Cynthia's Passion
Cynthia Villar, my wife, mother to our three wonderful children, is running for the lone congressional seat of our beloved city of Las Piñas. And frankly, I cannot think of anyone who has the experience, dedication, and fervor to do the job for the people of Las Piñas. It is that fire that some people misinterpret and which her opponents intentionally misconstrues to paint her in a bad light. But it is the same fiery devotion to the people of Las Piñas that made her an unstoppable force in its development as a city.
She is an experienced legislator having served three terms as representative of Las Piñas City from 2001 to 2010. In other words, she has done this before. She is ready to hit the ground running on day one. No on-the-job training necessary. In the lower house, she chaired the Committee on Higher and Technical Education during the 13th and 14th Congress. She was president of the Lady Legislators during the 12th, 13th and 14th Congress initiating Legislation benefitting women, children and family.
She then became a senator in 2013 and secured a second term in 2019 in spectacular fashion topping the polls with more than 25 million votes. In the senate, Cynthia chaired the Committee on Agriculture and Food, and the Environment and Natural Resources committee. Beside pursuing and enacting relevant laws, she also led numerous initiatives to empower farmers, among which is the establishment of TESDA-accredited farm schools, which have so far reached over 2,367 all over the country.
She is a dedicated servant of the people, specifically the people of Las Piñas, even when she is not in government. She has effectively utilized the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance or Villar SIPAG, a non-stock, non-profit organization we established in 1995, to continue helping women and children, especially the poor and the underprivileged, OFW and their families, small businesses. She has also provided livelihood projects in over 3,000 locations nationwide, and spearheaded various programs for the environment. On top of these, she donated a drug rehabilitation center in Las Piñas.
Cynthia’s love for Las Piñas knows no bounds. She organized the Sagip Ilog project in 2002 to bring life back into the rivers of Las Piñas. These started the adoption of a city-wide solid waste management practice and the creation of green social enterprises that gave jobs to families in the community.
She has institutionalized composting or production of organic fertilizer from kitchen and garden wastes. She promoted the planting of bamboo along the riverbanks and open spaces to assure a steady supply of raw materials to the three generation parol makers of the city.
And mind you, this is not “pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko.” Her project was recognized by no less than the United Nations which cited her efforts to “substantially contribute to the improvement of the living environment on a sustainable basis, especially to the living conditions of the poorest and most disadvantaged groups; institutional frameworks and the sustainable management of water.”
She was also recognized by the United Nations Association of the Philippines which honored her with the distinguished Human Rights Award for her initiatives in “eliminating poverty and maintaining a healthy environment,” as well as the promotion of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 1 (Poverty Eradication) and SDG Goal No. 16 (Biodiversity).
In one of her speeches, she explained, quite eloquently, the raison d’être of her passion for public service: “We owe it to the future generation. It is part of our duty to leave this world better than we found it. I am sure many of you have seen or read about the Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, who is an environmental activist and who has been challenging world leaders to do something about climate change. She feels that the older generation is not doing enough to save their future. We don’t want more Gretas to one day tell us in the face that we failed them.”
I know Cynthia. She will not let us fail.
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