Press Release - Legarda shares high hopes for key issues in president's 3rd SONA

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