Senator Manny Villar

Holy Child Catholic School and University of the Philippines-Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in Business Abministration

Businessman, Incumbent Senator of the Philippines

2003-Present-Nacionalista Party and Senate of the Philippines, 2000-2003-Independent, 1998-2000-LAMP, 1992-1998-LAKAS-NUCD, House of Representatives

Among these universities and colleges that have bestowed Honoris Causa to Villar are:Adamson University, Bataan Polytechnic State College, Bulacan State University, Cagayan State University, Central Luzon State University, Foundation University(Dumaguete), Laguna State Polytechnic College, Pangasinan State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, Romblon State College, Tarlac State University, Wesleyan University-Philippines, and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology

For his business achievements, he was made cover story in the Far Eastern Economic Review.And his life story was also featured in Asiaweek, Forbes, AsiaMoney and Asian Business Review

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A Philippine "rags-to-riches" who survived the 1997 Asian financial crisis with amazing resilience, Senator Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar Jr. is today back in real estate with dynamic vigor and also heads the revitalized Nacionalista Party as a political force.He is a strong advocate of entrepreneurship in the Philippines,and laments the fact that the prime movers of Philippine business like John Gokongwei Jr.,Lucio Tan,and Henry Sy are already in their 70s and 80s,while the prime movers of business in Malaysia or Thailand or Taiwan are only in their 50s. He calls for more entrepreneurs to help the Philippine economy.In the mid-1990s,Villar,the former poor boy from Tondo,had made himself Southeast Asia's biggest low-cost home builder with his publicly-listed C and P Homes,Inc.Forbes magazine in 1996 listed him as one of the world's wealthiest billionairs,with a net worth of US$2 billion.

Villar entered politics in 1992 by winning a congressional seat in the districts of Las Pinas and Muntinlupa,and went on to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives.His wife,Cynthia Aguilar Villar,is from the prominent Aguilar political clan that rules Las Pinas politics and is now a congresswoman.

Manuel B. Villar Jr. was born on December 13,1949 in Moriones,Tondo,Manila to a family of nine children.His father, Manuel Villar Sr. was a low-ranking civil servant,and his lower middle class family lived in a rented apartment.His parents had a small fish and shrimp business in Divisoria,the wholesale trade center of the Philippines,and where he said he was"continually inspired by the Chinese entrepreneurs in the market."As a boy,he often assisted his mother,Curita Bamba Villar,as a market vendor,while observing the dynamic Chinese traders at work.He said,"I learned from my mother what it takes to be an entrepreneur,and it means working really hard to achieve your dreams."

Curita recalled that as a market vendor,she used to wake up Manny very early in the morning to help her carry ten kilos of fish for sale in the wet market-the boy would complain it was too early,but he would do the chore anyway so that she did not need to hire someone else to do it.Manny also attended public school in Tondo.Once,Curita instructed her son Manny to encash a postdated check payment of 40 pesos at a bank in the former Manila Hilton Hotel in United Nations Avenue,Manila. Young Manny was the earliest customer of the bank that morning,and the bank teller complained that his check smelled of fish,but Manny remained firm,telling her it was her job to accept the check even if it was smelly.

Manny Villar describes his mother as"a consummate entrepreneur"and his best teacher in business.He said:"The best description of my mother as an entrepreneur is that she was hardworking.She was never absent.She went to sell fish in the wet market religiously, without being absent or late.That's one trait I learned from my mother,being hardworking.Entrepreneurs need to be hardworking to succeed.She is also very fast.She is dynamic.She gave birth to us,her nine kids,successively,but she continued working hard daily.She is a woman of tremendos energy.She sold with passion.She's competitive.She wanted bigger sales than other vendors in the market.She had ambition.She liked to dream,too.I learned how to be an entrepreneur from my mother.She is also practical.She is street-smart in business.I learned how to be resourceful from her.She is pragmatic in solving problems,more pragmatic than cerebral."My mother is very good in arithmetic,fast in making calculations,especially in counting change.My mother used to be a vendor selling fish and shrimps at Divisoria stall number 2245 in Tondo,Manila.I was her kargador when I was a boy."

Manny was a working student when he studied Business Administration at the University of the Philippines (UP).He later earned his Master's degree in Business Administration also from UP.He first worked at SyCip Gorres and Velayo (SGV),but resigned to go into his first business venture.

He ventured into the seafood business.In those days,he was working long hours as a fish and shrimp trader,where the action starts at the ungodly hours of the morning,when the fresh daily catch lands in the market.Eventually,his business failed,making him "technically bankrupt" at age 22.When a restaurant he was delivering seafood to couldn't pay him money,he printed out "meal tickets" which he convinced the restaurant owners to honor.He then sold these tickets at a discounted price to office workers.It took him one year to liquidate his receivables.He then settled down to work at the Private Development Corporation of the Philippines (PDCP)where he specialized in selling World Bank loans.

In 1975,at age 25,Villar resigned from his job.With only P10,000 of borrowed capital,he acquired two reconditioned trucks to haul gravel and sand to contruction sites for BF Homes in south Metro Manila.

The following year,he learned the ropes of construction well enough to build houses on 80 lots sold to him by BF Homes at the most favorable terms-only ten percent downpayment,with the balance to be financed by the firm.This first project was a success,and it made Manny Villar a millionaire by the time he turned 26 years old.At this stage of his life,he vowed:"One day,I'll be the biggest home-builder in the country."

In the late 1970s,Manny Villar immersed himself in business and decided to concentrate on low-cost housing.His initial strategy was to buy small,irregularly sized lots the other big developers couldn't sell inside their subdivisions and to build affordable homes on these lots.Villar pioneered in the use of second mortgages and the redesigning of homes targeting the mass market.An overwhelming majority of his buyers depend on the government's subsidized fixed interest 25-year special loan mortgages for their purchases.His low-cost housing firms tapped the huge number of overseas Filipino Workers(OFWs)worldwide.He has built over 100,000 homes for poor and middle-class Filipino families.

In 1989,Villar received the"Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Management."In 1990,he was honored as the"Most Outstanding Certified Public Accountant"by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.In 1991,UP honored him as the"Most Outstanding UP Alumnus."The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism(PCIJ)calls him"the dean of the Philippine real estate industry."

As a Congressman,Villar championed the cause of small and medium-sized enterprises by authoring and passing into law the landmark New Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprises(RA 8289).He also initiated creative legislation such as the establishment of the Small and Medium Enterprises Stock Exchange and the Business One-Stop-Shop centers.

Senator Manny said that hard work,persistence,and perseverance are the guiding principles in his life,earning him the title as"Mr.Sipag at Tiyaga."

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE,It was no surprise then to those in the know when he gained the remarkable acclaim of 171 of 220 congressmen as the Speaker of the 11th Congress of the House of Representatives.In a time the country is slowly recovering from a host of economic and political crises,the election of the 'brown taipan'at the helm of Congress signaled a watershed event in the Philippine political history.The rise of Villar ushered in a new consensus of leadership based on managerial skills and not simply on oratory and rhetoric.Villar steered the 11th Congress into a record-breaking achievement in legislation and economic reforms.Among the pioneering measures he shepherded into law were the Retail Trade Liberization Act,The New Central Bank,the New Securities Code,and the New Banking Act.

SENATOR OF THE REPUBLIC,In the national elections held last May 14,2001,despite being a relative newcomer in national politics,Villar posted one of the most impressive showings in the national polls.On his first day in office,he filed 204 bills covering a comprehensive legislative program of action-the first among neophyte senators and the third highest filer among the senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines.After being elected by his colleagues,he assumed the position of the Senate President Pro-Tempore,the second to the highest post in the higher Chamber of Congress.He is presently the Chairman of the Committee on Finance that is in charge of all deliberations and discussions on the national budget of the country and the Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs.He is also the Vice Chairman on Foreign Relations and Committee on Agriculture.He authored 44 laws during the 12th Congress,among them are:RA 9178 Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act,RA 9189 Overseas Absentee Voting Act,RA 9208 Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act,RA 9257 An Act Granting Additional Benefits and Privileges to Senior Citizens,and RA 9262 Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act.He has filed Bills aimed at providing business opportunities for the people and improving the Filipinos'quality of life through basic health care,decent shelters,responsive social services,and high quality education.He led the inauguration of the Las Pinas-Muntinlupa-Laguna-Cavite(LPMLC)link road,more popularly known as Daang Hari,as part of his road improvement program aimed at easing traffic in the south of Metro Manila.According to him,an efficient and rationalized road network is one of the fundamental requirements in improving commerce and spurring economic progress.Senator Manny Villar,despite his numerous accomplishments and heroism,has remained simple and unaffected.A true family man,he is a devoted husband to Congresswoman Cynthia A.Villar(Lone District of Las Pinas),and a loving father to sons Paolo and Mark and daughter Camille.

MORE ABOUT Senator Manuel"Manny"Bamba Villar, visit to: www.mannyvillar.com.ph