Full Name: Mark Aguilar Villar
Birthday: August 14, 1978 (Age 46)
Residence: Las Piñas, Metro Manila
Nationality: Filipino
Spouse: Emmeline Yan Aglipay
Parents: Manuel Villar (father), Cynthia Villar (mother)
Education: University of Pennsylvania / University of Chicago
Occupation: Businessman
Profession: Politician
This man was willing to work 18 hours a day to build infrastructure that would allow Filipinos to dream and hope for a better future. Secretary Mark Villar wanted to end his stint as czar of “Build, Build, Build” knowing that he gave it everything he got.
Mark Aguilar Villar is a Filipino politician and businessman currently serving as the Secretary of Public Works and Highways of the Philippines. He is the son of former Senate President and 2010 presidential candidate Manny Villar and incumbent Senator Cynthia Villar. He served as the Representative of Las Piñas in the Philippine House of Representatives and has also previously held executive positions in his family’s real estate businesses. A member of the Nacionalista Party, Villar was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to join his Cabinet on May 17, 2016, and assumed office upon his resignation from Congress on August 1, 2016, replacing Rafael Yabut
Mark 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. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics, Political Science and Philosophy from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also finished his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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.
Mark 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.
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.
Mark 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 on August 1, 2016. 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. However, the special election was never held up to the end of the 17th Congress.
Mark Villar is married to a fellow lawmaker, Department of Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Yan Aglipay. They have a daughter, Emma Therese.
Emmeline Aglipay Villar 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.
Career Highlights
- August 2016 to present Secretary Department of Public Works and Highways
- July 2016 -July 2013 Representative, Lone District of Las Piñas City, House of Representatives
- 2013-2010 Representative, Lone District of Las Piñas City, House of Representatives
- 2013-2002 General Manager Crown Asia Corporation
Accomplishments
- Author, 76 bills and 20 resolutions
- Co-Author, 75 bills
Other Work Experience/Positions Held in Private Sector
- 2013-2002 General Manager Crown Asia Corporation
Education
- Master’s in Business Administration, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (June 2013-March 2015)
- Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Philosophy and Economics, University of Pennsylvania (1997-2001)
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
AS CONGRESSMAN:
Author
- RA 10522: Creating four additional branches of the Metropolitan Trial Court in the National Capital Judicial Region to be stationed at Las Piñas City
- RA 10606: National Health Insurance Act
- RA 10642: Philippine Lemon Law
- RA 10644: Go Negosyo Act
- RA 10647: Ladderized Education Act
- RA 10650: Open Distance Learning Act
- RA 10654: Amending The Philippine Fisheries Code
- RA 10667: Philippine Competition Act
- RA 10668: Carriage of Foreign Container Vans
- RA 10687: Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act
- RA 10693: Microfinance NGOs Act
- RA 10747: Rare Diseases Act of the Philippines
- RA 10817: Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act
- RA 10845: Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act
- RA 10870: Philippine Credit Card Industry Regulation Law
- RA 10909: No Shortchanging Act
Co-author
- RA 10154: Early Release of the Retirement Pay, Pensions, Gratuities and Other Benefits of Retiring Government Employees
- RA 10174: Climate Change Act
- RA 10361: Domestic Workers Act
- RA 10372: Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines
- RA 10530: The Red Cross and Other Emblems Act
- RA 10532: Philippine National Health Research System Act
- RA 10588: Palarong Pambansa Act
- RA 10611: Food Safety Act
- RA 10620: Toy And Game Safety Labeling Act
- RA 10623: Amending the Price Act
- RA 10643: The Graphic Health Warnings Law
- RA 10648: Iskolar ng Bayan Act
- RA 10653: Amending Sec. 32(B), Chapter VI of National Internal Revenue Code
- RA 10679: Youth Entrepreneurship Act
- RA 10912: Continuing Professional Development Act
