Villar to head DPWH

Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte announced recently that Las Piñas City Rep. Mark Villar will head the Department of Public Works and Highways. Villar, 37, is the middle child of Sen. Cynthia Villar and former Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. He is also a maternal grandson of Filemon Aguilar, a former Las Piñas mayor and representative.

Villar earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Prior to his stint as an elected public servant, Villar served as president of Crown Asia Corp. As a legislator, he served as the chairman of the Committee on Trade and Industry, the vice chairman of the House committees on overseas workers affairs, science and technology, and labor and employment.

Villar earlier tested the waters, so to speak, in seeking a Senate seat this year through a pro-poor political ad called “Ang pagtulong sa mahirap, Markang Villar,” but later backed out so as not to share the chamber with his mother, who has three more years left in her term and decided to run for reelection as representative of his district.

Villar is married to party-list lawmaker Emmeline Aglipay, who recently gave birth to their first child.