University town to rise in southern Metro

MANILA, Philippines - A university town will soon rise along Daang Reyna to cater to residents of southern Manila, Sen. Manny Villar said yesterday. He and his wife, Cynthia Villar, unveiled a statue of Dr. Jose Rizal as a boy to serve as the landmark of the university town, which will straddle the borders of Las Piñas, Cavite and San Pedro, Laguna.

The Villar Foundation is spearheading the project. Insiders say at least three of 10 target schools have agreed to open branches in the university town, which is reportedly scheduled to accept students by June next year.

“Like Jose Rizal, we believe that the youth is truly the hope of the nation. We would invest in their future. This is the reason why we deem it fitting to have the sculpture of our country’s national hero to be landmark of the university town,” Villar said. Russian artist Gregory Pototsky created the bronze sculpture for the Villar Foundation.