Foreign dignitaries to grace centennial celebration of RP Congress

President Arroyo and the country’s highest government officials along with several foreign dignitaries will grace the centennial celebration of the Philippine Congress, the first popularly elected parliament in Southeast Asia.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., who is on course for an unprecedented fifth term as head of the House of Representatives, said the 236-member lower legislative chamber will convene a “centennial plenary session” on June 7, the launch of the centennial celebration.

According to De Venecia, a series of key events will take place before the session starts, and this will include the unveiling of a historical marker, the launching of a centennial history book titled “Assembly of the Nation,” and the opening of a photo exhibit.

Among those invited to speak at the special plenary session, aside from Mrs. Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro, are Senate President Manuel Villar, Chief Justice Reynato Puno and visiting Speakers of Parliament from other parts of the world.

De Venecia, the longest-serving Speaker in the post-war period, will deliver a response highlighting the legislature’s century-long record in leading the nation towards independence, social and political stability, peace, prosperity and economic growth.

Mrs. Arroyo and De Venecia will also welcome foreign dignitaries who will take part in the centennial rites, including Bangladesh Speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sirchar, Cambodian President of Parliament Samdech Heng Samrin, Finland Deputy Speaker Johannes Koskinen, Indonesian Speaker Agung Laksono, Iranian Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Malaysian Speaker Tan Sri Dato Seri Diraja Ramli Bin Ngah Talib, Mexican Speaker Jorge Zermeno Infante, Russian Federation Duma Vice Chairman Arthur Chilingarov, Thai President of Parliament Meechai Ruchupan, Liu  Minzu, Special Envoy of Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Chinese Parliament.

The House of Representatives traces its roots to the country’s first elective national legislature organized in 1907 under American colonial rule. The 80-man Philippine Assembly, or Asamblea Filipina, was inaugurated on Oct. 7, 1907, following elections held four months earlier.

Sergio Osmeña of Cebu was elected the first Speaker.

“Our institution has carried the task of giving voice to the highest aspirations of the Filipino people and translating these into law  – in the context of a dynamic representative democracy – with all the debate and consensus-building entailed by the process,” De Venecia said.  

Under American rule, the Philippine Assembly worked for Philippine independence, supporting the efforts of leaders like Osmeña, Manuel L. Quezon and Manuel Roxas in gaining self-governance from the United States. 

After Independence in 1946, the House figured prominently in national efforts to rebuild the country’s political, economic and social structures and propel it towards stability and prosperity.

“Under De Venecia’s leadership, the House initiated laws to raise transparency in governance, protect domestic markets in a globalized trade environment, strengthen electronic commerce, lessen pollution and protect the environment, create new sources of economic wealth, and encourage the discovery and use of alternative energy sources,” a statement from the Speaker’s office read.

The June 7 launching of the House centennial celebration coincides with the sine die adjournment of the 13th Congress. At present, the House has 236 members from 212 legislative districts and 16 party-list organizations.