FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
Senate Bill No. 
2 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to name the strip of National Highway, connecting Talisay, 
Batangas situated at Km. 70+340-km passing through the Municipality of Laurel 
up to the Municipality of Agoncillo, Batangas situated at Km. 102+820 Province 
of Batangas to be known as the "Speaker Jose 6. Laurel, Jr. Highways". 
Like his illustrious father, he (Jose 6. Laurel, Jr.) was an intense and 
enlightened nationalist according to retired Supreme Court Justice lsagani Cruz. 
To the country whose nationalist causes he incessantly advocated and 
zealously guarded and to the global legislative system whose processes he had 
participated in and to a great measure influenced- the late Speaker Jose 6. 
Laurel, Jr., was a stalwart patriot and brilliant legislator who, not only passed 
laws, but more important, laid down principles and guided public policy to defend 
the dignity of the Filipinos and ensure their right to be first in their own country. 
His nationalism and patriotism were inspired by his preeminent father, the late 
President Jose P. Laurel, who said: "No one can love the Philippines better than 
Filipinos themselves." 
Speaker Laurel held the distinct honor of being the only Filipino leader to 
be elected three times as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives. 
He was the youngest Member of the First Congress of the Commonwealth 
of the Philippines when first elected in 1941, authoring in his first term as 
Speaker the Retail Trade Nationalization Act of 1955. 
In his second term as Speaker, he wrote House Joint Resolution No. 2, 
better known as the Magna Carta of Social Justice and Economic Freedom, 
which became law on 04 August 1969. 
Because of his sterling qualifications and unblemished record of public 
service, Speaker Laurel 'was appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino in 1986 
to the Constitutional Commission that drafter the 1987 Constitution of the 
Republic of the Philippines, and chosen as Chairman of the Committees on 
Citizenship, Bill of Rights, Political Rights and Obligations and Human Rights. 


Speaker Laurel, with the other Nationalists, co-wrote into the constitution the 
"Filipino First" policy. 
Early in his student days at the University of the Philippines where he 
finished his Associate in Arts and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws, he 
demonstrated his gift of leadership. He was Captain of the University of the 
Philippines Debating Team, voted National Inter-University Champion Orator in 
1934, and elected President of the U.P. Student Council in 1935. He was also a 
member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. 
He earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Laws (meritissimus) and Doctor 
of Civil Law (meritissimus) from the University of Santo Tomas and was also 
awarded the Degree of Doctor in Derecho at the Universidad Central de Madrid 
in Spain. 
Speaker Laurel participated in World Conferences including the Inter- 
Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference in Dublin, Ireland in 1950 and in Vienna in 
1954, and the Conference of Parliamentarians of the World Governments in 
1953. In 1968, he was unanimously elected President of the General Assembly 
of Asian Parliamentarians Union (APU) held in Manila in 1968. 
In 1960, Speaker Laurel served as Chairman of the Philippines Panel 
which negotiated the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between the 
Philippines and Japan. 
For distinguished service as a legislator for 31 years, he was the recipient 
of three (3) distinguished awards- the First Class Order of Diplomatic Merit from 
the Republic of Korea in 1968, the First Order of the Rising Sun, from His 
Majesty Emperor Hirohito, and the First Class Order of Kalantiao from President 
Corazon C. Aquino in 1986. 
As a man, Speaker Laurel was sincere in his promises to help people and 
went out of his way to help; he was generous to a fault; he was understanding 
and soft-spoken; and above all, he was a faithful friend. 
With the death of Speaker Jose B. Laurel, Jr. on March 11, 1998 at the 
age of 85, our country lost one of the nationalistic, courageous and brilliant 
legislators and patriots of our time. For those of s who love him, the loss is 
immeasurable. 
For the foregoing reasons, it is but proper that the strip of the National 
Highway, connecting at the Municipality Talisay, Batangas, situated at Km 
79+340 Km passing through the Municipality of Laurel up to the Municipality of 
Agoncillo, Batangas situated at Km 102+820, Province of Batangas, shall be 
named as the Speaker Jose B. Laurel, Jr., Highway" to honor and perpetuate the 
memory of one of the greatest sons of Batangas. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly requested, 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
TO HONOR AND PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE LATE SPEAKER 
JOSE B. LAUREL, JR., BY NAMING THE STRIP OF THE NATIONAL 
HIGHWAY, CONNECTING THE MUNICIPALITY OF TALISAY, BATANGAS, 
SITUATED AT KM 79+340 PASSING THROUGH THE MUNICIPALITY OF 
LAUREL UP TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF AGONCILLO, BATANGAS, 
SITUATED AT KM 102+820, PROVINCE OF BATANGAS, AS THE “SPEAKER 
JOSE B. LAUREL, JR., HIGHWAYS”. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. The strip of the National Highway, connecting the 
Municipality of Talisay, Batangas, situated at Km 79+340 passing through the 
Municipality of Laurel up to the Municipality of Agoncillo, Batangas, situated at 
Km 102+820, Province of Batangas, as the ”Speaker Jose 6. Laurel, Jr., 
Highways”. 
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its approval 
Approved.