BY IVY LISA F. MENDOZA
The 38-year-old lawmaker and mother of two need not reinvent the wheel to come up with the most complicated or the most impactful of laws. She says she simply has to look around, interact with people on a more personal level and understand the unique challenges they face.
The resilience of the community she serves, especially in the wake of the pandemic, is a source of inspiration for Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar. And such inspiration translates in the way she performs her duties as a public servant.
This mindfulness to the needs of others has earned for Camille the top post in a survey on performance ratings of district representatives in the National Capital Region. Conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation, Inc. earlier this year, Camille clinched a top spot with a 93.64 percent rating. She was also named the “Government Hero of the Year” by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in Las Vegas in 2022, citing her remarkable work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, the pandemic changed Camille in ways so profound that she would never have imagined them herself. For her, the plague that rocked the world became a catalyst for self-discovery.
For one, she was surprised to realize that she likes being an introvert. Being the daughter of successful entrepreneurs and politicians, Camille has always led a life of constant engagement with people. But in the crucible of the pandemic, she emerged transformed — and she liked it.
“I realized I was an introvert and that was something I did not really know about myself because I grew up in business and politics, and that I had to talk to a lot of people all the time. But I now find joy in being by myself, with people I cherish and want to be with,’’ reveals the House Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas City lone district representative. “In fact, when the world opened up, it took me twice the effort to go out again and socialize, because I kind of liked staying indoors.’’
More importantly, she saw the pandemic as an opportunity to redefine her priorities as a public servant and adapt these to her newfound understanding of resilience, service and community. In her observation of what people needed to survive the pandemic, she found herself advocating for laws and policies that could bridge the gaps in access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities.
“Because the situation was new to us, many naturally advocated for issues involving health, but perhaps because of my training and my background as an entrepreneur, we chose to focus also on economic recovery and sustainable economic solutions to help employers to stay afloat. Many businesses, at the height of the pandemic, opted to make minimal profits just so they could pay the salaries of their people and provide jobs. But who was helping them in return? We needed to give them as much help as we can, perhaps give them access to capital or connect them with those who could give capital. We had to encourage quicker processes in doing business, really all geared towards helping employers keep their businesses alive,’’ Camille narrates.
The lawmaker based everything she did on things she would see and hear on the ground, what her constituents needed help with. Without much effort, she mastered the art of humanizing public service.
“I am an emotional leader who tries to balance the practical side and the science to things. My training as an entrepreneur tells me to always watch the financial results, the bottom line, but now in my role as a public servant, I go with my heart, I tend to be more emotional than pragmatic, I look at the qualitative, the whole picture, rather than quantitative and focus on what the people really, really need,’’ Camille says.
Simple struggles, simple victories make her cry, Camille admits, and these inspire her to do more for the people who voted her to her present position.
“For instance, you listen to how vendors appreciated the livelihood assistance you have helped them with and you realize that they may have struggles, but the more important thing is that they have overcome them, and that is amazing for me, this is the best kind of joy,” she shares.
— Rep. Camille Villar
She learned from the best
There is something that Camille has always wished for — to be more than just what she has been blessed with.
Born to wealth and power, Camille is the daughter of former Senate President Manny Villar and Sen. Cynthia Villar, and sister of Sen. Mark Villar and Vista Land president and CEO Paolo Villar. People naturally define her by her lineage, especially in a society like ours where wealth and inheritance often shape destinies.
But she is quick to point out: “I feel that wealth is something that my parents have, not exactly me, but I will admit that that I have been privileged not by material things but by a wonderful family that has been a good example to me, that includes my brothers. I have been very, very rich and blessed with love from friends and my family, and in that sense, I feel like I am wealthy.’’
Her parents emphasized to their children that intellectual wealth is the key to navigating challenges in life. Camille thus 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, and studied Business Management at the Ateneo de Manila University.
After leading the family empire into new directions, opening retail outlets such as All Home and All Day and the charming Coffee Project stores and bringing in international trends and standards to the Filipino setting, Camille heeded the call of politics.
Was it inevitable? Not really, she qualifies. The upbringing and lessons by example imparted by her parents play a pivotal role in molding her character.
“My parents never forced me to enter politics. It was something I wanted to do. After coming up with brands from zero and having them admired and recognized, I ran for my first term as congresswoman. The love for Las Piñas has always been instilled in us and I am just too blessed to give back and do things for my city,” Camille says.
She carries with her the life lessons she learned from her parents — seasoned by time, experience and wisdom. She would defend them to the death against people who call them “trapo.” (traditional politicians) “My parents have made their mark in many different ways. My father is an entrepreneur, a seasoned politician, whose route in life has always been unconventional. He has always taught me to be innovative, the exact opposite of traditional. In his political career and his businesses, he has always been known to think outside of the box, and this is something he has taught us — to be creative, to do something that has not been done before. He is far from traditional in that sense,” she says.
Camille also looks up to mom Cynthia, who succeeded in business and politics because of her many unique advocacies, while managing to be a mother and a wife.
Her admiration for her parents is so apparent that she says she need not get out of their shadows, as many would assume she does. Why should she, when they have inspired her in all aspects of her life, especially now that she is a parent herself to Tristan, eight, and Cara, 10 months?
“There is no conscious effort to set myself apart from my family. When I was in business, I worked with my father every day. He was not only a teacher, but he is a friend, my guiding light. When I became a public servant, I would talk to him every day about things and I am just inspired to give my best and help as many people,” she says.
Knowing better
Not that she lived a life of lessons overload. Camille said there were times when she questioned her parents’ wisdom. But she now knows better.
“Ang ending pala is that your mother is always right, the elders really know pala what they are talking about. Sometimes I learn it through a long process, the hard way even,’’ she says while giggling. “But really, I am that person who does it. No matter how much someone tells me not to, I just go through it and then pick myself up when I realize I was wrong. I just get up and move forward.’’
She is passing these on to her children who mean the world to her. In fact, she admits that her greatest fear in life is to disappoint Tristan and Cara. But she is confident that she can raise her children to be empathetic and caring human beings, just as she had learned from her parents.
“I just want them to be good people, to try to help as many as they can, empathetic, understanding and helpful. It is so important that my kids have a heart for others and not only think of themselves. I want them to see the world for what it is, the good and the bad, because that is when they can develop strength of character, when they can overcome challenges even when I’m not around,” Camille ends on a hopeful note.
Photography by Rxandy Capinpin
Art Direction by Dexter De Vera
Shot on location at Brittany Hotel in Bonifacio Global City
“In my role as a public servant, I go with my heart, I tend to be more emotional than pragmatic, I look at the qualitative, the whole picture, rather than quantitative – and focus on what the people really, really need.’’
