The nation mourns the passing of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., a statesman whose life was defined by service, conviction, and an unyielding belief in the power of dialogue. For more than six decades, De Venecia—known to many simply as “JDV”—stood at the crossroads of Philippine history, helping guide the country through periods of uncertainty toward renewal and growth. His legacy is woven into the democratic and economic fabric of the Republic he so faithfully served.

Born on Dec. 26, 1936, in Dagupan City, Speaker de Venecia’s public life spanned roles as journalist, diplomat, entrepreneur, legislator, and global advocate for peace. Yet it was in the House of Representatives where his leadership left its most indelible mark. Serving seven terms, five of them as Speaker—the longest tenure in the post-war Congress—he transformed the chamber into a platform for consensus-building at a time when division threatened national progress.

His stewardship came during pivotal chapters in the country’s democratic restoration. In those formative years, institutions required both steady hands and expansive vision. De Venecia understood that democracy is not sustained by rhetoric alone, but by laws that uplift lives and open opportunity. As principal author of landmark legislation—the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, the Philippine Economic Zone Act, the Bases Conversion and Development Act, the New Central Bank Act, and the Dollar Remittance Program—he helped lay the groundwork for economic modernization and fiscal stability. These measures stimulated investment, generated employment, and strengthened confidence in the Philippine economy at home and abroad.

Behind each statute was a deeper purpose, creating pathways for Filipino families to thrive. Overseas Filipino workers, in particular, found in him a champion who recognized their sacrifices and sought to ensure that their remittances contributed meaningfully to national development. His legislative foresight linked global labor mobility with domestic growth, anticipating the interconnected world the Philippines now navigates.

Yet JDV’s statesmanship was never confined to economic reform. He believed that peace, however fragile, must always be pursued. At moments when dialogue was fraught and politically risky, he chose engagement over estrangement. His role in advancing historic agreements with RAM-AFP-YOU in 1995 and with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996 reflected a conviction that reconciliation is the highest expression of patriotism. For him, peace was a responsibility.

His vision extended beyond Philippine shores. Through the founding and nurturing of institutions such as the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, and the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council, he worked to strengthen Asia’s collective voice. He advanced interfaith dialogue initiatives at the United Nations, believing that mutual respect among cultures and religions is indispensable to global harmony. In these efforts, he elevated the Philippines as a bridge-builder—an advocate for cooperation in a world too often divided.

Speaker De Venecia’s life reminds us that leadership is measured not only by tenure, but by transformation as well. He demonstrated that principled politics can coexist with pragmatism, that economic reform and social justice are complementary, and that peace is achieved not through silence, but through courageous conversation.

As we bid farewell to this distinguished son of Dagupan City, we honor more than the public official in him. We honor a builder of institutions, a defender of democracy, and a tireless architect of peace. His legacy endures in the laws that continue to empower our people, in the institutions that carry forward his global vision, and in the enduring belief that the Philippines can—and must—stand as a force for progress and reconciliation in the community of nations.