It's now official! And he announced it in Bohol .
For a motley crowd of mayors, board members and rice farmers, there is no turning back for Senator Manuel Villar in his bid to throw his hat in the 2010 presidential ring. He made the announcement official during yesterday's assembly hosted by the Bohol Farmers' Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BOFAMCO) at the NIA Multi-Purpose Hall in Pilar town. He also inducted into office the new set of officers of the cooperative.
In two separate gatherings in Pilar yesterday , the former Senate president declared his intention to run for the highest post of the country after serving several top positions in the government. At the same time, the senator from Las Pinas also zeroed in during his speech before the Pilar coop, his humble origins before becoming a billionaire in his own right.
His rise to political prominence started when he became congressman of Las Pinas and Muntinglupa. The two places are now separated into two congressional districts with Villar's wife Cynthia, representing Las Pinas as congresswoman. He then became Speaker of the House during the time of Pres. Estrada. When he was elected senator in 2001, he lost no time in consolidating his power making him Senate president in 2006. He was deposed as Senate head brought about by the heat of the issue involving a P200 million fund insertion in the national budget. It was insinuated then that he benefited from the double insertion because a road was constructed leading to a subdivision the Villars was alleged to have owned. As keynote speaker of BOFAMCO, Villar who arrived at about noon yesterday was introduced by lawyer Tomas Abapo, Jr., provincial administrator. He spoke in the Pilar gathering representing Gov. Erico Aumentado.
V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera also delivered a message in the same event. Upon arrival aboard a private plane at the city airport, Villar proceeded at the Island City Mall to have lunch. Then he made a tour of the shopping complex shaking hands with mall customers. He then boarded a helicopter to Pilar. After his BOFAMCO appointment, Villar met with about 20 municipal mayors and five board members. As a presidential aspirant, Manny Villar is the “earliest bird” to have signified his intention to run. To some, Manny as Villar's nickname suggests, sometimes means money, which actually is what it meant to be, given his presidential ambition. In fact, all throughout his dream of becoming the next president, Villar's main attraction, without his knowing it, is the reality that he has the money to burn. In fact, it was in one of his unguarded moments that he was quoted that for a presidential wannabe to manage a credible campaign, he should have at least P1 billion.
The same statement may not be intended for serious thought but it was enough for his perceived opponents to castigate him for such an irresponsible remarks. Villar is a typical example of a poor boy becoming rich out of sheer industry. His rags-to riches story dated back to his humble beginnings in Moriones, Tondo, Manila . His father, Manuel Montalban Villar, Sr., hailed from Cabatuan, Iloilo and his mother Curita Bamba came from Orani, Bataan. At an early age, he helped his mother sell seafood at the Divisoria market in order to support his siblings and himself to school. With the burning desire for a better future and strong determination to improve his family's lives, Manny finished his studies at the University of the Philippines (UP) where he earned his Bachelor's and Masters' degrees in Business Administration. He started his professional career as an accountant and financial analyst for prominent corporations before venturing into his own business.
Armed with an initial capital of only P10,000 and a solid determination to succeed, Manny went on to establish the largest homebuilding company in the country today. Manny Villar received several awards including the Ten Outstanding Young Men in 1986, Agora Award for Marketing Management in 1989, Most Outstanding CPA by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1990, and Most Outstanding UP Alumnus in 1991. In 2004, Manny Villar was named the Most Distinguished Alumnus—the highest recognition given by the University of the Philippines — for his exemplary public service and achievements.
In 1992, he entered politics and was elected congressman of Las Pinas and Muntinlupa for three terms in a row, consistently posting landslide victories. In 1998, he was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was elected Senator of the Republic in the year 2001. In July 2006, with the staunch support of a majority of his colleagues, he assumed the Senate Presidency during the third regular session of the 13th Congress. He has previously held the position of Senate President Pro-tempore and the chairmanship of the Committees on Finance, Foreign Relations, Public Order, and Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries. Manny Villar is the first post-war public official who became both Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President. He is the President of the Nacionalista Party—the country's grandest political party. Manny Villar dreams to help and inspire Filipinos to fulfill their dreams thru hard work and determination (Sipag at Tiyaga) – the same values that helped him conquer poverty and succeed.
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