Manuel “Manny” Bamba Villar is a 60-year old businessman/politician who is married to Representative Cynthia Villar (Lone District of Las Piñas City) and is a father to Mark, Paolo and Camille. He was born on the 13th of December, 1949 and is the second child of Manuel Villar, Sr., (a government employee) and Curita Bamba-Villar (who was a seafood dealer way back). He came from a poor family in Moriones, Tondo (a densely populated district in Manila). Being the second child in the brood of nine, he helped his mother sell shrimp and fish in Divisoria during his younger years. With his strong perseverance to improve his family’s status of living, he worked hard in helping his mother in selling shrimp and fish to be able to earn money to pay for his own education.

He graduated elementary at Holy Child Catholic School in 1962, and finished his secondary level at Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1966. He was a working student at the University of the Philippines (UP) in where he obtained his undergraduate and master’s degree in Business Administration and Accountancy in 1970. He completed his master’s degree in Business Administration in the same school in 1973. By then, he was also putting in long hours as a fish and shrimp trader.

After he graduated, he worked as an Accountant at Sycip Gorres and Velayo (SGV) --- country’s biggest accounting firm. But he resigned shortly though, in order to put up his own seafood delivery business.
 
When the restaurant Manny was delivering stocks to didn’t pay him, he printed out ‘meal tickets’ and persuaded the restaurant owner to honor it. Then he sold it at a discounted price to office workers, to be able to liquidate his receivables.

He worked briefly as a Financial Analyst at Private Development Corp. of the Phils. His work was to sell World Banks Loan. He quit his job despite of its attractive rates; convinced that he could make it on his own again. He then availed one of the loans. And with an initial of P10,000.00, he purchased two reconditioned trucks and started his sand-and-gravel business in Las Piñas City, way back 1975.

It is here while delivering construction materials that Mr. Manny Villar came up with the idea of selling ‘house and lot packages’, when the common practice at the time was merely for the homeowners to buy lots and build on them. He eventually became a leader in the housing industry, having built and sold more than 100,000 homes. He then initiated mass housing projects to achieve economies of scale. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journal calls him “dean of the Phil. real estate industry”.

Hardwork, persistence and perseverance became his guiding principles in life which earned him the title “Mr. Sipag at Tyaga”. According to him, “he learned from his mother what it takes to be an entrepreneur and that is to work really hard to achieve your dreams.”

Manny Villar was made cover story in the Far Eastern Economic Review and his life was also featured in Asiaweek, Forbes, AsiaMoney and Asian Business Review. He garnered various awards such as:

• Most Outstanding UP Alumnus (1991)
• Most Outstanding CPA by the Phil. Institute of CPA (1990)
• Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Management (1989)
• Ten Outstanding Young Men Award by the Phil. Jaycees (1986)

Manny entered politics in 1992 and was elected to the House of Representative, representing the district of Las Piñas-Muntinlupa and later the district of Las Piñas City. He won the most overwhelming mandate among congressman in Metro Manila and he then:

• Applied his economic and managerial expertise as a key member of the House’s of economic team; marshalling reform measure of Ramos Administration, such as the New Foreign Investments Act and the restructuring of the Central Bank of the Phils.
• Oversaw various infrastructure projects in his district like: constructions of concrete roads and the Alabang-Zapote flyover
• Initiated a privately funded tree planting drive in his district
• Organized the “Manpower on Wheels Program” or “Sipag at Tyaga Caravan Kaalaman”  --- a livelihood training school housed in a van that makes the rounds in the depressed areas
• Steered Las Piñas and Muntinlupa to cityhood

“As a developer, I have always envisioned these two communities as the ‘Twin Cities of the South of Manila’. In fact, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa are the two fastest growing communities in the country today”, he pointed out.

• Extended grants of home sites to some 10,000 poor families in Brgy. CAA, Las Piñas City
• Opened two major roads in his district: Sucat-Pulanglupa Link road to Parañaque and Zapote-Molino (known as ‘Daang Hari’) Link road to Cavite
• Upgrade Las Piñas District Hospital
• Launched the “Sagip-Bukas Drug Prevention Program” on all the private and public school in Las Piñas
• Nationalized the Las Piñas high school to upgrade its facilities

He was chosen the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1998-2000. By his first year in office, he undertook three path-breaking reforms, such as:

• Succeeded in marshalling consensus in the House to reform the “pork-barrel” system by limiting the congressional discretion project, to set parameters of the Executive’s development policies.
• Launching a revamp of leadership by appointing at least 7 neophyte congressmen to head powerful committees like ecology and banks.
• Setting a strong and principled stance on environment protection legislation with the passage of the “Clean Air Act”.

On his second year in the office, he steered the 11th Congress into a record-breaking achievement in legislation and economic reforms. Among the pioneering measures he shepherded into law were:

• Retail Trade Liberization Act
• The New Central Bank Act
• New Securities Code
• New Banking Code

Manny became the first House Speaker of the country to Impeach a President (former Pres. Joseph Estrada), in November of 2003.

He was elected to the Senate in 2001 and was chosen as the Senate President Pro Tempore, at the start of legislation. He held the position till 2003.

He was elected as President of the Nacionalista Party (the country’s oldest and grandest political party) in February 2004. Due to his exemplary public service and achievements, he was named the Most Distinguished UP Alumnus (the highest recognition given by the UP Alumni).

Manny Villar won the reelection to the senate in 2007. He was chosen Senate President at the start of legislation sessions. However, he resigned from the position last 17th of November, 2008, due to lack of the support in the Senate. He was succeeded by Juan Ponce Enrile.

He announced that he’s 99% joining the Philippine General Election 2010 on June 6, 2008 and formally confirmed and declared his presidential candidacy last September 4, 2009.

Despite being the wealthiest senator in the Philippines with a net worth of P1.04 billion (US$22 million) as of 2008 and of his numerous accomplishments and heroism, he remained simple and continues to inspire his fellow Filipino with his life story and encourages them to improve their quality of life and fulfill their dreams through very values he believes in --- “SIPAG AT TYAGA”.

You may visit his website at www.mannyvillar.com.ph