By JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
Makeup by FLOE TAPAYAN / Hair by HYATT LAUREL
As she shuffles in between bridge inspections, groundbreaking ceremonies, inter-agency meetings and Law classes, the 28-year-old chairman of the “Build, Build, Build” Committee proves that there’s no such thing as a man’s world—when you’re the right woman for the job.
Every day, Anna Mae Lamentillo thinks of the network of roads, bridges, train tracks and what not that are in the pipeline of the Philippines’ most ambitious infrastructure project to date. It is not rare for her, hard hat and all, to inspect construction sites in the heat of noon; or check for faulty infrastructure after storms and earthquakes. And while boys, nay, men, do cross her mind every now and then—she is after all, in her twenties—they would have to find their place behind a long list of priorities, which includes finishing her degree at the Univesity of the Philippines Law School.
As many would know by now, “Build, Build, Build” is the Philippines’ P8.9 trillion infrastructure project that aims to, not just decongest traffic, but also give the country a much needed boost that will equip it for business, trade and tourism, among others. It is an expensive, albeit coveted ticket that promises to give Filipinos a better quality of life once completed.
The tricky part: projects of this magnitude normally pass through various independent agencies and local government units, which usually result in major delays due to red tape and other ills that plague the bureaucracy. This is where Anna Mae and the “Build, Build, Build” Committee steps into the picture.
“We do a lot of coordination work among the six cluster agencies involved in the government’s flagship project,” says the young chairman. These are the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), The Department of Transportation (DOTr), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DoF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
“We monitor the status of each agency’s proposed projects, make sure that they are funded, and that permits and concerns like right of way issues, are being addressed from the beginning. We are an enabler, a supporting mechanism,” she says with a smile. And while it is the Secretaries who decide the direction of the projects, it is the committee’s job to see it through their completion.
This dynamic ecosystem, which cuts through the otherwise circuitous requirements brought about when two or more government agencies need to work together, has resulted in quick, tangible results for the country.
Very soon, the “Build, Build, Build” Committee, along with its partner agencies, will be opening some ramps of Skyway Stage 3, an infrastructure project that connects Makati to Quezon City. There’s also the C5 Southlink, which connects Merville to C5 and SLEX, reducing travel time from one hour, to as little as 10 minutes. A total of 9,845 kms of road, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82 evacuation centers and 71,803 classrooms have also been completed.
According to Anna Mae, the next three years of the Duterte administration will see the completion of big-ticket projects like the Philippine High Standard Highway Network Program, which aims to build and lay the ground work for the 1,049-km. system of new high-standard highways and expressways in Luzon, Cebu and Davao.
From the field up
In a world dominated by male Cabinet Secretaries, and even a very macho President, Anna Mae stands out. Is she ever intimidated by all the testosterone in the room?
All the time!
Still, this headstrong lady knows better than to cower in the dark. “Intimidation motivates me to improve myself. It makes me ask myself, ‘what more can I build on? What do I lack?’” she shares. In these moments of introspection, Anna Mae toughens up. Her realizations equip her against harsh criticisms that are sometimes hurled her way, thanks to her very public role.
Good thing Anna Mae was always more ivory than porcelain. Even at a young age, she knew how to woman up when duty calls.
When she was an 18-year-old student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Anna Mae started working for the GMA 7 News and Public Affairs team under the tutelage of Howie Severino. “I went through all the beats—fashion, military, crime. I had to be a one-woman team because I was the only talent they employed for the entire Region IV-Laguna area,” she says.
She would later trade off her career in journalism to become a legislative and communications officer for Sen. Loren Legarda. Barely in her twenties, the young Anna Mae would soon find herself heading the media team of Legarda’s 2013 campaign, where the latter would finish in second place. “Anyone familiar with Sen. Loren would know the amount of discipline that it requires to be part of her team. My work ethic was largely built at the time I was working with her,” she divulges.
Still young and feeling her way through life, Anna Mae then transferred to the United Nations Development Fund, where she would do coordinating work with the Food and Agriculture Organization and its regional office in Thailand.
In a year or so, she would decide to take up Law. It led her straight into the path of another young political leader, who was looking for someone to complete his dream team.
Valentine’s and April Fools
Anna Mae’s father, Manuel Lamentillo, born in Iloilo, was a frustrated lawyer. He was friends and classmates with former Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago in their younger years, and according to the proud daughter, was just as bright as the late Senator. “My father was poor though, so he wasn’t really able to pursue Law. I promised to become a lawyer for him,” Anna Mae says. It was a path that didn’t go exactly as planned, yet brought her exactly to where she should be.
One day, as she was studying at a Starbucks in Las Piñas, she accidentally met an old acquaintance, then Congressman Mark Villar. The lighthearted banter ended with a casual yet pertinent question. “Wala kang balak bumalik sa politika (Don’t you have any plans of returning to politics?),” Villar would ask, along with a job offer.
She didn’t have the answer then. On Feb. 14, he called her for a decision. By April 1, she was hired. “Maybe it was a test of character, if I would report even on a Valentine’s Day, or take him seriously on April Fools,” Anna Mae recalls in jest. To cut a long story short, she started working for the determined legislator.
On her part though, it was no more than a practical decision. “Batasan was like 15 minutes away from UP, where I had to attend Law school. It was perfect,” she says. That was until life threw a curve ball.
President Duterte appointed Villar as DPWH Secretary. Having made an impression on Anna Mae for his vision and work ethic, he easily convinced her to remain onboard. When the “Build, Build, Build” initiative came up and the Cabinet Secretaries needed an energetic, young, yet seasoned individual to head it, all they had to do was turn their eyes on ever-reliable Anna Mae.
While the title of chairman easily trains the spotlight on her, Anna Mae is quick to point out that she, along with the Infra-cluster Secretaries she reports to, are but a few of the thousands of construction workers and government employees who are working day and night to improve the state of the nation. “I have lived in Metro Manila all my life, and I’m part of a generation that has accepted things like traffic as a way of life. To be part of a body that actually works to change this, so that the future generations won’t have to endure what we did, it’s an opportunity I will always be thankful for,” she says.
Having accepted this task, Anna Mae knew that her coveted Law degree, which she promised her father, would have to take a backseat. With a hint of pain in her voice, she wishes that she could have been a lawyer sooner, before her father passed away last year.
Still, this lady has no regrets. For these days, as she burns the midnight oil on her fifth year in Law school, Anna Mae makes her father proud in heaven—not just by being a diligent student, but by doing good work and ultimately being part of history.
