Congress Fetes JDV with Building, Museum to Preserve his Legacy

 QUEZON CITY - The 19th Congress of the Philippines honored recently Pangasinan’s pride the political phenom former Five-Time Speaker Jose C. de Venecia Jr. through the inauguration of a building cum museum at the lawmakers' complex here.

FETE. The rabble rousing former Five-Time Speaker Joe de Venecia (seated) during the fete of a building cum museum named after him at the Batasang Pambansa Complex. He was sorrounded by luminaries of the 19th Congress leads by Speaker Martin G. Romuldez and the political kingpins of his province's Pangasinan.

De Venecia was honored by the same institution where he reigned for 14 long years when the leadership of the House of Representatives inaugurated a building and a museum named after him on January 28 at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.

The former Speaker attended the event where he was accompanied by his wife Gina, herself a former congresswoman, their son Rep. Christopher de Venecia of the Fourth District of Pangasinan, and their relatives.

Inaugurated and opened was the Jose de Venecia Building and Museum to honor his legacy in public service as the longest serving Speaker from 1992 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2008 -- a trail blazing record which no other statesman in the Philippines can emulate.

Presiding in that event, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez noted that among the country’s greatest statesmen, few names evoke as much admiration to the former Speaker.

Romualdez said the story of Speaker De Venecia was a narrative of courage, resilience, and an unyielding commitment to a higher purpose, adding that his life “reminds us that true greatness lies not in the titles we hold, but in the lives we touch and the future we shape”.

“To call him a visionary is an understatement, for he is not merely a leader of his time but an architect of the future, crafting ideas and building institutions that continue to shape our nation and inspire the global community,” Speaker Romualdez stressed.

He said Speaker Joe is a sui generis in Philippine politics -- one who bridges divides “with the precision of a diplomat and a passion of a patriot”.

“His concept of the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ remains a masterclass in inclusive governance, a vivid testament to his belief that diversity is not a weakness but a profound strength. It was under his stewardship as Speaker of the House of Representatives that legislative milestones were achieved, crafting a foundation for a stronger, more equitable nation,” he added.

The occasion was attended by the gargantuan Pangasinan province's "who's who" like Reps. Mark Cojuangco of the Second District, Ramon Guico Jr. of the Fifth District and Rachel Arenas of the Third District, and her mother former Deputy Speaker Baby Arenas, Mayors Belen Fernandez of Dagupan City, Jeremy Agerico Rosario of Manaoag, Marilyn Agbayani and her husband Vice Mayor Constante Agbayani of San Fabian and Leo de Vera of San Jacinto.

Locally, former Speaker De Venecia earned a respectable title as “architect of a new Dagupan” because when the coastal city was devastated by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on July 16, 1990, he was instrumental in convincing then President Corazon Aquino to expedite the rehabilitation of the city so that -- like the mythical bird's phoenix -- it rose from the rubbles of the tremor in a short time and thrived again.