Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

Speaker Jose de Venecia was reelected in 2005 to an unprecedented fourth term as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and is considered to be one of the most effective and influential Speakers in the history of Philippine democracy. Currently, the Philippines is engrossed in another in a series of seemingly chronic political crises that have afflicted Philippine politics since the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. As the President of the ruling party, Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats (LAKAS-CMD), whose National Chairman is President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, de Venecia is seeing the coming to fruition of his 12-year campaign to reform the constitution in order to get government finances back in order, restart moribund economic development, stabilize the political system, and eradicate money politics. The creation of a forum for Inter-religious dialogue within the UN system, the establishment of an Asian Parliament and debt relief for middle-income countries through an innovative debt for equity mechanism are among the numerous initiatives of Mr. de Venecia. He is also a strong proponent of U.S.-Philippine relations and supports the U.S. on the war on terrorism.



Please join us as Speaker de Venecia discusses constitutional reform in the Philippines and what it means for economic opportunity, the war on terrorism and U.S.-Philippine relations.