Senator Loren Legarda on Friday urged Philippine policymakers to mainstream the Women, Peace and Security Agenda across every sector of government, saying the framework must guide planning, budgeting and accountability if it is to deliver meaningful gains for women on the ground.

Delivering the keynote address at the 7th International Forum on Law and Religion at the University of the Philippines BGC campus in Taguig City, Legarda told legal scholars, civil society representatives, faith leaders and international partners that WPS should not be treated as a “single policy compartment.”

“The Women, Peace and Security Agenda must not be treated as a single policy compartment. It must influence every sector and serve as a lens for how we allocate resources,” she said, adding that “the national budget is the most visible expression of what we value. It must carry the Women, Peace and Security Agenda across all institutions.”

Marking 25 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the forum — organized by the UP Law Center, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, and Brigham Young University’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies — brought together some 200 participants to assess progress and push for deeper integration of gender and peace objectives in public policy.

Legarda, a four-term senator and long-time WPS advocate, reviewed the country’s legislative groundwork for gender equality and protection, citing her authorship of landmark measures including the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, the Magna Carta of Women and the Expanded Maternity Leave Law.