Villar wants to leave a legacy of public service

MANILA, Philippines - Former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar’s decision to run for senator in the upcoming polls is not about preserving a family name or having a stronghold in Philippine politics.

Rather, it is about creating a legacy of public service through her advocacies to help the poor, uphold women’s rights and protect the environment.

“In a way, it’s goodwill. For us, this is our service to the people. This gives us satisfaction. This is not entirely political,” Villar said.

“In your life, you want to have an advocacy, you want to do something that you will be remembered for. Our name will be our legacy to the people. We have to be identified with something that made a difference in this country,” she said.

Sitting beside her husband, outgoing Sen. Manny Villar, and their three children – Paolo, Mark and Camille – Villar told The STAR that even with their real estate empire, there’s still much that she can do to help her countrymen, especially women, as a public servant.  

“You know people, they never look at business as something that you do for the country. They always look it as ‘business is business’,” she said. “So it will be good if we can develop livelihood for the people, if we can take care of our overseas Filipino workers, and if we can make a difference in our environment.”

Having gone to various communities nationwide for the launch of livelihood projects of the Villar Foundation, Villar said she sees how housewives and mothers walk the extra mile to put food on the table and raise their children at the same time.

Apart from being Mrs. Hanepbuhay, Villar is also considered as a “Hanep-nanay” by her family.

A self-confessed disciplinarian, Villar said she and her husband tried hard to ensure that the needs of their children were well taken care of during their younger years.

She is proud that her children grew up well and are now professionals. 

“We are a simple family,” she said, adding that her children did not grow up spoiled brats compared to others who come from affluent families.

“In fact, what Pope Francis said: ‘You live simply, and you serve the poor’ – that’s us. We live simply and we serve the poor,” she said.

Villar said she has imparted to her children how to live modest lives.

“Because you can never tell, maybe now you are well off, but after a few years, times will be bad and you lose your riches. It is okay that you live simply so that there will be no change in your lifestyle,” she said.

Villar said that the loss of her husband to President Aquino in the 2010 presidential elections was not the greatest challenge their family has encountered.

She recalled how badly the country and their family were affected by the financial crisis in the late 1990s, when several businesses closed down which in turn caused massive unemployment and greatly affected the country’s economy.

“God has given us so much. If He did not give us the presidency, that’s okay. You cannot have everything,” Villar said.