Loren Legarda is a Filipino broadcast journalist and politician. She is currently serving as senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Previously, she represented as congresswoman the lone legislative district of Antique Province in Western Visayas Region.
When she completed her 18 years as senator, she ran for congresswoman in Antique Province under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Party in the May 13, 2019 election. She defeated former two-term congressman Exequiel Javier who ran as an independent. Two other losing independent candidates were Robin Rubinos and Rodelo Pidoy.
Although she was born and grew up in Malabon City, a suburb of Manila, she complied with the required residency prior to her election as representative of Antique Province. Her only claim to having roots in the province is her maternal grandmother, Carmen Gella Bautista, who was born in Pandan, a municipality of Antique. Her maternal ancestors were prominent politicians in the history of the province.
Personal Information
Complete Name –> Lorna Regina B. Legarda
Nickname –> Loren
Birth Date –> January 28, 1960 (age 63)
Birth Place –> Malabon, Metro Manila, Philippines
Residence –> Barangay Mag-aba, Pandan, Antique
Family
Father –> Antonio Cabrera Legarda
Mother –> Bessie Gella Bautista
Note: Loren is the only child of her parents
Spouse –> Former Batangas Governor Antonio Leviste (Separated)
Children – Leandro Leviste (a pioneer in the renewal energy industry); Lorenzo Leviste
Grandfather –> Jose P. Bautista (Former editor of Manila Times newspaper)
Maternal Grandmother –> Carmen Gella Bautista
Great Granduncle –> Former Antique Governor Vicente Gella
Education
Elementary – Assumption College
High School – Assumption College
College – University of the Philippines
Degree – Broadcast Communications
Political Career / Work Experiences
1998-2004, 2007-2019, 2022-Present – Senator
2020 – Head, Ad Hoc Quick Response Team on the Taal Volcano eruption
2019-2022 – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative
2019-2022 – Congresswoman
2010 – Ran for Vice President but lost to Jojo Binay
2004 – Ran for Vice President but lost to Noli De Castro
* Former broadcast journalist with ABS-CBN
Bills / Laws / Resolutions
* As a Congresswoman, Loren filed the following bills:
House Bill 631 – AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8759, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE ACT OF 1999, AS AMENDED, TO INCLUDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE SCOPE OF THE LAW, TO RENAME THE PRESENT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE (PESO) INTO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICE (PEESO), AND TO ESTABLISH THE BARANGAY EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICES (BEESO) NATIONWIDE, DEFINING ITS ROLE WITHIN THE EXISTING NETWORK, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
House Bill 632 – AN ACT DECLARING THE NORTHERN ANTIQUE PROTECTED SEASCAPE AND LANDSCAPE LOCATED IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF LIBERTAD, PANDAN, SEBASTE, CULASI AND TIBIAO IN THE PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE AS AN ECOTOURISM ZONE TO ENCOURAGE THE RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE USE AS WELL AS FOR THE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES FOUND THEREIN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
House Bill 633 – AN ACT CREATING A HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS IN THE PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE TO BE KNOWN AS THE ANTIQUE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
House Bill 634 – AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
House Bill 635 – AN ACT REGULATING THE MANUFACTURING, IMPORTATION AND USE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES, LEVIES AND INCENTIVES SYSTEM FOR INDUSTRIES, BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND CONSUMERS THEREOF
Advocacy Programs / Stand on Issues
* Inhibited herself during the vote on whether to grant a new franchise to ABS-CBN
* Environmental Protection
RELATED: List of Current Congressmen and CongressWomen of the Philippines 2019 – 2022
RELATED: Biography of Rhodora Cadiao; Edgar Denosta
See also: Famous People from Antique