From the Publisher
A Man of the People; A Man for the World
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 theSpeakership 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.
What People Are Saying
Alexander Haig
Speaker de Venecia has played a key role in the Philippine economic resurgence."--(Alexander Haig, U.S. Secretary of State, 1981-1982)
Fidel V. Ramos
"In the pantheon of Philippine democracy which is the oldest in Asia, Speaker de Venecia will reside with those others from the past who spent their lives taking our government to a higher plain. This is because he has nurtured a vision of greatness that beholds a more prominent leadership role for the Philippines on the world stage. It is an inspiring vision, and how he arrived there is an interesting story. In this biography, Brett M. Decker reveals knowledge of the Philippines and devotion to his subject that are only surpassed by Joe de Venecia's own passion for a better Philippines. Global Filipino is a great read about a patriotic Filipino, and I endorse them both with enthusiasm."--(Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Philippines, 1992-1998)
"Jose de Venecia will certainly go down as one of the great Speakers in the history of the [Philippine] Congress. His many successful initiatives in the wider field of regional politics make him one of Asia's leading contemporary statesmen. This biography by Brett Decker is about a man who has constantly reinvented himself to meet the challenges of ever-changing times. Even more important, in the overall way the world works, Jose de Venecia is a good man-and that, I think, is a true testament to character in our rough-and-tumble profession of politics."--(Joseph Ejercito Estrada, President of the Philippines, 1998-2001)
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