.

“In the Senate, every decision carries weight. Laws must always deliver real relief, open doors for learning, and honor those who gave their lives for the country,” Legarda said.

“My duty is to stand firm, to act with conviction, and to make sure that the work we do leaves a lasting impact on the lives of our people,” she further said.

At the same time, Legarda expressed her gratitude after the Senate approved on third and final reading her bill declaring “Waling-Waling” as the national orchid, the proposed Aklan Piñ Museum and Cultural Center Act, and the bill institutionalizing Schools of Living Traditions.

On the other hand, the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Schools Act she was pushing had also advanced to the enrolled bill stage following bicameral action.

“The measure of our work is in the lives we uplift and the institutions we strengthen. I will remain relentless in this work, because public service demands persistence, purpose, and the will to see reforms through,” Legarda said.