SENATOR Loren Legarda emphasized the crucial role of the Philippine Studies Program in strengthening global connections and amplifying the country’s voice on the international stage.

Speaking at the launch of a book on the Philippine Studies Program, Legarda noted that diplomacy begins not in embassies, but in libraries, classrooms, and everyday acts of curiosity.

“And it taught me this: no matter how vast the world may seem, we shape one another. Our narratives intersect, and in these crossings, we discover deeper ways of speaking and listening,” she said.

Known for her advocacy in culture and education, Legarda shared how this conviction inspired her to promote cultural diplomacy—the use of storytelling to build global bridges.

“In a world so fractured by uncertainty, we are reminded—now more than ever—that the strongest bridges are built through understanding.”

The Philippines will take a prominent step forward as the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year, becoming only the second Southeast Asian country to be granted this distinction.

The Philippine Studies Program, launched in collaboration with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London in 2017, has since expanded into a global initiative present in 24 universities worldwide. Research under the program explores diverse topics, from the medicinal potential of Philippine plants and climate-driven labor migration to indigenous languages.

“This is soft power at its most strategic: scholarly, reciprocal, and deeply human,” said Legarda. “The Filipino experience standing on the world stage—on our own terms—sparking curiosity about our heritage in ways that ripple across sectors: from tourism and research partnerships to stronger bilateral and multilateral ties.”

She added that the program is a model for how nations can assert their identity while contributing to global knowledge.

“What the Philippine Studies Program models is a way forward—for all of us—to see ourselves not only as inheritors of identity, but as contributors to global thought and co-authors of a shared future.”