Rep. Camille Villar of Las Pinas City said nothing has changed since her father, former Senator Manny Villar, was named by Forbes as the richest man in the Philippines for 2024.

During a showbiz gathering at the Brittany Hotel in BGC last weekend, Rep. Villar emphasized that their lives have largely remained the same, despite her father’s extraordinary success.

“I’m very proud of my dad. But if you ask if he changed anything, our lives are still the same. It hasn’t changed anything, but we’re very proud of him,” she said.

Rep. Villar added: “Wala naman nagbago. Ang buhay namin hindi nagbago. From before until now, it’s still the same, especially for my dad. He’s still the same.”

Forbes reported that real estate mogul Manny Villar is still the richest person in the Philippines, with a net worth of US$11 billion, or roughly P600 billion.

Rep. Villar’s eldest brother is Manuel Paulo followed by Sen. Mark Villar. According to the youngest child in the Villar family, she did not grow up as a spoiled daughter.

“I’m not spoiled. I’m the opposite of spoiled. My mom is a disciplinarian, so much of what my brothers and I have accomplished in our lives happened because we were inspired by my dad and pushed by my mom. My mom was tough on us because she wanted to prepare us to excel,” the congresswoman said.

Rep. Villar obtained her MBA from IESE (Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa) Business School in Barcelona, Spain, one of the world’s best business schools. She studied Business Management at the Ateneo de Manila University.

At 39, Rep. Villar spoke highly of her mother, expressing deep admiration for her strong will and unwavering toughness. It’s no wonder why Camille’s mother has earned such respect and praise from her daughter – her resilience in the face of adversity is truly remarkable.

“It’s a blessing because my mom is my first role model as a woman. So much of what I have accomplished in my life was inspired by the woman that my mom was.

“She was able to have a career and, at the same time, have a family and be a wife. I know how hard that would be. She works so hard. Minsan iniisip ko If I can do half of the things she does. My mom is tough.

“She’s an authentic person. I admire her for being able to say what she wants to say because that’s what’s in her heart.

“As I get older, I realize your mom wants the best for you. Minsan, you don’t understand it, but then you realize ganun pala. My mom always has the best intentions,” Rep. Villar said.

Now a mother of two (Tristan and Cara), Rep. Villar said she still bonds with her parents and brothers Paulo and Mark over food. When they were younger, they always went on vacation abroad. “Pero now once a year na lang kami nagbabakasyon abroad.”

Rep. Villar described the way her parents disciplined her whenever she made a mistake.

“In fairness, hindi kami pinapalo. Napapagsabihan lang kami ng bonggang-bongga ng aking parents whenever we did something wrong,” she said.

Rep. Villar also gave her reaction whenever she saw poor people in the streets.

“Siyempre gusto mong tulungan. Kaso hindi lahat nabibigyan ng tulong. Sana matulungan lahat pero kahit konti tinutulungan naman natin,” she said.

On tips to manage your money wisely, she said: “Oh my gosh! I should listen to my parents. Always live within your means and always save for the rainy days. You have to set aside for the future because you don’t know what will happen. There will be ups and downs and you always want to be stable.”

Rep. Villar is the managing director of Vista Land and the Vice Chairman of All Home, a one-stop shop for home and renovation needs. On her goals, she said, “I want All Day and All Home to be at the forefront of the retail industry. I want to see them succeed. Ten years later, we still want to be the best in the Philippines. It’s still a long road. But that’s something we want.”

In 2013, Rep. Viillar co-hosted Wowowillie with popular game show host Willie Revillame on TV5. But she said she never really pursued showbiz.

“Showbiz requires talent, and I don’t have that. But that was a wonderful experience. That show brought me closer to people. But I saw myself in business and public service.

“Public service has always been a part of our family’s legacy. My lolo was the congressman of Las Pinas. My mom and dad were in politics, and I was always interested in it. But as a student at Ateneo, I thought I would just be involved in my private life. Never in a million years did I think I would host a television show, and I did. So you’ll never know. Never say never,” she said.

Rep. Villar said she’s not updated with showbiz rumors these days, but she’s still in touch with her friends in the entertainment industry. She loves watching Korean series like Queen of Tears. “Grabe ang iyak ko sa series na yan.”

She admires Korean actor Hyun Bin of Crash Landing On You, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Aniston. Her comfort food is pizza.

Rep. Villar also mentioned the importance of effective time management for someone who leads a busy life.

“I remember what my father told me I was overwhelmed with work and public service, especially during Covid, I am a wife with a young family, and my father reminded me to do one thing at a time. You have to know what’s essential to the most important.

“So nagkasabaysabay yun. Family is the most important. And you will realize everything else will fall into place. Balancing the act is still a struggle. I give my best every day, and I have no regrets,” she said.

Asked if there’s still missing in life despite having everything, Rep. Villar said: “I just want to do well in all the endeavors I pursue. You want to be the best in everything that you do. Sometimes, we fall short, but if you do your best, you will have no regrets. That’s just what I try to do. In terms of specific dreams, that’s hard. Sometimes, life doesn’t turn out the way you want it to be.”

Safety nets for journalists

Rep. Villar has filed two measures at the House of Representatives to provide additional social safety nets for journalists and a seed fund to provide the Philippine movie industry with the needed sources to produce world-class films.

Under proposed House Bill No. 6543, Villar seeks to provide disability, health, and hospitalization benefits to all practicing journalists. The bill also mandates the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System to create special coverage for freelance journalists, specifically when they are assigned to cover war zones, conflict-stricken areas, and calamity-affected places.

“Mahalagang pangalagaan natin ang ating mga mamamahayag, lalo na iyong mga naka-assign sa mga delikadong lugar. Tinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para makapagbigay ng napapanahong balita pas ra sa mga Pilipino kung kaya’t nararapat lamang na bigyan natin sila ng proteksyon at dagdag na benepisyo para sa kanilang sakripisyo,” she said.

Rep. Villar also filed House Resolution No. 451, which will create a seed fund to grant additional funding to the local movie industry to encourage filmmakers to develop more quality films that could compete in the international arena.

Through the proposed legislation, the government will give the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) funding support to work with industry stakeholders to develop new marketing strategies to further bolster the Philippines’ chance of being recognized in international film festivals like the Academy Awards.

“Securing a nomination, win, or even a shortlist from foreign award-giving bodies like the prestigious Oscars will further cement the Philippines’ reputation as the home of world-class talents and quality movies, thus potentially opening more employment and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos,” Rep. Villar said. Both measures are pending at the committee level.

Aside from being a public servant, Rep. Villar also serves as President and CEO of AllValue Holdings Corporation, the retail arm of the Villar Group of Companies that handles AllDay Supermarket, AllHome, and Coffee Project, and has received various accolades for this role.

In 2022, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in Las Vegas recognized AllHome Builds. They bestowed it the Bronze Award for Community-Involvement Program of the Year for Women-owned or Women-led Organizations. It also feted Rep. Villar with the Government Hero of the Year award for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also named Female Executive of the Year, a Silver Awardee in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand for her expertise as president and chief executive officer of AllValue Group.

Recently, Rep. Villar joined the partnership launch between Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) and ABS-CBN Corporation.  The new partnership will bring up-to-date news and iconic entertainment programs to Filipino audiences via ALLTV, available on Channel 2 on free TV, cable, and satellite TV across the country.

“We’re very happy about the partnership with ABS-CBN. I hope it will be fruitful, and we’re very committed to doing our best with our partners,” she said.