José Avelino
Encyclopedia
José Dira Avelino. The first President of the Senate of the First Republic of the Philippines under the presidency of Manuel Roxas. He was President Pro-tempore to President Manuel Quezon prior to the establishment of the Commonwealth.
Avelino was born in a town called Calbayog in Samar to Ildefonsa Dira and Baltazar Avelino. Calbayog became a City in 1948 at Avelino's instance, when as President of the Senate he pulled together three contiguous municipalities (Oquendo, Calbayog and Tinambacan) and made it into the 19th city of the Philippines, October 16, 1948.
Avelino is known as the Father of the Philippine Workmen’s Compensation Law; one of the most famous bills which he passed during his term which focused on creating a contingency insurance fund for workers as a way to protect the workers from the various economic problems that plagued the post-war economy.
Avelino also founded the first labor union in Eastern Visayas, Gremio Obrero de Stevedores; he is a founding member of the Liberal Party; he was instrumental in the passage of the Social Security System and pushed for the establishment of public high schools in every province in the Philippines.
He served concurrently as Secretary of Labor
and Secretary of Public Works and Transportation
under President Manuel Quezon. As Secretary of Labor, Avelino accomplished something unprecedented in the Philippines and perhaps the world - he unified the labor unions by organizing them into two Commissions: The National Commission of Labor (NCL) and the National Commission of Peasants (NCP)- and he was designated Chairman over these two Commissions. To quote from the Manila Bulletin: "The new Secretary of Labor José Avelino became not merely the head of the Department of Labor in the government but the head of labor organization, the head of labor in fact."
The final office held by Avelino before retiring was serving as Ambassador Plenipotentiary under President Elpidio Quirino.
Avelino was educated in the prestigious Ateneo de Manila where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas where he graduated with his Bachelor of Laws.
Unfortunately, the quotations alluded to or attributed to Avelino, particularly, “what are we in power for” have been taken out of context and are politically motivated.
Avelino was born in a town called Calbayog in Samar to Ildefonsa Dira and Baltazar Avelino. Calbayog became a City in 1948 at Avelino's instance, when as President of the Senate he pulled together three contiguous municipalities (Oquendo, Calbayog and Tinambacan) and made it into the 19th city of the Philippines, October 16, 1948.
Avelino is known as the Father of the Philippine Workmen’s Compensation Law; one of the most famous bills which he passed during his term which focused on creating a contingency insurance fund for workers as a way to protect the workers from the various economic problems that plagued the post-war economy.
Avelino also founded the first labor union in Eastern Visayas, Gremio Obrero de Stevedores; he is a founding member of the Liberal Party; he was instrumental in the passage of the Social Security System and pushed for the establishment of public high schools in every province in the Philippines.
He served concurrently as Secretary of Labor
Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment is the executive department of the Philippine Government mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and services, and serve as the policy-coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment...
and Secretary of Public Works and Transportation
Department of Public Works and Highways (Philippines)
The Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways , abbreviated as DPWH, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for all safety of projects in the field of public works...
under President Manuel Quezon. As Secretary of Labor, Avelino accomplished something unprecedented in the Philippines and perhaps the world - he unified the labor unions by organizing them into two Commissions: The National Commission of Labor (NCL) and the National Commission of Peasants (NCP)- and he was designated Chairman over these two Commissions. To quote from the Manila Bulletin: "The new Secretary of Labor José Avelino became not merely the head of the Department of Labor in the government but the head of labor organization, the head of labor in fact."
The final office held by Avelino before retiring was serving as Ambassador Plenipotentiary under President Elpidio Quirino.
Avelino was educated in the prestigious Ateneo de Manila where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas where he graduated with his Bachelor of Laws.
Unfortunately, the quotations alluded to or attributed to Avelino, particularly, “what are we in power for” have been taken out of context and are politically motivated.