Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Biography

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, at age 39, is the youngest to be elected as Senate Majority Leader since the First Congress in 1946 and after World War II. A veteran legislator, he served the 3rd District of Bukidnon for nine years since the 11th Congress in 1998. He was always cited as one of the most outstanding solons, in all his three terms in the House of Representatives. He hopes to work just as hard in the Senate and match, if not surpass, his record in the House of Representatives.

Sen. Migz is the principal author of major laws such as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the Rent Control Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, National Service Training Program and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Rate Pay Base Increase Act. He is considered the father of the Biofuels Act of 2006, earning him the moniker Mr. Biofuels. He was – and still is – one of the original members of the “Spice Boys” in Congress.

In the current 14th Congress, Sen. Migz has authored several bills which were enacted into laws, such as RA 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, RA 9507, the Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Condonation Program, RA 9504, Minimum Wage Earners Tax Exemption; RA 9502, The Cheaper Medicines Act; RA 9500, UP Charter Amendments; and RA 9496, Agricultural Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund Extension. He is also considered the “father” of the New Cooperative Code being the principal author and sponsor of RA 9520 or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008.

He is known as a champion of environmental concerns, an advocacy he continues to pursue in the Senate as among his top legislative agenda. Aside from his position as Majority Leader, he also chairs the Committee on Rules and the Committee on Cooperatives and an Ex-officio member of all Standing Committees in the Senate. He is also a member of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Congressional Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization, Joint Congressional Power Commission, and Congressional Oversight Committees on Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

His environmental involvement is not only limited to legislation. He matches his “fire in the belly” with concrete environmental actions. He founded the Philippine Deer Foundation, a deer conservation project. He is also the Executive Director of the Palawan-based Katala Foundation which protects endangered wildlife species and their habitats. A trained first aider and certified rescue diver, he is a Governor of the Philippine National Red Cross and active member of the Red Cross Youth Committee and Concerned Divers of the Philippines.

Senator Migz is currently taking-up Master’s Degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management in the University of the Philippines. He is a graduate of Agri-Business Management at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños. He has been conferred three Honorary or Honoris Causa Doctoral degrees, such as the Doctor of Laws degree by the Southwestern University in Cebu, Doctor of Humanities degree by the Bukidnon State University in Bukidnon and Doctor of Science degree by the Visayas State University in Leyte. He takes pride for being the husband to lovely Audrey; a loving father to Ma. Adriana; and a good son to Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri, Jr. of Bukidnon, and Victoria Fernandez-Zubiri of Libon, Albay.

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