Senator Loren Legarda expressed her expectations that critical issues such as food security, literacy, inflation, support for the agriculture sector, climate crisis, and peace and order will be prominently addressed in the 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Monday.

Legarda emphasized the urgency of tackling food security, highlighting the 2023 report of the United Nations on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, which showed that the Philippines had the highest number of people facing moderate or severe food insecurity in Southeast Asia, with 50.9 million people lacking constant access to adequate food in the Philippines in 2022.

“This statistic underscores the urgency of our efforts to transition from systems that are losing viability to more diverse and natural methods that are more resilient to ensure that no Filipino goes hungry,” Legarda said.

“We must ensure that every Filipino can access affordable and nutritious food. We must provide our people with the kind of support that will have long-term effects to effectively reduce, if not eliminate, hunger and malnutrition in the country,” Legarda added.

Legarda called for more support for the agriculture sector in connection with food security. “Our farmers and fisherfolk are the backbone of our food supply chain. We must provide them with the necessary resources, technology, and infrastructure to boost productivity and ensure sustainability,” she said.

She also underscored the importance of enhancing the literacy of Filipino children, citing the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) report. The report highlighted that while the net enrollment rate for elementary schools has stayed above 95% since the 1970s and secondary school participation rose from 65% in the 1980s to 90% by 2015, there are still significant challenges. The 2020-2021 National Achievement Test for Grade 6 showed students are nearly proficient in Filipino (54%) but low proficiency in Math (41%), English (44%), Araling Panlipunan (44%), and Science (44%). The 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) also revealed that over 75% of 15-year-olds scored below the minimum proficiency level in Math, Reading, and Science.

“As the EDCOM II Year One Report recommends, we need to enhance teacher support and training, streamlining the assessment landscape and ensuring timely procurement of learning resources. There is also a need to strengthen Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) governance, prioritizing equitable distribution of nutrition resources, decentralizing education service delivery to local government units, and tailoring technical-vocational education and training (TVET) programs to meet specific needs,” Legarda said.

“As our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, once said, _‘Without education and liberty, which are the soil and the sun of human being, no reform is possible, no measure can give the result desired.’_ Providing access to quality education is one of the best investments we can make to lessen illiteracy and alleviate poverty. These children are the future leaders of our country. We need to equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive world,” she stressed.

Addressing the ongoing issue of inflation, Legarda noted its impact on the daily lives of Filipinos. “Inflation has hurt the labor sector, and most families do not have the means to make ends meet. We need comprehensive measures to stabilize prices and support vulnerable sectors,” Legarda said.

Legarda is the author of Senate Bill 2662, which aims to establish the standards for a living wage to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, considering the cost of living and the employers’ capacity to pay. She also co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill 2534 calling for a minimum wage increase for employees and workers in the private sector.

“Ensuring a fair minimum wage is essential for improving the living standards of Filipinos. The cost of living continues to rise, and our laborers find it hard to keep up. While the employment rate is high at 95.9%, we must focus on creating stable and better-paying jobs. Employment alone is not enough; the quality of these jobs must ensure that every Filipino can achieve a dignified standard of living,” Legarda said

Legarda also highlighted the significance of peace and order in fostering a conducive environment for growth and development. “To sustain economic growth and social stability, it is important that peace and security are maintained. The people expect and deserve good governance. We must improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies and encourage community-based initiatives to maintain peace and order,” she said.

Legarda praised the current administration for its proactive stance on the environment. She noted that the Philippines’ selection as host of the Loss and Damage Fund Board demonstrates the country’s serious commitment to addressing climate issues and advocating for climate justice for developing nations like the Philippines, which are severely affected by climate change.

The four-term Senator underscored her commitment to working with the administration to advance advocacies focused on inclusive economy, employment, education, and peace and security while continuing to strongly advocate for the environment, indigenous people’s rights, women, and cultural preservation.

“In all these efforts, we must be guided by the principles of holistic development and happiness as exemplified by Bhutan’s four pillars of Gross National Happiness: incorporate the status of the environment, good governance, equitable and sustainable socio-economic growth, and the promotion and preservation of culture when measuring the growth of countries. The quality of life is just as important as the growth rates that we have been working so hard to increase,” Legarda concluded.