Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Biography

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri is a veteran legislator, having served in both houses of Congress and posting perfect attendance in a combined 15-year service—a real Trabahador ng Senado.

Prior to his career in the Senate, he served the 3rd District of Bukidnon from 1998 to 2007, and was alwayscited as one of the most outstanding solons in the House of Representatives.

During his first term in the Senate, Sen. Zubiri, at age 39, became the youngest to be elected as Senate Majority Leader since the First Congress in 1946. He was once again elected as Senate Majority Leader in the 17th Congress, displaying the same zeal and work ethic as he had in the 14th Congress, where he shepherded 650 bills to become laws.

Sen. Migz is the principal author and sponsor of more than twenty major laws, both in the Senate and during his stint as Congressman. As a Mindanawon, the Bangsamoro Organic Law (RA 11054) is his most notable contribution to promote peace and development in Mindanao. As a fervent advocate of clean energy, he worked for the passage of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9153) and the Biofuels Act of 2006 (RA 9367), earning him the moniker Mr. Clean Energy. Among the other laws he sponsored, principally authored, or co-authored are:

RA10068 – Organic Agriculture Act of 2010;

RA 9147 – Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act;

RA 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk Management Act;

RA 9165 – Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002;

RA 9679 – the Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009 (Pag-IBIG Fund);

RA 9653 – the Rent Control Act of 2009;

 RA 9997 – the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009;

RA 9996 – the Mindanao Development Authority Act of 2010;

RA 9904 – the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations;

RA 9903 – Condonation of Penalties on Delinquent Social Security Contributions;

RA 9507 – the Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Condonation Program;

RA 9850 – Declaring Arnis as the National Martial Art and Sport;

RA 9500 – UP Charter Amendments;

RA 9163 – National Service Training Program;

RA 9166 – Armed Forces of the Philippines Rate Pay Base Increase Act;

RA 10072 – the New Charter of the Philippine Red Cross;

RA 9645 – Declaring July 27 of Every Year as Araw ng Iglesia Ni Cristo and as Special Working Holiday;

RA 9849 – Declaring EidulAdha as a National Holiday;

RA 10962 – Gift Check Act of 2017; and

RA 11032 – Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

He is considered the Father of the New Cooperative Code, being the principal sponsor and author of RA 9520 or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008. His investment in the growth of the cooperative sector has carried over to the current 17th Congress, where he chairs the Committee on Cooperatives. He is working to pass the Cooperative Development Authority Charter of 2018 within the current Congress.

Outside of his legislative work, he is involved ina variety of environmental programs. He is the founder of the Philippine Deer Foundation, a deer conservation project, and is Vice President 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 Red Cross and an active member of the Red Cross Youth Committee and the Concerned Divers of the Philippines.

Sen.Zubiri has published two books:Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 andBukidnon: The Philippine Frontier. He holds a Master’s in Environment and Natural Resources Management degree from the University of the Philippines Open University, and a Bachelor of Science in Agri-Business Management degree from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños. He has also been conferred four Honorary or Honoris Causa Doctoral degrees by various private and state universities.

He takes pride in being the husband to lovely Audrey; a loving father to Ma. Adriana,Juanmi, and Santi; and a good son to Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri, Jr. of Bukidnon and Victoria Fernandez-Zubiri of Libon, Albay.