Senatorial Candidate Legarda to Support the Development of the Caraga Administrative Region

During her latest visit to Agusan del Norte on Tuesday as part of the endorsed candidates of PDP-Laban, three-term senator Loren Legarded highlighted livelihood assistance, employment generation, and green pandemic recovery among the top priorities of her legislative agenda in an effort to further develop the Caraga Administrative Region.

“Sa loob ng dalawampung taon nating panunungkulan bilang public servant, naging pangunahing adhikain po natin ang pagsusulong ng mga programa na makapag-bibigay ng trabaho at kabuhayan,” explained Legarda. “God-willing, pagbalik po natin sa Senado, sisiguraduhin natin na ang mga programa na ito ay patuloy na mapondohan, mapalawak at mapaigting ang implementasyon upang mas marami pa nating kababayan ang makinabang para sa mas epektibong pag-ahon at pagbangon mula sa pandemya.”

(“In my twenty years as a public servant, it has been my main goal to promote programs that can provide employment and livelihood. God-Willing, should I return to the Senate, I will make sure that these programs continue to be funded, expanded, and its implementation is intensified so that more people may benefit from more effective recovery from the pandemic.”)

Legarda had previously prioritized and funded government programs aimed at livelihood and skills training development such as the Barangay Kabuhayan Skills Training Program (BKSTP), Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), and Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) — all of which are under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) — for trainees in Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Surigao del Norte. 

The former senator, likewise, championed displaced workers, the underemployed, and seasonal workers by providing emergency employment through her push for the implementation of the DOLE TUPAD Program in the region. Funds were also allocated to the Caraga for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which sought to support protective services for the marginalized and disadvantaged.

Legarda also funded DPWH projects including the Multipurpose Buildings in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, and Lingig, Surigao del Sur. More recently, the former senator extended assistance to Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands by providing food packs and construction materials following the devastation caused by typhoon Odette.

“As a country often visited by devastating typhoons, we should have long understood the workings of nature and learn from these experiences to help ourselves become resilient,” she furthered, being the principal author of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (E-NIPAS).

“We have to continue to build with nature, promote nature-based solutions to effectively prevent further loss and damage. Let us protect our environment and preserve our protected areas because these are our natural buffers against flooding, erosion, and other climate hazards.”

Legarda, also an advocate of culture and arts preservation, prompted the establishment of Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) serving as a venue for the indigenous people to pass on skills and techniques to the younger generations. “As I seek another seat at the Senate, with your support, I hope to continue what I have already started for the Caraganons and help ensure that programs of the national government will reach even the farthest provinces, and even down to the barangay level,” the former senator elaborated.

“Nakita ko po kung paano nabago ang buhay ng aking mga kasimanwa sa Antique nang ating bigyan ng higit na halaga ang pangangalaga sa kalikasan at kultura, at nang ating isinulong ang dagdag-oportunidad sa trabaho at kabuhayan. Nagawa po natin sa Antique, hindi po imposibleng magagawa din natin sa bawat probinsya sa bansa.  Pagtulungan po nating makabangon at tuluyang umunlad sa kabila ng hamon ng pandemya at ng climate crisis.”

(“I have seen how the life of my constituents changed in Antique when we gave more value to nature and culture, and when we advocated for additional opportunities for employment and livelihood. We have done this in Antique, it is not impossible for us to do it in every province in the country. Let us work together to recover and move forward despite the challenges of the pandemic and climate crisis.”)