Senator Loren Legarda underscored the crucial role of the Philippine Studies Program in fostering stronger global connections and elevating the country’s voice on the international stage.

Speaking at the launch of a book on the Philippine Studies Program on Wednesday, Legarda said diplomacy does not begin in embassies but in libraries, classrooms, and simple 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.

Legarda, known for championing culture and education, shared that it is the conviction that inspired her to promote a form of diplomacy that uses the power of storytelling: cultural diplomacy.

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

The Philippines takes another step, serving as the Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year, making it the second Southeast Asian country to be named as such.

The Philippine Studies Program was established in collaboration with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London in 2017.

It has since expanded into a global initiative in 24 universities worldwide, creating scholarly work on topics, such as the medicinal potential of Philippine plants, labor migration driven by climate change, and indigenous languages.

“This is soft power at its most strategic: Scholarly, reciprocal, and deeply human. 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,” Legarda said.

She noted that the Philippine Studies Program provides 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,” she said. (PNA)