BY EVA C. VISPERAS
The JDV smile that never fades
THERE are smiles we remember only for a moment, and there are smiles that stay with us long after the person is gone. Yours, Speaker Joe, belongs to the latter.
The last time we saw that familiar, gentle smile was on December 28, 2025—your birthday, a joyful gathering filled with warmth, laughter, and gratitude for a life well-lived. We traveled eight hours to and fro, determined not to miss celebrating with you once more, as we had through the years.
Everyone wore red that day, the color of love and courage. Perhaps we did not fully realize it then, but those colors reflected the very life you led—fearless in leadership, generous in spirit, and anchored in compassion.
You smiled the entire time as groups lined up to greet you and capture photographs for posterity. Despite the long hours, you gamely flashed that boyish grin that never seemed to age, a smile that reassured everyone who approached you that they mattered.
We did not know it would be the last beautiful smile we would ever see.
Then on February 10, 2026, in what is known as the month of love, you quietly slipped away. The news came like a whisper that turned into a cry within our hearts. Even now, many of us remain in denial, still hoping to see you walk into a room with that unmistakable presence that needed no introduction.
In the days since your passing, countless tributes have described you as a peacemaker, a consensus-builder, a global Filipino, the architect of Dagupan’s rehabilitation, and a visionary leader. The accolades seemed endless, each written in superlatives that attempted to capture the breadth of your life.
Beyond the titles was the man we knew—humble, approachable, and never intoxicated by power. You carried your achievements lightly, using them as tools for service rather than badges of honor. Your name holds an enduring place in the nation’s political history, one time can neither erase nor replace
I remember the first time I saw you. I was then a young, neophyte radio broadcaster attending the induction ceremony of the now-defunct Pangasinan Press and Radio Club. You stood before the audience and delivered a speech so passionate, so compelling, without reading from a script or even an outline. You spoke straight from the heart, and in doing so, you captured ours.
Over the years, I witnessed what many thought was impossible—how you could turn bitter adversaries into trusted allies. Where others built walls, you built bridges. Anger and revenge seemed foreign to you– they simply did not exist in your vocabulary. You believed that dialogue could soften the hardest hearts and that unity was always worth pursuing.
As time gently led you to the twilight of your years, I watched your steps grow shorter and your memory begin to falter. Yet one thing never faded: your smile. Whenever you saw old friends and acquaintances, your face would light up with recognition that went beyond memory—it came from the soul.
In those moments, I saw my own father in you, especially during the final season of his life before he left us at nearly 93. And so, in losing you, it felt as though I was losing another father.
Throughout your tenure as five-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, I was fortunate to belong to your political family. In your triumphs and trials, I saw not only a formidable statesman but also a devoted husband, a loving father, and above all, a child of God whose faith quietly guided his steps.
We may no longer see the JDV smile in this world, but I am certain that somewhere beyond our sight, you continue to smile upon us in ways only the heart can understand.
That smile lives on—in the lives you touched, in the leaders you inspired, and in the city you helped rise again. Once upon a time, a barrio boy from Dagupan dreamed boldly, built a rainbow coalition grounded in peace and harmony, and showed a divided nation that governance need not be a battlefield.
No fights—just love.
Your legacy will endure from one generation to the next, shining with the same warmth as the smile you so generously shared with your family, friends, colleagues, and countrymen.
Thank you for believing in me, for helping me see my worth when I was still learning to find my voice.
Balbaleg ya salamat, Speaker JDV.