Jose de Venecia, five‑time Speaker, dies at 89

JOSE C. de Venecia, Jr., the Philippines’ longest‑serving Speaker and a defining figure of post‑Martial Law politics, died on Tuesday at age 89, his family said.

Known affectionately as JDV, Mr. De Venecia’s political career spanned more than three decades. He first entered the House of Representatives in 1987, representing Pangasinan’s fourth district during the restoration of democratic institutions after years of dictatorship.

He was the principal author of several landmark laws designed to revitalize a country emerging from political and economic disarray, including the Dollar Remittance Program, New Central Bank Act, Philippine Economic Zone Act, Bases Conversion and Development Act and the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, his family said in a statement.

He was elected Speaker five times in nonconsecutive terms from 1992 to 2008, a record in the country’s contemporary Congress. His leadership helped guide the Legislature through periods of political transition under multiple Presidents and played a key role in coalition-building in a politically diverse chamber.

Mr. De Venecia was widely regarded as a skilled vote‑counter and strategist who kept majority support in the House during volatile political eras. Supporters credited him with advancing key economic policy reforms and initiatives that aimed to strengthen governance and institutional stability.

He sought the presidency in 1998, finishing second in a crowded field of candidates. Though unsuccessful, the campaign reinforced his national prominence and cemented his status as a veteran lawmaker with deep experience in legislative affairs.

In his later years, Mr. De Venecia stepped back from frontline politics but remained involved as an elder statesman.

He participated in governance forums and institutional discussions and was honored by the House with the inauguration of a building and museum in his name at the Batasang Pambansa complex in 2025.

Mr. De Venecia was born in Dagupan City on Dec. 26, 1936. He studied journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University and was an entrepreneur before entering politics.

He is survived by his wife Maria Georgina Perez-de Venecia, who represents Pangasinan’s fourth district, and five children. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Norman P. Aquino