Is the beautiful Mayor of Bais, Negros Oriental dating P-Noy?

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.   — Steve Jobs

TOKYO, Japan — During the recent official visit of President Noynoy C. Aquino, this writer accidentally bumped into a pretty young lady whom I had seen business leader Jon Ramon Aboitiz greet earlier with these words: “No wonder I saw the President say on TV that the women of Bais City in Negros Oriental are beautiful, you are beautiful!”

With her uncle Clark Development Corporation’s dynamic president and CEO Atty. Felipe “Ipe” Antonio B. Remollo beside her, the 31-year-old Silliman/Ateneo-educated Bais City Mayor Karen F. Villanueva agreed to grant Philippine STAR an exclusive interview in Tokyo’s elegant Maison Barsac French resto-café with a request that the TV news reports exaggerating the romance angle “be clarified out of respect to the President and please mention also the tourism potential of our city.” Here are excerpts from the no-holds-barred interview:

PHILIPPINE STAR: Are you the next First Lady?

KAREN F. VILLANUEVA: First lady mayor of Bais City. (Laughs)

Are you the youngest mayor in the Philippines?

In looks only. (Laughs) There’s a 26-year-old mayor in Trece Martires, Cavite.

Is it true that, one week after P-Noy’s visit to your city, his sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada also went there and said her brother had told her the women of Bais are beautiful, that she also invited you to have dinner with her siblings?

Pinky Aquino-Abellada went to Bais to inaugurate a school building which her AGAP Foundation had donated to our city, she said those words in her speech and yes, she also said that if I’m in Manila she’ll invite me to a family dinner with her siblings. She was just very gracious.

Your impressions of Pinky?

I’ve met her before during the presidential campaign and she’s like her brother P-Noy: very down-to-earth, courteous and well-bred.

What are your impressions of P-Noy?

He is very-down-to-earth. You know what, he’s entertainingly chatty. I think he’s one of the few persons… sometimes, he forgets he’s president. Being president is not in his head, walang ere (no airs)…

What are your hopes for P-Noy?

I hope that his sincerity and sense of transparency will be reflected and fully appreciated by all people in and out of government.

If the TV news reports are true that P-Noy is interested in you, one of his siblings who would surely possibly help approve his future First Lady is Kris Aquino. Have you met her?

Please ha, out of respect to the President, those are just media speculations. I am just a provincial mayor and his Liberal Partymate who sincerely supports him. No comment on his love life talaga (truly)… Kris, I have seen her, but we have not really met yet.

Your impressions of her?

Kris is very articulate, very well-read and very intelligent. I admire the way she protects her brother, the same manner I do with mine… I mean, she will brave all opinions to protect her brother.

ATTY. FELIPE ANTONIO B. REMOLLO: My wish for P-Noy is that he should not end his term without a grand wedding in Malacañang, he’s a very good and ideal husband for Karen.

VILLANUEVA: Oh, God….

What is your ideal kind of guy?

REMOLLO:    He should be a presidentiable (laughs), or a sitting president… Seriously, I respect and admire P-Noy. He’s a good man who will make an ideal husband. I had promised Karen’s late father, my cousin, the late Mayor Hector “Tata” Villanueva, that I would always be with her.

Was it true P-Noy said the women of Bais are beautiful?

REMOLLO: Yes, P-Noy said that in Visaya or Cebuano — “Daghang diay mga guwapa dinhi sa Bais (There are many beautiful women pala here in Bais). Tama ba, Karen?” (Isn’t that right, Karen?)

Why was P-Noy’s former girlfriend Shalani Soledad also in Bais and in the province when he visited there on Sept. 7? I think they even met by chance in the airport of Dumaguete and shook hands?

VILLANUEVA: The opposition invited Shalani intentionally, para matabunan (so this will bury) the news of my new public market project, which the President came to inaugurate.

What are your hobbies?

Daydreaming (laughs) reading and dancing.

What type of dance is your favorite?

Ballroom dancing, all standard dances, also ballet which I had studied before.

Your favorite ballet dancer in the world?

Lisa Macuja Elizalde. My dream work place is the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), I love arts and culture.

Are you related to President Ramos’ former Press Secretary Hector Villanueva?

He’s the cousin of my late father, they both have the same first names, but my dad’s nickname was Tata, and my uncle’s nickname is Chito.

I heard you’re from a family of political leaders?

My late great-grandfather had four brothers who served as mayors, governors, congressmen and one senator; my great-grandpa was the political enforcer, while his brothers ran in elections and won. My great-granduncle Herminigildo Villanueva was the first senator from the Visayas, he served in the Commonwealth era during the time of President Quezon. My grandfather, also named Herminigildo Villanueva, was mayor of Bais for 12 years, and my late dad Hector “Tata” Villanueva was mayor for nine years of Bais.

Your family is similar pala to the Aquinos and Cojuangcos of Tarlac, were your forebears also big landlords like them?

True, past mayors of Bais were either Villanuevas or married to one. Our family used to own 3,000 hectares of lands in Negros Oriental, and one of the towns of the province is named Bindoy because that was the nickname of my great-grand-uncle Senator Herminigildo “Bindoy” Villanueva.

He must have served in the pre-war Congress with P-Noy’s Aquino and Cojuangco forebears too? Was he or your family also part of the Liberal Party before?

The Villanuevas have been original Liberals even before martial law was declared in 1972.

What about your mother’s side?

My mother Hermosile “Mimi” Fabugais Villanueva is also from a family of mayors in their hometown of Tayasan municipality in Negros Oriental. Her sister was the former mayor, her brother-in-law was also mayor, and my maternal grandfather was also mayor there.

You’re a supporter of P-Noy, was your family allied with his mother the late President Cory C. Aquino?

My father was appointed by President Cory in 1986 as OIC mayor of Bais City, he then served three terms.

What are your dreams?

My dream is to help the people of my city Bais, not for myself. My dream is progressive human development. I want to prepare our city socially, morally, spiritually. I want our people to be prepared, because the trend nowadays when development comes is to just bring in the malls, but sadly most forget our moral values. There’s a change of culture, especially among the kids.

How is life in Negros Oriental, in Bais?

Well, the province is progressing, especially Dumaguete. My hope is we maintain the provincial charm, like the sea, the rice fields. Our small city of Bais is an ideal tourism, recreational and retirement area.

Who are the women leaders you admire the most in the world?

Hillary Clinton, strong kasi eh, and of course, Cory Aquino.

Is it true you have dolphins in Bais?

Out of 21 dolphin species on earth, you can find 11 in Bais. We also have sperm whales.

Why is this so?

I think the reason is Bais has the largest mangroves area in the region, about 700-plus hectares, so there is rich biodiversity there, and they feed on that. That was part of my Ateneo master’s degree studies. The Tañon Strait between Cebu and Negros island is like a basin, nutrients come in from Bohol and Siquijor, so this area is a very good feeding ground.

Wow, is that an environmental sanctuary now?

Tañon Strait was declared by law in 2001 as a protected area, but my concern is that in 2007 or 2008, there was an exploratory drilling that was permitted for mineral exploration within this strait. Any such activities will kill everything within the strait, and I raised this ecological issue with the President and he said he’d look into it.

Do you know the dolphins and whales have very advanced auditory capacities, so they can hear noise from as far as 500 meters away? UP Los Baños marine biologist Dr. Lem Aragones goes to Bais yearly to study our dolphins, and he noticed a considerable decline in their numbers after that exploratory drilling. Some transferred to Bohol, now they also have some dolphins there.

Going back to the media speculations on you and P-Noy, what is the real truth and what was your reaction to the news reports?

A reporter asked me after the visit of presidential sister Pinky Aquino Abellada, asked my reaction that “boto daw sa inyo si Pinky (You reportedly have the vote of Pinky), how do you feel about this?” I said to the reporter: “You’re jumping the gun, because the President just graciously complimented me, and more important is we should all pay attention to what he is doing for the country, please focus on that.”

Did P-Noy ever discuss with you how he feels about all these media speculations on his love life?

Yes, during his visit to Bais City, the President intimated to me when we were touring our new public market that you’re practically offering your whole life to the country in public service, but he said “natatabunan (the news is overshadowed) by my love life.”

The President said that to you?

Yes, he had just come from his successful state visit to China and I asked him how was his trip. Ang bilis niya managalog (He speaks Tagalog really fast)! He said that sometimes kahit anong pagod sa (no matter how tired he was during the) trip and no matter how sincere his efforts to uplift the conditions of the country economically and in terms of our morale, natatabunan (it’s overshadowed). 

So you share P-Noy’s view on that?

You really have to give the President credit for what he is doing. I urge the media to focus more on that, because what he’s doing is not easy. I would know, because I’m a mayor and because of what I’m doing for my city. I also know how much politics can extract too much from one’s self and family.

Can you please elaborate on what you mean?

For me kasi (because), my dad got ambushed in 1986. He was ambushed, binaril siya (he was shot at), he lost two inches of his intestines. So when I was asked to run for politics, I didn’t have a good impression then of politics… Politics had put our family through a lot of tests. I’ve seen what politics has done to my late father, to the family, to his marriage, and to his life. Then when I was asked to run, I thought I was taking this path — that same route in the jungle, and this is just me, a mayor in a small city. Magnify that by more than 1,000 times and that is what our president has to confront, and his father was killed in politics. So if I, a mayor, have all those apprehensions and burdens, how much more the President and his family?

Your personal and family stories are almost similar…

That’s why I really understand the Aquino sisters when they originally didn’t want their brother to run for president. If you think about it, the Filipino people do not only owe him and his family a lot — not only for the loss of his father Ninoy Aquino, not only for the many sacrifices of his late mother Cory Aquino, but now this is three-fold na (already) with him as president. So Philippines, shape up! Pitch forward, let’s work!

I hope you don’t mind my asking, why were you not on the presidential flight of Philippine Airlines from Manila to Tokyo? I didn’t see you.

Trade Secretary Domingo invited me to join the presidential plane, but I first asked for the profile of the passengers and heard there were 80-plus businessmen. I declined, because my presence might stand out. I came here to promote Bais City in Japan. I also believe the media need to focus on what the President is doing and not do another media spin on the romance angle. Given that on Sept. 7 during his visit to our city, the media took more interest in the mayor instead of the mercado, which was the reason the President was in Bais.

This is not necessarily about P-Noy and you, but when do you see yourself getting married?

When I first came in as mayor, it was a battle of wills. I have to take up my family’s tradition of stewardship, but I was before hoping that I would go into public service in my 30s, after I have already settled down. When I became mayor, there was a storm within me, because I had wanted to be like my mother, to have a family first.

However, when I became mayor, I prayed to God: “Lord, use me as an instrument of your will to fulfill whatever your plans in this corner of the earth.” So that means, I’ve dedicated my life to my Creator and to my constituency. Marriage plans? I am waiting for God’s sign and will.

Sorry for being makulit, is P-Noy dating you?

My interest in interacting with the President is to help by making sure that my city is one less worry for him in the Philippines. Malaki kasi ang coverage niya sa Pilipinas (It’s because he has a vast area to cover in the Philippines).

You seem to be an idealist. What changes do you wish to see in Philippine politics?

More mature voters, stronger political parties. I’m now studying political parties with Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, it’s a course for young political leaders.

You’re studying a lot and working on so many socio-economic projects, why the drive?

Some people say I aim for the stars. I am aiming for 150 percent, but if I fail, I fall to 100 percent or kahit (even) 70 percent or half, ok na iyon (that’s fine).

On a lighter topic, P-Noy loves music, do you also like music?

Yes, of course, because I love to dance. How can you dance without music?

Wow! That’s a coincidence.

Seriously, how can you dance without music, para kang baliw. (Laughs)

What kind of music?

Everything, except hard rock and metal.

P-Noy loves shooting, do you by any remote chance like shooting, too?

I do. I have a gun license.

Wow! Are you serious? How come you both have the same interests?

Seriously, I was taught to shoot when I was 12, because my dad was ambushed when I was six years old. Do you know what I used to shoot for target practice? Mga lumulutang na buko sa (floating coconuts) on the beach.

You must know P-Noy very well? You share the same interests and understand his political burdens.

I do understand the demands and I respect the position he has, but I don’t much know the man in that position.

Last question on P-Noy’s visit to Bais City: was it true some media reports claimed you even followed him to Dumaguete City afterwards?

Thanks for allowing me to clarify that report. Yes, I accompanied him to Dumaguete City, because of my late papa’s upbringing. He is the President, and I believe it is basic courtesy, protocol requires that a local leader should receive and assist the highest official of the land, regardless of who the president is. This is regardless of whether the president is a party-mate or not, because we leaders are simply working for the same interests — the welfare of our people. When I went with him to Dumaguete, the spin of ABS-CBN said “hindi na tinantanan ni Mayor si P-Noy” (the Mayor no longer stopped following or bugging the President).

Before I forget, what’s so special about the public market you invited P-Noy to inaugurate?

The Bais Public Markert has its own sewage system. It has its own ice-making facility, cold storage system. It even has a daycare center, food court, a multi-purpose function hall ideal for weddings, etc. This project was also actually started by my late father.

I know you prefer not to talk to media about all the romantic speculations, so thanks for indulging me.

I hope, through this interview, people will hopefully focus more on substance like the President’s reform efforts instead of trivial matters.

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