THE PRESIDENTIABLES 5: JOSEPH "ERAP" ESTRADA

Joseph Ejercito Estrada (born Jose Marcelo Ejercito on April 19, 1937) was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until his ouster in the 2001 EDSA Revolution.

Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in an acting career spanning 33 years. He leveraged his popularity as an actor to make gains in politics, serving as mayor of San Juan for seventeen years, as Senator for one term, then as Vice President of the Philippines under the administration of President Fidel Ramos.

Estrada was elected President in 1998 with a wide margin of votes separating him from the other challengers, and was sworn into the presidency on June 30, 1998. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted. In 2007, he was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua, but was later granted a pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Early life and career

Joseph Marcelo Ejercito, popularly known as Erap, was born on April 19, 1937 in Tondo, the poorest district of Manila. He belonged to an upper middle class family, and was the eighth of ten children of Emilio Ejercito, a government engineer, and his wife Maria Marcelo. He finished his primary studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, but was expelled in his sophomore year of high school for unruly behavior. He went to Mapúa Institute of Technology to continue schooling with an engineering course, but dropped out from studies altogether two years later.

In his twenties, he began a career as a film actor. He adopted the screen name “Joseph Estrada”, as his father objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit schooling. He also acquired the nickname “Erap” (a play on the Tagalog word “pare”, meaning buddy) from his good friend Fernando Poe, Jr..
Film

He played the lead role in more than 100 movies, and was producer of over 70 films. He was the first FA-MAS Hall of Fame awardee for Best Actor (1981) and also became a Hall of Fame award-winner as a producer (1983). He often played heroes of the downtrodden classes, which gained him the admiration of a lot of the nation’s many unschooled and impoverished citizens. This later proved advantageous to his political career.

In 1974 he founded the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) which helps movie makers through medical reimbursements, hospitalization, surgery and death benefits, livelihood, and alternative income opportunities and housing. Its educational arm, the Mowelfund Film Institute, has produced some of the most skilled and respected producers, filmmakers, writers and performers in both the independent and mainstream sectors of the industry since its inception in 1979. He also founded, together with Dr. Guillermo De Vega, the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1975.
Early political career

Mayor of San Juan

Estrada entered politics in 1967 when he ran for mayor of San Juan, a municipality of Metro Manila, in 1968 and ended up losing his bid for mayor. He was only proclaimed mayor in 1969, after winning an electoral protest against Dr. Braulio Sto. Domingo. As mayor of San Juan he turned it to one of Metro Manila’s outstanding municipality (now a city). He built public schools both for elementary and high school and having children go to school for free. He also built parks, playgrounds, modern police stations and ensuring peace and order. When Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, all officials of the local government suspected of malfeasance and anomalies were removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge. Estrada was then removed from his position as mayor. He is nice but he screwed up by his friends.
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Senator of the Philippines

The following year, he ran and won a seat in the Senate under the Grand Alliance for Democracy (GAD). He placed 16th place in the said elections (out of 24 winners). As senator he became chairman of the senate committee on cultural minorities and passed a bill on commission on ancestral domain. He also sponsored bills that were signed into law, namely, The Preservation of the Carabao (Republic Act no. 7307) and The Construction of Irrigation Projects (Republic Act no. 6978).
Vice-Presidency

In 1992, Joseph Estrada ran for vice-president as the running mate of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. under the Nationalist People’s Coalition party. Though the latter lost to former National Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos, Estrada won the vice-presidency garnering more votes than his closest opponent, Ramon Mitra, Jr.’s running mate, Marcelo Fernan.

As Vice-President, President Ramos appointed him as the chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). Estrada arrested criminal warlords and kidnapping syndicates. He resigned as chairman of the PACC on 1997. In 1997 Vice-President Estrada, together with former President Corazon Aquino, Jaime Cardinal Sin, Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other political leaders, led an anti-charter change rally brought in an estimated half a million people to Rizal Park against the charter change moves by supporters of President Fidel Ramos.


1998 Presidential Elections

The 1998 presidential election campaign, like most presidential election campaigns in the Philippines, had hardly anything to do with a contest between political platforms and programs. Estrada’s political strategists and financial backers were aware that a large share of the Philippine electorate, the “masa” (the poor and undereducated masses), were looking for a leadership they could relate to. Estrada’s financial backers designed a campaign strategy that reflected Estrada’s pro-poor image that he had built up throughout his movie career. Central in the campaign was Estrada’s campaign slogan “Erap para sa Mahirap” (Erap for the poor) that succeeded in inspiring the masses with the hope that Estrada would be the president of and for the masses. Estrada’s running mate, Edgardo Angara, was defeated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the campaign, Estrada’s political rivals tried but failed to discredit him while publicizing his womanizing, drinking and gambling.
Presidency

Estrada was inaugurated on June 30, 1998 in the historical town of Malolos in Bulacan province in paying tribute to the cradle of the First Philippine Republic. That afternoon the new president delivered his inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta. He assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis and with agricultural problems due to poor weather conditions, thereby slowing the economic growth to -0.6% in 1998 from a 5.2% in 1997. The economy recovered by 3.4% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. In 2000 he declared an “all-out-war” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and captured it’s headquarters and other camps. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted.

In his Inaugural Address, Estrada said:
“ One hundred years after Kawit, fifty years after independence, twelve years after EDSA, and seven years after the rejection of foreign bases, it is now the turn of the masses to experience liberation. We stand in the shadow of those who fought to make us free- free from foreign domination, free from domestic tyranny, free from superpower dictation, free from economic backwardness.

SOURCE: http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/joseph-estrada/

THE PRESIDENTIABLES 4: DICK GORDON

Senator Dick Gordon’s track record in public service is one for the books.

As Mayor of Olongapo City, he brought order not only to the streets of his city but also to the lives of his people. Mayor Dick Gordon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Olongapo, shoveling the ashfall, and recovering what was left of their lives. With him at the helm, they rebuilt their city and their lives, later becoming a model city for peace and order, health care, education, livelihood, and good governance.

After the US Military Base closed in November 1992, he inspired and empowered the local population and a fleet of young professionals from here and abroad, and turned Subic Bay into the country’s showcase for economic progress, bringing in billions in investments and creating almost 100,000 jobs. World leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Mahatir Mohammad, and U.S. President Bill Clinton came to Subic to see the miracle that was the great transformation – and they came away impressed. So with the 18 APEC head of economies during the 4th Leaders’ Summit held thereat.

While he was the author of the success that is the Subic Bay Freeport, a twist of events took him away, but in time brought him towards a call to serve more people, this time as Secretary of Tourism. He knew that tourism was the country’s ticket to development – the fastest way to progress. Through his “Wow Philippines” campaign, the country became well-known abroad, and tourists started coming. Despite the challenges of the times, with the removal from office of the sitting president, the SARS outbreak, the Oakwood mutiny, the Dos Palmas kidnapping, and numerous bombings, not to mention the global terrorism problem, Secretary Gordon kept tourism afloat. In doing so, he lived up to his mantra – “tourism means jobs; where tourism advances, poverty retreats.”

So great was his contribution to the tourism industry that its players begged him not to run for Senator in 2004. But the road has led him to the Philippine Senate, perhaps not the ideal place for a man of action, a man who wants to see results for the people now. Yet, he has distinguished himself as a prolific lawmaker, an advocate of legislation that seek to uplift our people and our country. He is the main author and advocate of an Automated Election System law. Through this system, Senator Gordon hopes to leave our people with elections that are clean, honest, fair, and credible. The Tourism Bill, signed into law recently, is also a result of Senator Gordon’s years of hard work advocating tourism development for our country. He is also the principal author of the Veterans Equity Law. And as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, he has shown that he is one who is never afraid to take a stand on any issue, firm but fair, serious and sincere.

Senator Gordon has held many positions, and succeeded beyond expectation at every single one of them. But I think that the job he loves the most is one that he has held for over forty years – his job as a volunteer of the Philippine National Red Cross. Today, he is its Chairman, and is a Governor of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, but his commitment and dedication to this organization and the work that it does goes far beyond title and position. In fact, in everything that he does, Senator Gordon goes beyond himself. We have seen him, above and beyond the call of duty, saving lives here in our own province as with Cabanatuan, Bulacan, Albay, Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Leyte, and Aurora, among many others throughout the years. Wherever there is a disaster or calamity, you can be sure that he is there, always first, always ready, always there often endangering his own life, defying his family, in order to alleviate other people’s suffering and uplift human dignity. And when the disaster is over, count on him to be there to help rebuild the community. In recent months, people have seen him in the news because of the Red Cross kidnapping crisis. People have seen him passionate, aggressive, sad, sometimes even angry. If he has appeared emotional, it is because he is a leader who truly cares – the captain of a ship who treats all of his men like they are his own children, because to him every life matters and is worthy of every effort, attention, compassion, and caring that he can give – no matter what anybody else says.

Senator Gordon is a leader with a vision for the future of his people, and a clear strategy to get them there. He is a leader who has made change, and change for the better. He has brought dignity and hope to his people and has motivated and inspired others to go in the right direction, and he, along with everybody, has sacrificed much to get there. In everything he has done, he has seen for his people a new country – a Bagumbayan. He has brought them out of the darkness and into the light. And now, he calls everyone to break free of their own limitations to chase after the horizon, to step into the light, grab hold of their own future, and finally build a nation that is enabled, ennobled and free.

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DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH

5 August 1945, Castillejos Zambales

FAMILY
Spouse: Kate H. Gordon
UNESCO Mayors for Peace Prize Awardee in Asia 1998
Three-term Mayor of Olongapo City (1995-2004) and
Member 8-10th Congress Representing 1st District of Zambales(1987-1995)

Children: Marnie, Ali, LJ Brian

Father: James L. Gordon (deceased)
Founding Father of Olongapo and 1st elected Municipal Mayor of Olongapo

Mother: Amelia J. Gordon
Pearl S. Buck Woman of the Year 2003
First elected City Mayor of Olongapo

EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Laws
University of the Philippines

1966 A.B. History and Government
Ateneo de Manila University

WORK EXPERIENCE
01 July 2004 to
30 June 2010 Senator
Republic of the Philippines
Chair, Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon)
Chair, Senate Committee on Tourism
Chair, Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments (13th Congress)
Chair, Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises
Member, Commission on Appointments

29 Jan 2001 to
05 Jan 2004 Cabinet Secretary
Department of Tourism
Chair, Philippine Tourism Authority (ex-officio)
Chair, Philippine Convention & Visitors Corporation (ex-officio)
Chair, Intramuros Administration (ex-officio)
Chair, National Parks Development Committee (ex-officio)
Chair, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (ex-officio)
Member, Manila International Airport Authority (ex-officio)
Member, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (ex-officio)
Member, Board of Trustees, Philippine Retirement Authority
CORD Region III

1992 to 1998 Founding Chairman and Administrator
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (Envisioned in 1971 and together with the people of Olongapo lobbied for the creation of a free port after the rejection of the Bases Treaty in 1991)

1988 to 6/30/93 City Mayor of Olongapo

1980 to 1986 City Mayor of Olongapo

1975 to 1979 Associate
ACCRA Law Office

1974 to 1975 Director
Kong Commercial Philippines, Inc.

1971 Youngest Delegate
Constitutional Convention of the Philippines

1966 to 1967 Brand Manager
Procter and Gamble (Philippine Manufacturing Company)

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

2008 Ateneo USA Award – Public Service
Ateneo USA Chicago All Ateneo Convention

2008 Gold Humanitarian Award
Japanese Red Cross

2007 Gold Humanitarian Service Cross Award
Philippine National Red Cross

2006 Gawad Panday Award
Public Relations Society of the Philippines (Highest Honor and Recognition)

2005 Emilio Aguinaldo Outstanding Achievement Award in Public Service
Provincial Government of Cavite

2003 International Awardee, Visit Korea Year
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Korea

2002 Aduana Awardee for Public Service
Aduana Foundation

2001 Gintong Ama Awardee
Gintong Ama and Ina Foundation

2001 Silver Humanitarian Award
Philippine National Red Cross

2000 Upsilonian Noble and Outstanding (UNO)
Upsilon Sigma Phi Alumni Association (Highest Honors)

1997 Most Distinguished Alumnus
UP Alumni Association (Highest Award)

1997 Presidential Award for Relief and Disaster Management
Safety Organization of the Philippines

1997 Sports Hall of Fame
Ateneo de Manila Alumni Association

1997 Outstanding Alumnus in Public Service
Letran College

1996 The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL)
Philippine Jaycees Senate (Youngest Awardee)

1996 Man of the Year Alas Singko y Media Program, ABS-CBN

1995 One of the 20 Great Asians of the Future
Asiaweek Magazine 20th Anniversary Special

1995 One of Who's Who in Asia
NHK TV Japan

1994 One of the 50 Young Leaders of Asia
Asahi Shimbun, Japan

1993 Luminary Award for Exemplary Achievement in Public Administration
Upsilon Sigma Phil Alumni Association

1991 Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Award
Philippine National Red Cross (Highest National Award)

Gold Vision Triangle Award National YMCA (Highest National Award)

Award for Outstanding and Dynamic Leadership in Government Service
International Lions Club National

Award for Community Service
Rotary Club of Makati, San Miguel Corporation Republic Day

Award National Council of Women of the Philippines

1983 Professional Award in the Public Administration
UP Alumni Association

1982 Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in Public Administration
Philippine Jaycees Senate

POLITICAL, SOCIO-CIVIC & PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

International Red Cross/Red Crescent Federation, elected to the Governing Board (2005-present)

Pacific Asia Travel Association, Member and past Chairman for 2003-2004

World Tourism Organization, Commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific (2001-2004)

Philippine National Red Cross, Chairman and CEO (2004-present)

Boys Scouts of the Philippines, Chairman - James L. Gordon Council

U.P. Alumni Association, Chairman – Olongapo Chapter

Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Full Member

Upsilon Sigma Phi Alumni Association, Member

Ateneo de Manila University Alumni Association, Director

Presidential Bases Conversion Committee, Member

Citizen's Legal Aid Society of the Philippines, Member

Party for Philippine Progress, Training Committee Youth Arm, National Chairman (1966)

Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines, Founding Chairman (1997)

CONFERENCES AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ABROAD

EDUCATION
2008 UN-ASEAN International Pledging Session for Myanmar
Rangoon, Burma May 2008

Working Group on Advocacy and Communications
International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) Governing Board
Geneva, Switzerland May 2008
Guest Speaker, Forum on Security in Asia Post US Bases, Center for Strategic Studies and In’l Studies(CSIS)
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA April 2008
Resource Speaker, Roundtable on Security in Asia and the Pacific,
Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa, Japan March 2008

2007 Working Group on Advocacy and Communications International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent(IFRC) Governing Board
Geneva, Switzerland November 2007

Working Group on Advocacy and Communications International Federation Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) Governing Board
Geneva, Switzerland March 2007

2006 Special Meeting of International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent(IFRC) Governing Board
Geneva, Switzerland June 2006

Extraordinary Session International Federation Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) Governing Board
Geneva, Switzerland February 2006

2005 Guest Speaker, 5th International Conference on Volunteerism and Philanthropy
Singapore, May 2005

Speaker, World Economic Forum(WEF)
New Delhi, India, November 2005

2005 Guest Speaker, 5th International Conference on Volunteerism and Philanthropy
Singapore, May 2005

2005 Guest Speaker, 5th International Conference on Volunteerism and Philanthropy
Singapore, May 2005

2004 Speaker, 53rd Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Conference
Jeiju Island, Korea, April 2004

Presenter, 111th International Parliamentary Union(IPU) General Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, September 2004

Speaker, United Nations(UN) General Assembly
New York, USA, October 2004

2002 World Tourism Organization(WTO) -Tourism Recovery Commission
London, November 2002

Conference Host, International Conference on Anti-Terrorism and Tourism Recovery
Manila, November 2002

Speaker, United Nations(UN) International Colloquium on Regional Governance
Cancun, Mexico, February 2002

2001 50th Pacific Asia Travel Association(PATA) Conference
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 2001

1999 Delegate, 27th International Federation Red Cross Red Crescent (IFRC) Convention
Geneva, Switzerland, November 1999

Discussant, 10th ASEAN Red Cross and Red Crescent Leaders Conference
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 1999

1998 Speaker “Change Management in the Philippines – The Subic Experience” ADB Economic and Development Forum
Tokyo Japan, January 1998

Speaker, Asia Cities Forum
Columbia University, New York, USA, March 1998

1997 Speaker, U.S. Business Council Convention (Premier organization of U.S. CEO's)
Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, 10 May 1997

Speaker, “The Philippines: U.S. - RP Relations and the role of Filipino-Americans” Asia Society Conference
L.A. Convention Center, USA, 7 May 1997

Speaker, 6th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)
Seoul, South Korea

4th Annual Asia-Pacific Roundtable w/ Sen. Bill Bradley & Former Sec. of State, George Shultz Stanford University
Pebble Beach, California

Guest Speaker, "The Transformation of Subic Bay - Lessons for Leadership & Management" Brunei Darussalam International Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bandar Seri Begawan, Negra, Brunei Darussalam

Chairman & Moderator, ”Japan's anticipated role in the Pacific Century - Leader of Follower?” Pacific Rim Forum – Hong Kong Handover
Hong Kong

Keynote Speaker
Launch of the Philippine Trade Strategy
Perth, Australia

1996 Keynote Speaker: International Symposium on Small and Medium Sized Business for Asia
Tokyo, Japan

Keynote Speaker: Acer Group 20th Anniversary Celebration Conference & Global Distributors Meeting with Bill Gates, Microsoft President & CEO, Stan Shih, Acer Founder & CEO
Taipei, Taiwan, June 1996

Participant, World Economic Forum (WEF) "Sustainable Globalization"
Davos, Switzerland

Participant, Center for Strategic and International Studies "Global and Political Vulnerabilities"
Stockholm, Sweden

Keynote Speaker, "International Symposium on Small and Medium Sized Business For Asia"
Tokyo, Japan

Discussant, "Issues and opportunities in Asia" (with 30 business and government leaders in Asia)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1995 Presenter, "Potential for Foreign Investment in the Development of Subic Bay" Asia Pacific Air Cargo Conference
Singapore

1994 Delegate, Asian-U.S. Leaders conference sponsored by Senator Bill Bradley and the Asia Pacific Research Center of Stanford University; one of seven Asian leaders invited to the conference.
California U.S.A.

1993 1993 Asia Society Forum
Asia Society
Houston and New York, U.S.A.

2nd International Colloquim of Mayor's, Defenders of Children
Mexico City, Mexico

1987 Delivered a Paper, “Social and Economic Impact of Foreign Military Bases” Conference on Foreign Military Bases
Singapore

1986 Participant, Georgetown University Leadership Training Seminar (one of 30 World Leaders invited)
Washington D.C., U.S.A.

1983 Delegate, International Visitors Program (IVP) sponsored by the U.S. States Department, in 18 Cities of the United States to observe city administration and management.

1981 City Management Training for City Mayors, sponsored by RSO, MLGCD, USAID, to the University of California at Berkeley
San Diego, Carson City, Los Angeles, Bremerton, Washington and New York City,USA


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14th Congress Senators

* Edgardo J. Angara
* Benigno S. Aquino III
* Joker P. Arroyo
* Rodolfo G. Biazon
* Alan Peter Compañero S. Cayetano
* Pia S. Cayetano
* Miriam Defensor Santiago
* Juan Ponce Enrile
* Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
* Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero
* Richard "Dick" Gordon
* Gregorio B. Honasan II
* Panfilo M. Lacson
* Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
* Loren B. Legarda
* M.A. Madrigal
* Kiko Pangilinan
* Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.
* Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr.
* Mar A. Roxas
* Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV
* Manny Villar
* Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

SOURCE: http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/gordon_bio.asp

THE PRESIDENTIABLES 3 : MANNY VILLAR

Manuel “Manny” Bamba Villar Jr. was born on December 13, 1949 in Moriones, Tondo Manila. His father, Manuel Montalban Villar, Sr., a government employee, hailed from Cabatuan, Iloilo and his mother Curita Bamba, a seafood dealer, came from Pampanga and Bataan. The second of nine children, Villar attended Holy Child Catholic School and started selling seafood at the Divisoria Market at an early age.

Working Student

While Manny Villar was a working student, he was also putting in long hours as a fish and shrimp trader, where the action starts during the wee hours of the morning when the freshly caught seafood arrives at market grounds. Manny worked hard in selling shrimps and fish to be able to send himself to school and have a better future and a strong determination to improve his family’s living conditions.

As a working student, he was able to put himself through school by finishing his studies at the University of the Philippines where he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Business Administration.

Hard work, persistence, and perseverance became his guiding principles in life. This earned him the title “Mr. Sipag at Tiyaga.”

He continues to inspire Filipinos with his life story and encourages each and every kababayan to improve their quality of life and fulfill their dreams through the very values he believes in — “sipag at tiyaga.”
Entrepreneur

After graduation, he tried his hand as an accountant at the country’s biggest accounting firm, Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV & Co). He resigned shortly though to venture on his own seafood delivery business.

When a restaurant he was delivering stocks to did not pay him, he printed out “meal tickets” which he persuaded the restaurant owners to honor. He then sold these tickets at a discounted price to office workers. It took him one year to liquidate his receivables.

He worked briefly as a financial analyst at the Private Development Corporation of the Philippines. His job was to sell World Bank loans, despite the attractive rates of which there were no takers. Convinced that he could make it on his own again, he quit his job and promptly availed of one of the loans.

So with an initial capital of P10,000 in 1975, Villar purchased two reconditioned trucks and started his sand-and-gravel business in Las Piñas.
Housing Innovator

It is here while delivering construction materials to big developers that Manny Villar came up with the idea of selling house and lot packages when the convention then was for homeowners to buy lots and build on them.

Manny Villar became the housing industry leader, and the biggest homebuilder in Southeast Asia, having built more than 100,000 houses for the poor and middle class Filipino families.

He then initiated mass housing projects to achieve economies of scale. His various innovations practically created the country’s mass housing industry. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism calls him “the dean of the (Philippine) real estate industry.”
Awards and Distinctions

For his business achievements, he was made cover story in the Far Eastern Economic Review. And his life story was also featured in Asiaweek, Forbes, AsiaMoney and Asian Business Review.

He garnered various awards such as the Ten Outstanding Young Men Award (1986) by the Philippine Jaycees, Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Management (1989), Most Outstanding CPA by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (1990) and Most Outstanding UP Alumnus (1991).

Through the years, universities and colleges all over the country have conferred upon Villar honorary degrees in various fields in recognition of his exemplary performance in public service, his pioneering initiatives and innovations that revolutionalized the country’s mass housing and real estate industry, and his distinct role in the enactment of economic and social reform laws that are vital in sustaining the country’s economic momentum and improvement of the lives of Filipinos, particularly the cause of small and medium enterprises.

Among these universities and colleges that have bestowed Honoris Causa to Villar are: Adamson University, Doctor of Science; Bataan Polytechnic State College, Doctor of Humanities; Bulacan State University, Doctor of Humanities; Cagayan State University, Doctor of Humanities; Central Luzon State University, Doctor of Humanities; Foundation University (Dumaguete), Doctor of Humanities; Laguna State Polytechnic College, Doctor of Humanities and Entrepreneurship; Pangasinan State University, Doctor of Development Management; Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Doctor of Business Administration; Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, Doctor of Entrepreneurial Management; Romblon State College, Doctor of Humanities; Tarlac State University, Doctor of Public Administration; Wesleyan University-Philippines, Doctor of Humanities; and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology, Doctor of Technology in Entrepreneurial Management.
Political Career

In a stunning political debut in 1992, Villar won with the most overwhelming mandate among congressmen in Metro Manila. He promptly applied his economic and managerial expertise as a key member of the House’s economic team, marshalling in economic reform measures of the Ramos Administration such as the New Foreign Investments Act and the restructuring of the Central Bank of the Philippines. He was the House representative in the government’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C. in 1992.

He also oversaw various infrastructure projects in his districts like the construction of concrete roads and the Alabang-Zapote Flyover. He introduced the “Friendship Route” to ease the traffic problems in southern Manila by persuading subdivision homeowners to open up their roads to the general public.

He succeeded in passing Republic Act 8003 “Declaring Certain Areas in Las Piñas as Tourist Spots.” The law formalized his program of rehabilitating historical and cultural landmarks in Las Piñas starting with the world-famous Bamboo Organ Church. The ongoing project dubbed as “Las Piñas Historical Corridor” covers the stretch of the Old District and may even rival the Intramuros and Vigan restoration projects.
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A staunch environmentalist, he initiated a privately funded tree planting drive in his district. He developed a P10-million tree nursery beside his home. He also quietly led a dedicated tree-planting drive complete with maintenance and watering of tree seedlings planted in the open spaces of the community.

When he realized that many poor students could not go to school because they do not even have fare money, he organized the “Manpower on Wheels” Program, a livelihood training school housed in a van that makes the rounds in depressed areas. The program has since produced more than 5,000 graduates and has been awarded by various government and civic organizations for its innovative scheme.

During his first term, he steered Las Piñas and Muntinlupa to cityhood. He pointed out: “As a developer, I have always envisioned these two communities as the ‘Twin Cities of the South’ of Manila. In fact, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa are the two fastest growing communities in the country today.”

For his constituency work and personal vow, he extended grants of home sites to some 10,000 poor families in Barangay CAA, Las Piñas City. Two major roads were also opened in his district: the Sucat-Pulanglupa Link Road to Parañaque and the Zapote-Molino (Daang Hari) Link Road to Cavite, thus alleviating the traffic congestion in the area.

During his second term, he was able to upgrade the Las Piñas District Hospital with a new building and better facilities. He also launched the “Sagip-Bukas” Drug Prevention Program on all the private and public schools of Las Piñas to educate the youth about the dangers of drug abuse. He also nationalized the Las Piñas High School to upgrade its facilities.

By the end of his second term of office, Villar had already proven beyond doubt his capacity for excellence as a true Filipino entrepreneur and a brilliant public servant who can get things done.
Champion for Entrepreneurs

In 1995, Manny Villar ran for re-election and won an unprecedented 142,000 votes, the highest number of votes for a congressman in the entire country. Winning media acclaim as an outstanding congressman as well as the respect and recognition of his peers, he was elected to chair the Committee on Entrepreneurship.

As one of the leading entrepreneurs in the country, he championed the cause of small and medium-sized enterprises. He authored and passed into law the landmark New Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprises (RA 8289). He initiated creative legislation such as the establishment of the Small and Medium Enterprises Stock Exchange and Business One-Stop-Shop centers, the latter he immediately implemented in Las Piñas City with the help of local officials.
Speaker of the House

It was no surprise then to those in the know when he gained the remarkable acclaim of 171 of 220 congressmen as the Speaker of the 11th Congress of the House of Representatives.

In a time when the country is slowly recovering from a host of economic and political crises, the election of the ‘brown taipan’ at the helm of Congress signaled a watershed event in the Philippine political history. The rise of Manny Villar ushered in a new consensus of leadership based on managerial skills and not simply on oratory and rhetoric.

By his first year in office, Villar undertook three pathbreaking reforms. He succeeded in marshalling consensus in the House to reform the ‘pork barrel’ system by limiting congressional discretion projects to the set parameters of the Executive’s development policies. Secondly, he launched a revamp of leadership by appointing at least seven neophyte congressmen to head powerful committees like ecology and banks. Finally, he set a strong and principled stance on environment protection legislation with the passage of the “Clean Air Act,” a measure that for more than ten years and three previous congresses were not able to pass.

On his second year in office, Manny Villar steered the 11th Congress into a record-breaking achievement in legislation and economic reforms. Among the pioneering measures he shepherded into law were the Retail Trade Liberization Act, the New Central Bank Act, the New Securities Code, and the New Banking Act.
Senator of the Republic

In the national elections held last May 14, 2001, despite being a relative newcomer in national politics, Manny Villar posted one of the most impressive showings in the national polls. On his first day in office, he filed 204 bills covering a comprehensive legislative program of action— the first among neophyte senators and the third highest filer among the senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines.

After being elected by his colleagues, he assumed the position of Senate President Pro-Tempore, the second to the highest post in the higher Chamber of Congress. He is presently the Chairman of the Committee on Finance that is in charge of all deliberations and discussions on the national budget of the country and the Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Agriculture. He authored 44 laws during the 12th Congress, among them are: RA 9178 Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act, RA 9189 Overseas Absentee Voting Act, RA 9208 Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act, RA 9257 An Act Granting Additional Benefits and Privileges to Senior Citizens, and RA 9262 Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act. He has filed Bills aimed at providing business opportunities for the people and improving the Filipinos’ quality of life through basic health care, decent shelters, responsive social services, and high quality education.

Outside the Senate’s halls, Villar actively sponsors the Sipag at Tiyaga Caravan Kaalaman, a livelihood training program that provides skills and inspiration to people that will allow them to venture into their own businesses. The caravan travels all over the country conducting livelihood seminars that are consistently widely attended and appreciated.

He has also spearheaded the building of schools, sending out medical missions and setting up relief operations whenever or wherever needed. He led the inauguration of the Las Piñas-Muntinlupa-Laguna-Cavite (LPMLC) link road, more popularly known as Daang Hari, as part of his road improvement program aimed at easing traffic in the south of Metro Manila. According to him, an efficient and rationalized road network is one of the fundamental requirements in improving commerce and spurring economic progress.

In February 2004, he was elected as President of the Nacionalista Party—the country’s oldest and grandest political party. He was also named the Most Distinguished UP Alumnus—the highest recognition given by the UP Alumni Association—for his exemplary public service and achievements.

Senator Manny Villar, despite his numerous accomplishments and heroism, has remained simple and unaffected. A true family man, he is a devoted husband to Congresswoman Cynthia A. Villar (Lone District of Las Piñas), and a loving father to sons Paolo and Mark and daughter Camille.

SOURCE: http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/manuel-manny-bamba-villar-jr/

THE PRESIDENTIABLES 2 : NOYNOY AQUINO

Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Senator of the Philippines and a candidate for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election, intending to represent the Liberal Party. He is the only son of former President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.

A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he was seriously wounded by rebel soldiers in a failed coup attempt during his mother’s presidency. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province in the 11th Congress of the Philippines; he was reelected twice, eventually becoming Deputy Speaker. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines.

He is also the brother of TV host and actress Kris Aquino.

Early life and education

Benigno Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960. He is one of five children of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was then Vice Governor of Tarlac province, and Corazon Aquino. He has four sisters, Maria Elena (“Ballsy”), Aurora Corazon (“Pinky”), Victoria Eliza (“Viel”), and Kristina Bernadette (“Kris”).

Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, high school, and college education, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After college, he joined his family in Boston in exile.

In 1983, shortly after the murder of his father, Noynoy had a short tenure as a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. From 1985 to 1986, he was retail sales supervisor and youth promotions assistant for Nike Philippines and later an assistant for advertising and promotion for Mondragon Philippines. In 1986, he joined Intra-Strata Assurance Corp. as vice-president of the family-owned corporation.

On August 28, 1987, eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino’s mother, rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to siege Malacañang Palace. Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him. Aquino himself was hit by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck.

From 1986 to 1993, Aquino was vice president and treasurer for Best Security Agency Corporation, a firm owned by his uncle Anolin Oreta. He went to work for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac in 1993, the sugar refinery owned by the Cojuangco clan. He started out as an executive assistant for administration, before becoming field services manager in 1996.
Political life

Aquino is a leading member of the Liberal Party. He currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party, having assumed the post on 17 March 2006. He was previously Secretary General of the party (1999-2002), Vice-President of the Luzon Liberal Party (2002-2004), and Secretary General of the party (2004-16 March 2006).

Aquino is associated with a faction of the Liberal Party which opposes the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, citing alleged human rights violations.
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House of Representatives

Aquino was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 2nd District of Tarlac. He won re-election in 2001 and 2004, and served until 2007.

Aquino served on numerous committees as a member of Congress: the Public Order and Security, Transportation and Communications, Agriculture, Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Peoples’ Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Trade and Industry committees (11th Congress), the Civil, Political and Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order and Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy committees (12th Congress), and the Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order and Safety committees (13th Congress).

Aquino was also Deputy Speaker from November 8, 2004 to February 21, 2006.

One of Aquino’s key legislative initiatives was to make requiring the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricants requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be done by public bidding.
Senate

Barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as the Representative for the second district of Tarlac province, Aquino was elected to the Senate in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO), a coalition comprising a number of parties, including his own Liberal Party, seeking curb attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the Constitution. In his political ads, he was endorsed by younger sister, TV host Kris Aquino, and mother, former President Corazon Aquino. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he was endorsed by one of the largest Protestant churches in the Philippines, the Jesus is Lord. With more than 14.3 million votes, Aquino’s tally was the sixth highest of the 37 candidates for the 12 vacant seats elected from the nation at large. He assumed his new office on June 30, 2007.

During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former enemy, Senator Gregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. “I endorse Honasan’s request for bail para parehas ang laban. I was hit by bullets from Honasan’s men in the neck and hips but that’s past now. The principle of my father was, ‘ Respect the rights even of your enemies.’ Ito ang nagpatingkad ng demokrasya. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action,” Aquino told Job Tabada of Cebu Daily News on 5 March 2007. He was referring to two bloody coup attempts against his mother in 1987 and 1989, in the first of which Aquino was seriously injured.
2010 election plans

In the Liberal Party, Aquino has held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. He is currently the LP Vice-Chairman.

After the death of President Corazon Aquino, calls for him to run for higher office reached its highest and he has decided after the retreat that he would run as a candidate for Presidency at the 2010 elections.

A group of lawyers and activists formed the NAPM — the Noynoy for President Movement — and a nationwide campaign led by the son of the late influential businessman Chino Roces began to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for President. In the last weekend of August, Senator Aquino and his fellow partymate in the Liberal Party, Senator Mar Roxas and an unnamed presidential aspirant commenced days of talks to decide what to do for next year’s elections.

On September 1, 2009, in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Senator Roxas, a leading candidate for the Liberal Party nomination announced his withdrawal in the presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino’s candidacy. Sen. Aquino later stood side by side Sen. Roxas, but did not make a public statement on the said press conference.

On September 9, 2009, 40 days after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced his bid for the Presidency in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, which also served as the site of his mother’s Presidential Inauguration in 1986.

SOURCE: http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/benigno-simeon-noynoy-cojuangco-aquino-iii/

THE PRESIDENTIABLES 1: GIBO TEODORO

Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo “Gilbert”/”Gibo” Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. (born June 14, 1964) is the current Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007. From 1998 to 2007 he was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the First District of Tarlac province. In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 elections.

He is the only child of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He the nephew of Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of San Miguel Corporation and also the founder of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) party. The late former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino was also his aunt.

Secretary Teodoro, who holds distinct memberships in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, UP Alumni Association, UP Law Alumni Association, Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Law Alumni Association, is also a licensed commercial pilot and a Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve.

He also made a cameo appearance as himself in the primetime soap opera Tayong Dalawa.
Education

Teodoro spent his elementary and high school years at Xavier School. Shortly after completing high school, he was elected President of the Kabataang Barangay for Tarlac in 1980 and concurrently assumed Presidency of the Kabataang Barangay for Central Luzon until 1985. He also became a member of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Tarlac from 1980 to 1986.

Teodoro attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from De La Salle University in 1984. In 1989, he completed his law studies at the University of the Philippines, where he was awarded the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence. In the same year, he topped the Philippine Bar exams.

For seven years, he honed his skills as a lawyer in the EP Mendoza Law firm. He went to the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for his Master of Laws and completed it in 1997. He was also admitted to the State Bar of New York during the same year.
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Political career

Congressman

From 1998 to 2007 he was a congressman representing the First District of Tarlac province. He assumed the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the 11th Congress and head of the Nationalist People’s Coalition House members. He was also a member of the House contingent to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Following his three terms in office—the maximum number allowed by the constitution—he was succeeded by his wife, Monica Prieto-Teodoro.

Secretary of National Defense

Teodoro was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007 at the age of 43, the youngest person to ever hold the position.

During his tenure as Defense Secretary, he appeared in a cameo role as himself in the soap opera Tayong Dalawa.
2010 presidential candidate

In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 election. A year earlier, he quit his old party Nationalist People’s Coalition to join the merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD and cast his name in the ruling party’s contenders for the 2010 elections.

On September 16, 2009, voting 42-5 through secret balloting, the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi officially selected Teodoro as their party’s presidential standard bearer for the May 2010 elections, edging out the other nominee, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. The announcement was made by Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio after a deliberation that lasted for approximately an hour.

And though he continues to perform dismally in presidential surveys, Teodoro enjoys the support of a number of administration members, including governors and party leaders. He is also undaunted by the possibility of facing his cousin, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, in next year’s elections.

With the administration machinery behind him, Teodoro is hoping to become the third national defense secretary to become president after Ramon Magsaysay in 1953 and Fidel V. Ramos in 1992. SOURCE:(http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/gilberto-gibo-cojuangco-teodoro-jr/)