Sen. Loren Legarda welcomed the launch of 13 volumes of the Sugidanon epics of Panay and seven new books by Panay authors, describing the initiative as a significant step in preserving indigenous heritage and promoting regional scholarship.

The publications were launched by the University of the Philippines Visayas and UP Press on 30 June in Iloilo City, highlighting the oral traditions of the Panay Bukidnon community and the richness of regional literature.

“The publication of the thirteen volumes of the Sugidanon of Panay is an important achievement in the preservation of our nation's cultural heritage. These epics are our literary treasures. They are living repositories of our ancestors' worldview, values, histories, and imagination,” Legarda said.

The Sugidanon series, led by chief researcher and senior translator Dr. Alicia Magos and research associate Anna Razel Limoso Ramirez, preserves the chants and narratives of Panay Bukidnon cultural bearers.

Legarda also praised the launch of seven UP Press titles by Panay authors, saying they reflect the vibrancy of regional scholarship and Philippine literature.

“As author and principal sponsor of R.A. 11961 or the Cultural Mapping Law, and as a daughter of Panay myself, I am so proud and glad with how far we have come,” she said.

She expressed hope that the publications would encourage more Filipinos to rediscover the country's languages, oral traditions and regional literatures while helping preserve cultural heritage for future generations.