Advocacies
Education
From Personal Wealth to Public Good: Leandro Leviste’s Mission to Transform Philippine Education
Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste has emerged as one of the strongest and most consistent voices in Congress for educational reform and equitable access to learning opportunities for every Filipino. From championing national policies to personally funding student support in his district, Leviste has built a comprehensive public service advocacy anchored on the belief that investing in education is the most powerful pathway to end poverty and uplift communities.
At the heart of his legislative efforts is House Bill No. 27, the National Student Allowance Program, which seeks to provide ₱1,000 monthly allowance to all students from kindergarten to college across the country. The measure gained solid backing from the House Committee on Basic Education, with Chairman Roman Romulo endorsing an initial ₱1,000 per student at the start of every school year and a gradual expansion to cover the full academic calendar. Leviste welcomed the committee’s support, noting that the program’s benefits should steadily grow over time.
Long before pushing for a nationwide allowance system, Leviste had already shown what compassionate leadership looks like. Using his personal funds, he has provided ₱1,000 allowances to over 150,000 students in the First District of Batangas—at zero cost to the government. He has also distributed more than 150,000 school bags and supplies, ensuring that every child in the district has the tools needed to succeed in school.
His philanthropic efforts extend far beyond his district. In one of the largest private charitable commitments in Philippine history, Leviste donated ₱6 billion in company shares and proceeds to establish a long-term fund through the Lingkod Legarda Leviste Foundation. This fund aims to generate at least ₱1 billion annually for the next 50 years to support education initiatives and disaster response nationwide. Through this commitment, over one million relief packs have been distributed to families affected by typhoons in Batangas.
Leviste’s decision to dedicate his wealth to public service reflects his view that great financial success comes with great responsibility. After selling his stake in SPNEC for roughly ₱34 billion, he redirected his resources to real estate, equity investments, and social programs with the ultimate intention of giving away all his wealth. He emphasizes that the wealthy have a moral obligation to uplift others—echoing the examples of global philanthropists like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
As Vice Chairman of both the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Basic Education, Leviste works rigorously to redirect government resources toward the sector that needs it most: education. He has been vocal about cutting unnecessary spending and redirecting portions of the DPWH budget toward classrooms, learning facilities, and teachers’ benefits. He strongly advocates for increasing teachers’ pay, improving school infrastructure, and securing long-term funding for educational programs.
His leadership was crucial in ensuring that the long-standing funding shortfall in the Free Higher Education Act will finally be addressed. Through the initiatives he led during the pre-plenary budget hearings, Congress and the Senate committed ₱12.31 billion to fully fund free college education across 113 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 2026. Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Loren Legarda, along with CHED and SUC presidents, supported his push to expand opportunities for more Filipino youth—especially the 200,000 qualified students who are often unable to enroll due to budget constraints.
Across all these efforts—legislating significant education reforms, personally funding student programs, championing free college education, and supporting teachers—Leandro Legarda Leviste demonstrates a clear and unwavering vision: to make quality education accessible to every Filipino child, no matter their background.
Through bold policymaking, responsible use of public funds, and profound personal generosity, he continues to build a future where education is not a privilege for the few, but a guaranteed right for all—paving the way for a more prosperous, equitable, and empowered Philippines.
Social Service
Leandro Legarda Leviste: A Public Servant Who Spends His Own Wealth to Uplift Batangas’ 1st District
Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has steadily built a reputation for public service defined by responsiveness, compassion, and a hands-on commitment to uplift communities across the district. Through the Lingkod Legarda Leviste foundation, he has cultivated a model of service that acts swiftly in times of crisis, delivers essential social support, and invests in long-term development across health, livelihood, agriculture, water access, and infrastructure. In many instances, he goes beyond the resources of public office—drawing from his personal funds to ensure that help reaches those who need it.
In emergency incidents in the towns of his district, the Lingkod Legarda Leviste team mobilized immediately, sending relief goods, financial assistance, and on-the-ground support to affected residents. While many of these acts of assistance never make it to social media, the team continues to work daily, quietly and consistently responding to emergencies and community needs. District offices in Nasugbu, Balayan, and Taal remain open six days a week to accommodate residents seeking help—whether for medical aid, burial assistance, mobility devices, or other social services.
Health care, one of the most urgent needs in the First District, is at the center of Rep. Leviste’s advocacy. Recognizing the insufficient access to quality medical services, he is pushing for the establishment of additional public hospitals and a more robust health infrastructure. Through medical missions conducted in Nasugbu, Taal, Calatagan, and Balayan, thousands of residents have already received free medicines, diagnostic tests, dental care, eyeglasses, consultations, and other essential services. Rural Health Units across various towns have also benefited from the distribution of medical supplies and wheelchairs—another testament to his commitment to inclusive health support.
Rep. Leviste is equally focused on addressing long-standing concerns about water supply. With many barangays and sitios experiencing chronic shortages, he has initiated multiple water projects, including the construction or improvement of water systems in Lemery and Nasugbu, as well as support to water associations in Tuy. Thousands of households have also received jetmatic pumps, extending water access to families and communities that previously struggled with limited or unreliable sources. His goal is clear: every barangay, every sitio, and every family in the First District should have dependable access to clean water.
Understanding that livelihood is central to improving quality of life, Rep. Leviste has also brought opportunities closer to the people. His Mega Job Fairs, conducted across multiple towns, have opened doors for thousands of residents seeking stable employment. By expanding local access to employment and training, he hopes to reduce the need for Batangueños to look far from home for sustainable work.
Support for farmers and fisherfolk—who form a vital backbone of the district’s economy—remains a priority. Even before the campaign season, Rep. Leviste personally visited sugarcane farmers in Tuy to provide fertilizer support, and fishermen in Nasugbu to distribute brand-new boats, with plans to extend this assistance to all coastal barangays in the district. These efforts aim to strengthen the local agricultural and fisheries sectors while improving the daily conditions of those who depend on them for their livelihood.
Beyond these major sectors, Rep. Leviste continues to invest in community development through infrastructure projects and direct assistance. In Lemery, a completed water project in Brgy. Payapa Ibaba and groundbreaking ceremonies for additional water systems and a new covered court signal ongoing improvement. In Taal, Calaca, Calatagan, Balayan, Tuy, Lian, Nasugbu, and other towns, he has provided dump trucks, supported the upgrading of public facilities, and even funded the installation of air-conditioning in a local covered court—projects reflecting his desire to uplift communities in varied and practical ways.
One of the most personal initiatives Rep. Leviste undertook is his “Birthday Bigas” distribution. Rather than celebrating privately, he chose to dedicate his 32nd birthday to giving thousands of families across the First District sacks of rice—a gesture of gratitude and solidarity. Over the course of an entire week in each town, from Taal to Nasugbu, Lemery to Lian, Calaca to Tuy and Calatagan, families received rice directly from him, symbolizing both appreciation and a shared commitment to community welfare.
Through all these efforts—emergency relief, health services, water access, livelihood support, agricultural and fisheries assistance, and community infrastructure—Rep. Leviste’s message remains consistent: development must be felt by every family, and public service must be wholehearted. His actions reflect a vision of a First District that is healthier, more prosperous, and more resilient, with meaningful support reaching every barangay and every resident.
In every initiative, whether funded by public office or drawn from his own resources, Rep. Leviste demonstrates a simple but powerful principle: genuine service requires presence, action, and sacrifice. And through this unwavering dedication, he seeks to build the First District of Batangas into one of the most progressive localities in the province—one strengthened by compassion, opportunity, and shared progress.