Manny Villar at 74: The former poor boy from Tondo is now creating the 3,500-hectare Villar City
Today, Dec. 13, we celebrate the 74th birthday of a visionary man, former Senate President and now the Philippines' wealthiest billionaire, Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar, Jr.
I recently spotted him in warm camaraderie with fellow billionaire, GMA Network, Inc. chairman Atty. Felipe "Henry" L. Gozon during the latter’s 84th birthday dinner reception at Edsa Shangri-la Hotel.
When I asked what he’s busy with these days, Villar half-jokingly replied, “Attending parties like this." However, beneath the jest lies the heart of a tireless creator, as he shared that he’s very busy with his magnum opus: the 3,500-hectare, master-planned "Villar City."
His wife, Senator Cynthia Aguilar Villar, shared that her husband is now also busy as a doting, devoted lolo (grandfather) to their three grandkids, Emma, Tristan, and Cara, even venturing with them to their farm in Las Piñas City.
A legacy unfolds
Not one to rest on his laurels after decades of building many homes and fostering communities, Villar now envisions Villar City as the next chapter in an entrepreneurial adventure—a sprawling, mixed-use development spanning 15 cities and municipalities.
He wants Villar City to become the next new center of Metro Manila, where economic, cultural, and leisure realms intertwine—a city within cities.
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From a modern CBD to a vibrant Tech Valley, a thriving university town, and a premier lifestyle hub, Villar City will be an urban center of over a million trees and vibrant blooms.
The tycoon plans to donate land for a new, technology-focused campus of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines (UP), plus a casino resort complex, theme park, mall, science high school, etc.
“It’s my way of bringing the beauty and greatness of the world closer to more Filipinos,” Villar shared, underscoring the ambition and enduring legacy of his Villar City.
A leader who’s overcome hardships and defeats
Beyond the glamorous headlines of his wealth and success, Villar is a man who has metamorphosed past defeats into triumph. I first met him when he was a congressman and rich mass-housing developer during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The top bankers of a US bank made a conference call from Makati and Tokyo, asking me to write negatively about his firms not paying the bonds they had issued. Out of fairness, I reached out to Villar to get his side and he said he wanted to pay, but the foreign bankers were insolent and not cooperative when you are down.
Villar also recounted then that a major developer had already negotiated to buy out all his realty businesses at a low price, but reneged on the agreed price and wanted to haggle more in order to take advantage of his crisis then. Villar revealed that he decided not to quit. Instead of succumbing to all those pressures, he persisted, endured, and eventually emerged victorious.
Another case of turning defeat into big victory was Villar’s loss in his presidential bid. My friend, topnotch architect Albert S. Yu of the Asya firm, recounted that on the day of his election loss, Villar called him by phone to say he had just lost and wanted a meeting to immediately go back to business. Yu said he was then on a business trip to China and he was impressed by Villar’s positive attitude.
A realist and pragmatic visionary, Villar exemplifies hard work, entrepreneurial courage, and bold vision. His journey—from congressman to House Speaker and Senate President, from a Tondo youth who accompanied his mother selling seafood in Divisoria and learning from the rugged, ethnic Chinese traders there to become realty tycoon and now boss of a diversified conglomerate (his latest venture is Forresta Café and he plans to build 100 cafés within his Villar City)—is a testament to resilience, determination, and transformative leadership.
As we wish Manny Villar a joyous 74th birthday, let's celebrate not just the billionaire tycoon but also the man—the dreamer who continues to shape the narrative of a nation and who wants to leave an enduring mark on the landscape of Philippine progress.