JDV at 81

Rotarian Jose Claveria de Venecia Jr., JDV or Joe De V to friends, celebrated his 81st birthday this last December 26th, hosting a splendid celebration at Sampaguita Gardens, Quezon City, with friends, family, long-time political and business associates, and some of his dear fellow Manila Rotarians. In attendance were Rtn FVR “Eddie” Ramos, DGE Rudy Bediones and spouse Sharon Hughes Bediones, VPE Lance Masters, PP Frank Evaristo, PP Teddy Ocampo and spouse baby, PD Oscar DelRosario, DE Raffy Alunan, DE Jackie Rodriguez, legal Counsel Amading Valdez, Rtn. Tong Payumo, Rtn Dong Benedicto & Spouse Marilou, Rtn Johnny Chotrani, Rtn. Tony Lopez, and Rtn. Amb. Effie Ben Mattiyou. In addition to great food, we were entertained by singers, including our own RCM World Famous, serenading Joe with our RCM Birthday Song!

Many of our members know a great deal about Joe, who has been prominent in the Philippines since the early 1970’s, when he became the country’s first billionaire through his business developments. For those of us who have not had the privilege of knowing Joe for that many years, it is a distinct pleasure to share highlights of his life with our readers.

Beginning in 1987, Joe was elected to six terms as a Representative of the 4th District of Pangasinan. He served as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives throughout the Ninth, Tenth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses of the Philippines, and he served for more than a year as the House Speaker of the Fourteenth Congress before stepping down, for a total of five terms. As Speaker, he was the fourth highest-ranking official of the Philippines. He was the former president of the Philippines’ dominant party during those times, LAKAS-CMD. He ran for president in the 1998 election but lost to Vice President Joseph Estrada, finishing second among 11 candidates.

As an entrepreneur, de Venecia pioneered overseas contract work for Filipinos where he was one of the first Philippine prime contractors in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-1970s. He hired more than 50,000 Filipinos for his companies and engaged in port operations in Saudi Arabia, agriculture in Africa, and mass housing and oil exploration in the United Arab Emirates. His Middle East initiative was followed and later led to the employment of millions of Filipinos. In the 1970s, he initiated an oil and gas exploration program that led to the first oil and gas strikes in offshore Palawan. He was elected president of the Petroleum Association of the Philippines. Of course, he has also conceived, invested and run numerous local enterprises in a wide variety of undertakings, ranging from innovating in fish ponds to foreign language acquisition training, often just to help spur employment and economic development.

De Venecia was a diplomat as Minister-Economic Counselor during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1969, pushing the creation of the first Philippine Helicopter Squadron, and first Armalite Division, working with US General Abrams. In 1967, he conceived and implemented the historic dollar-remittance program for overseas Filipino workers worldwide, which now earns the Philippines some $25-billion to $30 billion a year, dramatically enriching the Central Bank foreign exchange reserves, effectively killing the then rampant black market. It was and is a central driver of economic development for the company, fueling the purchase of countless homes by OfW’s. The concept has become a model for developing nations around the world.

He was one of the Ten Outstanding Congressmen before martial law in the Philippines.

As Ramos’ peace envoy, Speaker de Venecia reached out to insurgent groups Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) secessionists in Mindanao, the RAM-SFP-YOU military rebels, and the Communist Party of the Philippines which operates the New People’s Army (NPA). He crossed Africa’s Sahara Desert twice to meet the Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi and MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari and assisted in forging a peace agreement at Tripoli in 1976. His persuasion to Misuari to accept autonomy led to the signing of the peace pact on September 2, 1996. In 1992, de Venecia began secret talks with leaders of the military rebels, led by Commodore Calajate, Gen. Abenina, and Col. Honasan, which led to a ceasefire in December of that year and a final peace agreement in 1995. In April 1997, De Venecia journeyed to the Netherlands to meet with self-exiled leaders of the National Democratic Front and New People’s Army led by Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni. He was the first Christian leader to enter Mindanao’s Camp Abubakar mountains in November 1997 and open breakthrough peace negotiations with Hashim Salamat, Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and military Commander Murad.

He has worked for decades, pushing for interfaith dialogues, approved by the UN, to reduce tensions and conflicts in various parts of the world. Prior to his initiatives, inter-religious issues had been a taboo in the UN, while through his dedication and successes, today there is an Interfaith unit within the office of the UN secretary General. He is still considered to be one of the most dedicated and highly respected individuals in the world, dedicated to pursuing peace not only on the Philippines, but throughout the world.

Joe is credited with designing and authoring the Bases Conversion Law, which transformed Clark, Subic, Camp John Hay, and Camp Wallace, into free ports or special economic zones. Simultaneously, Filipino camps in Fort Bonifacio and Nichols were converted into major cities, fueling unprecedented economic growth through the most ambitious housing and business development in the history of the country.

In April 2017, De Venecia was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue. The Department of Foreign Affairs said that as special envoy, De Venecia advises the administration on policies regarding cultural diversity and citizen participation under the UNESCO declaration.

Joe may have done more for peace and conflict resolution than any other man in Philippines history. His dedication includes the initiation of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and he is President of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrat International, and CO-Chairman of the International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization.

Still in the headlines today, and with a very thoughtful regular column in the Manila Bulletin, Joe argues for Joint Exploration of the South China Sea by ALL claimant nations. He also proposes a “Third Route” to compliment China’s Belt and road Initiative. At 81, when most are retired, enjoying the fruits of their years of labor, Joe is still planting seeds of peace, growth and prosperity. RC Manila is enormously proud of you Joe, and thanks you for your extraordinary statesmanship and contributions to the world.