By Lade Jean Kabagani

Copyright tribune

Senators on Friday raised crucial points regarding the country’s cultural heritage and infrastructure funding.Speaking before the Senate committee overseeing the budgets of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and Commission on Filipino Language (CFL) on Friday, Senator Loren Legarda emphasized the vital importance of culture, heritage, and the arts as foundational elements of Filipino identity and national development.Legarda addressed a common misconception about culture being a luxury rather than a necessity.“The question is always: Is culture edible? When it comes to budgets and public finances, we often compare culture, history, and the arts to other necessities such as food, housing, and so on,” she said.She further explained. “We must understand that culture and the arts are not just luxuries; they are essential components of our national identity, unity, and development.”As author and co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, Legarda highlighted the role of cultural agencies as key partners in tourism development, economic growth, and education.
Meanwhile, Senator Win Gatchalian expressed his firm support for the 2026 proposed budgets of government agencies dedicated to arts and culture. “First of all, thank you for accepting to hear the budgets of arts and culture agencies, and here in the Senate, we all know that you are the most passionate when it comes to arts and culture, Gatchalian said, addressing Legarda.“In fact, when I was the chairman of the basic education committee, we carved out arts and culture as a special committee to be chaired by yourself just to give focus and attention to the needs and the development of arts and culture in our country,” he added.