Former House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia Jr., a long-time advocate for peace and development and one of the Philippines’ most influential lawmakers, has died at age 86, his family announced Tuesday.
De Venecia was remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and public servant whose career spanned more than six decades.
He served seven terms in the House of Representatives, five of them as Speaker—the longest-serving in postwar Congress. During his tenure, he authored landmark laws that shaped the country’s economy and governance, including the Dollar Remittance Program, the Bases Conversion and Development Act, the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, the Philippine Economic Zone Act, and the New Central Bank Act, benefiting millions of Filipinos, including overseas workers.
De Venecia also played a key role in historic agreements with the RAM-AFP-YOU in 1995 and the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996. He promoted dialogue and cooperation internationally through institutions he founded, such as the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace. His efforts extended to interfaith initiatives at the United Nations, strengthening the Philippines’ role in global diplomacy.
Leyte Representative and Lakas-CMD President Ferdinand Martin Romualdez paid tribute to de Venecia as a statesman and mentor. “Speaker Joe was more than a public servant; he was a statesman in the truest sense of the word,” Romualdez said. “He helped build not just a political party, but a national movement rooted in unity, peace, and inclusive leadership.”
Romualdez also highlighted de Venecia’s impact on Congress and the international stage. “Under his steady hand, Congress became a workshop of reforms and a sanctuary of consensus. He tirelessly championed interfaith dialogue long before it became a global agenda, making the Philippines a moral force in the international community.”