1. 17th Congress of the
Philippines
Cong. Mark Villar

2. Mark Villar
• Mark Aguilar Villar (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈviʎar], born August 14, 1978) is a
Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2022. He served
in President Rodrigo Duterte's cabinet as the Secretary of Public Works and
Highways from 2016 to 2021,[3] and was the COVID-19
pandemic isolation czar from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Nacionalista Party,
he was the Representative of Las Piñas from 2010 to 2016.[4] Villar has also
previously held executive positions in his family's businesses.
• Villar hails from a political dynasty based in Las Piñas. His mother, Cynthia, is his
colleague in the Senate, while his father, Manny, is a billionaire businessman and
former Senate President. His sister, Camille, is a congresswoman, and his wife
Emmeline is also a politician.

3. Early life
• Villar was born on August 14, 1978, to businesspersons Manny
Villar and Cynthia Villar. He is the second of three children, with an older
brother, Manuel Paolo, and younger sister, Camille Lydia. He attended
the International School Manila in Makati, Metro Manila before moving to
the United States to pursue higher education.[5] He earned his bachelor's
degree in Economics, Political Science and Philosophy from
the University of Pennsylvania. He also finished his master's degree in
Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of
Business.

4. • On his return to the Philippines, he worked for 10 years in the
family's real estate business. He was President of Crown Asia
Corporation before becoming managing director of Vista Land &
Lifescapes.

5. Political career
• Villar was first elected to public office in 2010 as congressman of
the lone district of Las Piñas, succeeding his mother, Cynthia Villar,
a three-term representative who later became senator. During his
term, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Trade
and Industry, as well as Vice Chairman of the House Committees
on Overseas Workers Affairs, Labor and Employment, and Science
and Technology.

6. • As a member of the 15th and 16th Congress, he authored several
bills on education, health and livelihood, including the Negosyo Act
promoting micro finance and the Lemon Law protecting buyers of
motor vehicles. He was also one of the proponents of the Co-
Loading Act which opened domestic transport and shipping to
foreign vessels.

7. • Villar ran for a third term during the 2016 elections and won. A special
election was supposed to be held to replace Villar who joined the Cabinet
of President Rodrigo Duterte as Secretary of Public Works and
Highways on August 1, 2016.[6] Pending the special election to be held
in Las Piñas to fill in Villar's seat in the lower house, House
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has designated his wife, Emmeline Aglipay-
Villar, as interim representative.[4] Aglipay-Villar later became an
undersecretary of the Department of Justice and was part of the team
that reviewed the water concession agreements of Maynilad Water
Services and Manila Water.[7] However, the special election was never
held up to the end of the 17th Congress.

8. • During his time as secretary, the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) completed a total of 29,264 km (18,184 mi) of
roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation
centers, 133 Tatag ng Imprastraktura Para sa Kapayapaan at
Seguridad (Tikas) projects, and 150,149 classrooms, while
generating 6.5 million jobs.[8] These projects were also part of
the Build! Build! Build! program of the Duterte administration.

9. • The department faced controversy when Senator Panfilo
Lacson flagged ₱469 billion worth of DPWH infrastructure projects
that had already been financed by the government for
implementation in 2020 but were funded again for 2021.[9] Duterte
defended Villar for not being involved in the issue, saying that he is
already rich.[10] Villar formed a task force that led to relieving 14
personnel due to corruption.

10. • Villar resigned as Secretary of Public Works and Highways
effective October 6, 2021.[12] On the same day, he filed his
certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for senator in 2022.[13] His
candidacy is endorsed by President Duterte.[14] He was named to
the senatorial slate of UniTeam Alliance, having been endorsed by
the tandem of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte.[15] He won in
his first senatorial bid, ranking 6th out of the 12 winning senatorial
bets with more than 19 million votes.

11. • He and his mother Cynthia Villar became the first mother-and-son
tandem as incumbent senators since Loi Ejercito and Jinggoy
Estrada in the 13th Congress (2004–2007). Villar was elected as a
Senate Deputy Majority Leader and the Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies and the
Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.[16]
• Villar is the sponsor of the Maharlika Investment Fund in the
Senate.

12. Personal life
• Villar is married to a fellow lawmaker, Emmeline Yan Aglipay,
daughter of Edgar Aglipay and former Department of
Justice Undersecretary whom he met during the 15th
Congress.[17][18][19] They have a daughter, Emma Therese.[20]
• On July 15, 2020, Villar tested positive for COVID-19.[21] He was
able to recover from the disease.[