Arts, literature, culture & heritage: The passion of Loren Legarda

Sen. Loren Legarda held a small post-birthday dinner at the Baluarte de San Diego located within the historic Walled City of Intramuros. The gardens of this Spanish Fort, which Loren helped restore in collaboration with the Intramuros Administration, served as a perfect backdrop for the senator who has made it her passion to reawaken our pride and love for our culture and heritage.

The Baluarte, whose shape resembled an ace of spades, had a fiesta atmosphere with the “dirty ice cream” and Pinoy dishes served for guests. Seen at the party were guests from the world of politics, the academe, media and, of course, the culture and the arts, among them Philippine literature greats F. Sionil Jose and Rio Alma. 

It’s a well-known fact that the senator is a staunch advocate of the environment but she is also keen to encourage the promotion of culture and the arts on a national scale. In fact, she introduced a special provision in the national budget for the establishment of councils that would spread awareness through grants, technical assistance and other avenues of support. “We have to continue enriching cultural activities and celebrations in various regions in the country so that people will be reminded of our traditions and our rich history,” Loren remarked.

She likewise believes that “the old ways” serve as a solid foundation that would guide the country on the path to progress. Our traditions, Loren stressed, will help us overcome a lot of the challenges that we are facing today as a nation. As our national hero Jose Rizal famously said, “He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.”

Or simply put, we have to learn from the lessons of the past to be able to move on to the future.