Senator Loren Legarda

Nacionalist People’s Coalition vice presidential bet Sen. Loren Legarda is working with 2009 Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brilliante Mendoza on a documentary about climate change that is set for commercial release late this month or early February.

Loren said the yet-untitled film is “a product of Mendoza’s talents and my advocacies,” which she hopes will make it all the way to Cannes this year.

“But more than that, our aim is for the film to raise awareness about climate change,” she said at a press conference held Jan. 13.

Legarda was introduced to Mendoza when he invited her to one of his films’ premiere. Failing to attend the event, they met up later where they exchanged ideas that led to the making of the documentary.

Apart from winning in Cannes for his film “Serbis,” Mendoza’s “Lola” recently clinched the best film award at the 6th Dubai International Film Festival.   

The senator also revealed that she is in talks with the United Nations (UN) about making an environmental film with former US Vice President Al Gore, who authored the Academy Award- and Grammy Award-winning “An Inconvenient Truth,” which reenergized the environmental movement worldwide.

Should the film materialize, it will add to Legarda’s portfolio of films and videos which include “Ligtas Likas” and “Ulan sa Tag-Araw” that are screened in schools all over the country and at UN events.    

Legarda as legislator has led to the passage of the Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729) and the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), among others. She also moved for the creation of the Senate Oversight Committee on Climate Change to consolidate government efforts in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.   

Legarda was appointed the Asia-Pacific Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation by the United Nations International Strategy on Disaster Reduction in December 2008. She was at the UN’s climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, last December, along with Republic of Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Meanwhile, the former broadcast journalist is set to unveil her new campaign song which is an adaptation of the original Pilipino music (OPM) hit “Hawak Kamay.” Legarda’s adaptation has new lyrics that talk about uniting people so as to empower them to make changes.  

Legarda’s “Hawak Kamay” will be used alternately with her “Loren, Loren, Sinta” jingle which she has been using for her sorties since 2004 when she first ran---and lost---for vice president.