Senator Loren Legarda has been named the 83rd Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow, becoming the fifth Filipino to receive the distinction since the Fellowship was founded in 1991. The Fellowship is a private, non-political and non-profit organization established to honor the first Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew.
The Fellowship invites outstanding individuals from across the globe whose work advances national progress and fosters international goodwill. The purpose is to engage them in dialogue, share their expertise, and strengthen international cooperation between Singapore and their countries.
Senator Loren Legarda with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong
Senator Loren Legarda with Chairman Lee Tzu Yang of the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship
Senator Loren Legarda with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
Senator Loren Legarda with Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, Low Yen Ling
Legarda visited Singapore under the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship. Her official itinerary included a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong; delivering a public lecture at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute with its Philippine Studies and Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programmes; and meetings with senior Singaporean officials, among them Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Trade Relations Grace Fu.
“I am deeply honored to join a distinguished roster of leaders who have contributed to national progress and international goodwill,” Legarda said. “This Fellowship is an opportunity to exchange ideas on governance, sustainability, and resilience. I carry with me the stories of the Filipino people, and I look forward to learning from Singapore’s vision while also sharing our own experiences in climate action and cultural resilience.”
The four-term Senator has long been recognized as one of the Philippines’ foremost champions of environment, climate action, culture, and resilience. Through the Fellowship, Legarda is expected to engage in dialogues on climate resilience, sustainable development, education, and regional cooperation, contributing to ASEAN’s agenda for a more sustainable and inclusive future, while further deepening the Philippines-Singapore partnership.
