In Global Filipino, author Brett Decker offers a behind the scenes look at the man at the center of power of one of America's most important allies. Since his meteoric rise to become Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives in 1992, Jose de Venecia has been the foremost architect for policies of development and peace making in the Philippines.
Jose de Venecia Jr., the five-time Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, has been for years a trail-blazer for the Filipino people, Asia, and the world.
In a political arena often plagued by uncertainty, intrigue, scandal, and poverty, he has fought relentlessly to cast off the Philippines unflattering moniker as the sick man of Asia and has sought to bring political, economic, and cultural influence to the dynamic, hard-working people of his homeland. A coalition builder, visionary, and achiever, de Venecia has:
- conceived and implemented the historic dollar-remittance program that keeps the Philippine economy afloat and has become a model for the third world
- provided breakthroughs in the peace accord between Christian and Muslim (MNLF) Filipinos and a second pact between government and military rebels
- pioneered Filipino projects in the Arab world that led to the employment of millions of Filipinos worldwide
- founded the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and the International Conference of Asian Political Parties to create the beginnings of an Asian Parliament and help achieve political and economic integration in Asia
- pushed the Christian-Muslim and interfaith dialogues approved by the United Nations to help reduce politico-religious tensions and conflict in various parts of the world
- presented his debt for UN MDGs plan, endorsed by G-77 countries but pending at he G-7, to finance the battle against poverty amidst the global financial crisis
Despite all these advancements, Jose de Venecia is still not immune to the turbulence of Philippine politics. In February 2008, he was ousted from the Speakership after refusing to ignore his conscience and opposed with his son, Joey III, a scandal-wracked government deal involving some very prominent members of the Philippine government.
Through it all, however, de Venecia has continued to serve the people of his great country. De Venecia continues the fight to improve the lives of his fellow countrymen. No matter the ultimate outcome of the current political tumult, what will long linger in the nation's collective consciousness is the recognition that he — more than any one else in his generation — ushered his people into the age of the Global Filipino.
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