Jose de Venecia Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jose de Venecia Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
de Venecia in 2017
|
|
| 15th Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives | |
| In office July 23, 2001 – February 5, 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Feliciano Belmonte Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Prospero Nograles |
| In office July 27, 1992 – June 30, 1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Ramon Mitra Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Manny Villar |
| Member of the House of Representatives from Pangasinan | |
| In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Benjamin Lim |
| Succeeded by | Gina de Venecia |
| Constituency | 4th district |
| In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Antonio Villar Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Lim |
| Constituency | 4th district |
| In office December 30, 1969 – September 23, 1972 |
|
| Preceded by | Jack Laureano Soriano |
| Succeeded by | District abolished (next held by Antonio Bengson III) |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 26, 1936 Dagupan, Pangasinan, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Political party | Lakas–CMD (1991–2008; 2020–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2008–2020) LDP (1987–1991) Liberal (1969–1987) |
| Spouses | Victoria Perez (divorced) Georgina Vera-Perez |
| Residences | Dagupan, Philippines |
| Alma mater | Ateneo de Manila University (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Journalist |
Jose Claveria de Venecia Jr. (born December 26, 1936), often called JDV or Manong Joe, is a well-known Filipino politician. He served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines for many years. This role made him the fourth highest-ranking official in the Philippines.
De Venecia was Speaker from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2008. He is the first Filipino to hold the Speaker position five times. He also served as a Representative for the 4th district of Pangasinan for six terms, starting in 1987. In 1998, he ran for president but finished second.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Jose de Venecia Jr. was born in Dagupan, Pangasinan. His father was Judge Jose R. de Venecia Sr. He finished elementary school early in 1947. He then went to De La Salle College for high school. Later, he studied Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila. He was a talented editor for his school's newspaper and yearbook.
As a young man, de Venecia became an entrepreneur. In the 1970s, he helped many Filipinos find work overseas. He was one of the first Philippine contractors in the Middle East and North Africa. His companies hired 51,000 Filipinos for jobs like port operations in Saudi Arabia and farming in Africa. This effort helped create jobs for millions of Filipinos later on. He also started oil and gas exploration programs, which led to the first oil discoveries in Palawan.
De Venecia also worked as a diplomat from 1966 to 1969. He helped create a program that allowed overseas Filipino workers to send money back home. Before martial law in the Philippines, he was recognized as one of the top ten congressmen. His family had a history in politics; his grandfather, Guillermo de Venecia, was a municipal president (like a mayor). Jose de Venecia Jr. himself became a congressman for Pangasinan in 1969.
Serving as Speaker of the House (1992–1998)
In 1992, Jose de Venecia Jr. was reelected as a congressman. He joined the new party of President Fidel Ramos, called Lakas Tao. He helped unite different political groups to make Lakas Tao a strong and leading party. In the same year, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. To ensure a strong majority in the House, he brought together various political parties, forming what was known as a "Rainbow Coalition." He was reelected as both congressman and Speaker in 1995.
Working for Peace
As a special envoy for President Ramos, Speaker De Venecia played a key role in peace talks. He reached out to different groups that were in conflict with the government. These included the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Mindanao, military rebel groups, and the Communist Party of the Philippines.
He traveled to Libya twice to meet with the Libyan leader and MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari. These meetings helped lead to a peace agreement in 1976. His efforts convinced Misuari to accept a peace deal, which was signed in 1996.
In 1992, De Venecia also started secret talks with military rebel leaders. These talks resulted in a ceasefire and a final peace agreement in 1995. In 1997, he went to the Netherlands to meet with leaders of the National Democratic Front and New People's Army.
Presidential Election Bid in 1998
In 1998, the leading party, Lakas-NUCD-UMDP, chose its candidate for president. Jose de Venecia Jr. was selected over another strong candidate. In the May 11 election, he received the second highest number of votes among 11 candidates. However, he lost to Joseph Estrada. After the election, he took a break from politics to recover.
Back in Politics (2001–2008)
De Venecia returned to the political scene in 2001. He called for a smooth transfer of power to the Vice President. Soon after, President Joseph Estrada was removed from office by a large public protest.
In the 2001 election, De Venecia was reelected as congressman for Pangasinan without opposition. He was then overwhelmingly reelected as Speaker of the House for the third time. In 2004, he played an important role in Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's victory as president. He also won his congressional seat by a large margin and was reelected as Speaker for the fourth time.
Re-election as Speaker
On July 23, 2007, Jose de Venecia Jr. was chosen as House Speaker for the fifth time. He was the only person nominated for the position. This showed how much support he had from other lawmakers.
A Change in Leadership
On February 5, 2008, a majority of the members of the House of Representatives voted to remove Jose de Venecia Jr. from his position as Speaker. Before the vote, De Venecia gave a speech where he talked about his service and his efforts to support President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He also expressed his concerns about certain issues. After the vote, Prospero Nograles was elected as the new House Speaker.
Life After Speakership
After stepping down as Speaker, Jose de Venecia Jr. resigned as president of his party, Lakas–CMD, in March 2008. He remained active in public life. In 2010, he spoke to Filipino workers living in the United States. He praised them for sending over US$18 billion back home each year, calling them "heroes and heroines of the Filipino people."
In April 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed De Venecia as a Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue. In this role, he advises the government on policies related to cultural diversity. In 2020, he rejoined the Lakas–CMD party.
Personal Life
Jose de Venecia Jr. was first married to Victoria Perez, whose father was also a Speaker of the House. They had four children: Alexandra, Leslie, Vivian, and Jose III. Later, he married Georgina Vera-Perez, who is a social worker and radio host. They have two children: Christopher and Kristina Casimira (KC).
Family and Home
On December 17, 2004, a fire started at the de Venecia family home in Makati. Sadly, his 16-year-old daughter, KC, passed away in the fire. Her ashes were buried at the Santuario de San Antonio chapel in Makati.
