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Mark Villar
Filipino politician and businessman (born 1978) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mark Aguilar Villar (Tagalog pronunciation: [vilˈjaɾ], born August 14, 1978) is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2022. He served in President Rodrigo Duterte's cabinet as the Secretary of Public Works and Highways from 2016 to 2021,[3] and was the COVID-19 pandemic isolation czar from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Nacionalista Party, he was the Representative of Las Piñas from 2010 to 2016.[4] Villar has also previously held executive positions in his family's businesses.
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Villar hails from a political dynasty based in Las Piñas. His mother Cynthia and his sister Camille are respectively his former and current colleagues in the Senate, while his father, Manny, is a businessman and former Senate President. His wife, Emmeline, is also a politician.
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Early life
Villar was born on August 14, 1978, to businesspersons Manny Villar and Cynthia Villar. He is the second of three children, with an older brother, Manuel Paolo, and a younger sister, Camille Lydia. He attended the International School Manila in Makati, Metro Manila before moving to the United States to pursue higher education.[5] He earned his bachelor's degree in Economics, Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. He also finished his master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.[3]
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Business career
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On his return to the Philippines, he worked for ten years in the family's real estate business. By 2003, Villar ran the M-Star malls after their ownership was transferred from Manuela Corp. to the Villar family.[6] He was President of Crown Asia Corporation before becoming managing director of Vista Land & Lifescapes.[5] When asked regarding his potential involvement in politics, Villar stated that "I'd rather go to a business meeting rather than a political one. I don't want to be known as a politician."[6]
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Political career
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House of Representatives (2010–2016)
Villar was first elected to public office in 2010 as congressman of the lone district of Las Piñas, succeeding his mother, Cynthia Villar, a three-term representative who later became senator. During his term, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, as well as Vice Chairman of the House Committees on Overseas Workers Affairs, Labor and Employment, and Science and Technology.[3]
As a member of the 15th and 16th Congress, he authored several bills on education, health and livelihood, including the Negosyo Act promoting microfinance and the Lemon Law protecting buyers of motor vehicles. He was also one of the proponents of the Co-Loading Act which opened domestic transport and shipping to foreign vessels.[3]
Secretary of Public Works and Highways (2016–2021)
Villar ran for a third term during the 2016 elections and won. However, he resigned from Congress on August 1, 2016 to become Secretary of Public Works and Highways, after being appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte before he took office on June 30.[7] At 38 years old, Villar was the youngest—and wealthiest—Duterte cabinet member.[8][9] Pending a special election to be held in Las Piñas to fill in Villar's seat in the lower house, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has designated his wife, former DIWA Partylist representative Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, as interim representative.[4] Aglipay-Villar later became an undersecretary of the Department of Justice and was part of the team that reviewed the water concession agreements of Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water.[10] However, the special election was never held up to the end of the 17th Congress.
During his time as secretary, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completed a total of 29,264 km (18,184 mi) of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 133 Tatag ng Imprastraktura Para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (Tikas) projects, and 150,149 classrooms, while generating 6.5 million jobs.[11] These projects were also part of the Build! Build! Build! program of the Duterte administration. The department faced controversy when Senator Panfilo Lacson flagged ₱469 billion worth of DPWH infrastructure projects that had already been financed by the government for implementation in 2020 but were funded again for 2021.[12] Duterte defended Villar for not being involved in the issue, saying that he is already rich.[13] Villar formed a task force that led to relieving 14 personnel due to corruption.[14]
Senate of the Philippines (2022–present)
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Villar resigned as Secretary of Public Works and Highways effective October 6, 2021.[15] On the same day, he filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for senator in 2022.[16] His candidacy is endorsed by President Duterte.[17] He was named to the senatorial slate of UniTeam, having been endorsed by the tandem of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte.[18] He won in his first senatorial bid, ranking 6th out of the 12 winning senatorial bets with more than 19 million votes. He and his mother Cynthia Villar became the first mother-and-son tandem as incumbent senators since Loi Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada in the 13th Congress (2004–2007). Villar was elected as a Senate Deputy Majority Leader (alongside JV Ejercito) and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies and the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.[19]
Villar was the youngest member of the Senate during the 19th Congress.[20] As senator, he sponsored of the Maharlika Investment Fund Bill which was approved by a majority vote.[21][22]
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Personal life
Villar is married to a fellow lawmaker, Emmeline Yan Aglipay, daughter of Edgar Aglipay and a former undersecretary at the Department of Justice whom he met during the 15th Congress.[23][24][25] They have a daughter, Emma Therese.[26]
On July 15, 2020, Villar tested positive for COVID-19.[27] He was able to recover from the disease.[28]
Notes
- Villar's wife, DIWA Partylist Representative Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, was appointed as "caretaker" representative of Las Piñas on August 2, 2016,[1] following his resignation to become the Secretary of Public Works and Highways. He was eventually succeeded by his sister Camille, who was elected in 2019.
References
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