Senator Loren Legarda commemorated National Press Freedom Day by emphasizing the critical need to safeguard both press freedom and the frontline media personnel who uphold it.
Drawing from her 20-year career as an award-winning broadcast journalist before entering public service, Legarda noted that press freedom remains a deeply personal cause.
Her broadcasting career began in 1981 as a news presenter and earned her over 30 industry honors, including the Benigno Aquino Award for Journalism.
She stressed that her decades in the newsroom taught her the critical responsibility of delivering truthful reporting, especially in an era filled with noise and misinformation:
“Bago ako naging mambabatas, naging mamamahayag muna ako. Kaya para sa akin, personal ang usapin ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag,” Legarda said.
“Alam ko ang bigat ng responsibilidad na maghatid ng tama at makabuluhang impormasyon, lalo na sa mga panahong mas madaling manaig ang ingay kaysa katotohanan.”
Legarda maintained that protecting press freedom is inseparable from safeguarding the welfare of media practitioners themselves:
“Sa National Press Freedom Day, saludo ako sa ating mga mamamahayag at media workers na patuloy na tumutupad sa tungkuling ito,” she stated. “Kasabay ng pagprotekta sa malayang pamamahayag, mahalaga ring pangalagaan ang mga taong nasa likod nito.”
To address these concerns, Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 807, or the Media Workers Welfare Act, on August 4, 2025.
The measure, which seeks to improve job security, benefits, and overall working conditions for media workers, remains pending before the Senate committee.