Former House Speaker and Manila Bulletin columnist Jose de Venecia Jr. was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig on Wednesday, Feb. 18, beside the tombs of former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Elpidio Quirino.

A funeral mass was held at the Heritage Memorial Park chapels in Taguig before the burial. 

At the interment were De Venecia’s wife, Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Gina de Venecia, their children, former Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Sandra Haner, Leslie Norton, Vivian Garcia, Joey de Venecia, Carissa Cruz-Evangelista, and Philip Cruz, former president and incumbent Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., former Dagupan mayor Belen Fernandez, the entire Sangguniang Bayan of Dagupan, business leaders Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation, Basilio C. Yap and Dr. Emilio C. Yap III of the Manila Bulletin, relatives, friends, and government officials.

Gina de Venecia thanked friends, relatives, government officials and foreign dignitaries who expressed condolences to their family. 

"We are specially humbled with the presence of foreign dignitaries and friends from the international community who traveled all the way to Manila to pay their respects," she said. 

Among them were International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) officials, including Chairman and South Korea's former foreign minister Chung Eui-yong, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed of Pakistan, Dr. Nalinee Taveesin, advisor to the Prime Minister of Thailand, and Suos Yara of Cambodia's National Assembly. 

"Your presence not only is a gesture of diplomacy but a testament to the bridges of friendship and understanding that JDV spent his lifetime building," she said. 

She also thanked world leaders who sent their condolences, including President José Manuel Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, and former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. 

"To our relatives and friends here at home and across the seas, thank you for your prayers, your comforting words, your presence," she said. 

"In these days of mourning, I've come to a profound realization. My beloved husband, Jose de Venecia Jr., did not belong to us alone. He did not belong only to Pangasinan, not only to the Philippines. He belonged to the world. His voice for peace, dialogue, and cooperation reached far beyond our shores. And the love we have witnessed from many nations affirms the breadth and the importance of his life's work," she said. 

"From the depths of my heart, thank you for consoling us, for praying with us, and for honoring the memory of a man who devoted his life to service. Your kindness has carried us through our sorrow, and for that, we shall forever be grateful," she added.

De Venecia served five times as Speaker at the House of Representatives in the ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th Congresses. He first served as representative of the 4th District of Pangasinan in 1987. 

Born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on Dec. 31, 1936, De Venecia studied at Ateneo de Manila University.  

De Venecia co-founded the Lakas CMD political party together with the late President Fidel Ramos and the late Sen. Raul Manglapus. 

“As Speaker, he negotiated the ceasefire with the RAM-YOU military rebels, effectively ending the series of coup attempt, 'and the period of political instability' in the late 1980s and early 1990s,” according to his website. 

Rep. Gina de Venecia at the interment of her husband, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig on Feb. 18 (Screenshot from Rep. De Venecia's video on Facebook)

Rep. Gina de Venecia at the interment of her husband, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig on Feb. 18 (Screenshot from Rep. De Venecia's video on Facebook)

Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (Facebook)

It added, “He initiated the breakthrough in peace negotiations with the MNLF, crossing the North African desert twice to meet with Libyan leader, Col. Moammar Khaddafy and Chairman Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Consequently, de Venecia helped negotiate the 1996 Peace Agreement between the Philippine Government and the MNLF.”

He served as president of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) in 1993 and reelected in 2005. 

De Venecia became president of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) from 2003 to 2004. 

As a lawmaker, he “authored the highly successful Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law and the Bases Conversion law that turned into thriving economic enclaves the former US bases at Clark, Subic, and John Hay and led to the creation of the Fort Bonifacio Global City.” 

“Between 1992 and 1998, he steered the approval of 220 reform laws that enabled the Philippines to exit from the International Monetary Fund, after 35 years of straitjacket controls. He conceived the Debt-for-Equity Program to convert part of the foreign debt of the world′s poorest nations into equity programs to finance their requirements for national development. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the governments of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and of former Chancellor Schroeder of Germany, have endorsed the program among a number of leaders from Asia, Europe and Africa. Last year, de Venecia presented the program in detail to senior officials of the IMF, World Bank, and the Paris Club,” his biography read. 

Family’s statement

In a statement, the De Venecia family said, “For more than six decades, Speaker de Venecia devoted his life to public service — as journalist, diplomat, entrepreneur, legislator, Speaker of the House, and global advocate for peace. He served seven terms in the House of Representatives, five of them as Speaker — the longest-serving Speaker in the postwar Congress — during which he championed landmark legislation that transformed the Philippine economy, strengthened democratic institutions, and uplifted millions of Filipino families, including overseas workers.” 

“Beyond titles, honors, and institutions, Jose C. de Venecia Jr. will be remembered for his unwavering belief in dialogue, his generosity of spirit, and his deep love for country. He lived a life anchored on service, guided by conscience, and offered without reservation to the Filipino people. As we mourn his passing, we give thanks for a life that helped shape the Philippine Republic — and for a legacy that endures in our laws, our institutions, and our continuing pursuit of peace,” the family added. 

Dagupan City 

Dagupan City honored De Venecia, stating that he “went on to become one of the most influential statesmen of the Philippine Republic.”

“His election to the Speakership five (5) separate times demonstrated rare confidence across political lines and affirmed his ability to unite leaders, build consensus, and steer the House through periods of challenge and transition,” it said. 

It added, “Even at the height of national leadership, he never lost sight of his roots, often crediting Dagupan for instilling in him discipline, resilience, and a deep respect for community. During his years at the helm of Congress, landmark laws were enacted that reshaped the country’s development path.”

“As the city remembers him, it honors not only a former Speaker of the House, but a statesman whose legacy of service, unity, and leadership will forever be a source of pride for every Dagupeño,” it said. 

At the House of Representatives, several resolutions were filed to express condolences to the family of De Venecia. 

People in Dagupan City paid tribute to the late House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on Feb. 14 (Photo from the Dapupan City Public Information Office on Facebook)

People in Dagupan City paid tribute to the late House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on Feb. 14 (Photo from the Dapupan City Public Information Office on Facebook)

People in Dagupan City paid tribute to the late House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on Feb. 14 (Photo from the Dapupan City Public Information Office on Facebook)