MANNY VILLAR: From building homes to upgrading lifestyles
Published Mar 8, 2019 12:00 am
Editor's note: We are re-uploading this article which was first published in the special Manila Bulletin 119th year supplement last Feb. 2. Our article on Manny B. Villar is part of the feature on individuals and institutions who have successfully transformed to survive the challenges of business. Villar was just recently named by Forbes as the Philippines' most richest man.
Manny Villar (FORBES / MANILA BULLETIN)
By Pinky Concha Colmenares and Johannes Chua
Manuel Villar, the second richest man in the country in the Forbes List, walked into the coffee shop in a most ordinary fashion, much like the ones who were coming in for coffee that Wednesday morning. No bodyguards cleared his way.
But this man is far from the ordinary coffee customer. He owns the place – Coffee Project, now with 39 branches around the country. By the end of the year, there will be 12 more to add to the brand’s strong image as a coffee shop also featuring stylish spaces to meet and do business.
If millennials only know of Coffee Project, their parents and bosses must know Mr. Villar for building houses – nearly 500,000 units now – since he established a company known as Camella Homes in 1977.
Camella Homes is one of the subsidiaries of Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., whose other companies – Brittany, Crown Asia, Communities Philippines, Vista Residences and Starmalls – have added to the reputation of being the leading integrated property developer in the country which has a 45 percent share of the market.
In September 2018, The Forbes Philippines Rich List placed Villar’s wealth at $5 billion.
Rich man in a mobile office
Even with the achievement of building many communities – in addition to being former Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives – Mr. Villar calls Coffee Project his mobile office. He is like the many millennials who have made coffee shops their unofficial office address, except that he’s generations ahead of them.
“Actually, I don't have an office. Coffee Project serves as my mobile office. I meet people here. With just a smartphone, an Internet connection, you can already do your work. Unlike before when you need to be in an office with an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setup,” he told us.
This man, who speaks in the mild manner of a fine gentleman, has always been way ahead of the game. His most recent business enterprise — Coffee Project – started because he noticed that the ground floors of his buildings – and the people working or living there – needed a presentable yet functional coffee shop.
But more than just a place to get coffee, Mr. Villar developed Coffee Project as a co-working space where people meet or work at seating areas with an ambience very stylishly upscale, just like the coffee shops in trendy cities of the world.
“I want people to go here. I want them to feel like it is a co-working space where they can socialize or work at the same time; it is very millennial,” he said.
The simple businessman
The aura of Manny Villar settled around us as soon as he took his seat at his favorite corner. He did not exude the air of the number two richest man in the country. He talked like a simple businessman who had taken risks, and succeeded.
He did not think of creating this big business empire when he started. “Dreams progress; as you become bigger, your dreams become bigger. When I was young, I just wanted to sell a lot of fish in the market. Then when I went into the sand and gravel business, I wished for more orders so I can expand the business, and so on,” he recalled.
It is not the first time that he makes us aware of his roots. He had described the conditions in the wet market where at nine years old, he helped his mother sell fish, standing on wet floors, where one looks forward to the coffee of a roaming vendor.
‘Nothing to lose’
He traces his guts from being poor. “If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. So don't feel bad if you have nothing. You can become the best entrepreneur.”
We are enchanted by the conversation. We hang on to a magic tip he can share that would perhaps drive us to be successful entrepreneurs.
He gives that in one line: “You must have the desire to compete,” he said. “The feeling is more like what basketball players and athletes feel; they need to compete and they feel good competing.”
He adds another ingredient to be a successful businessman — guts.
“That separates the ordinary man from the big businessman or tycoon. Tycoons are gutsier. They are more daring, they are the ones who innovated the business landscape, they thrived when there is none,” Mr. Villar said.
Perfect timing
“What I learned along the way is that you have to continue learning. Otherwise, you become stagnant. Business is a continuing game, you are shooting the rabbits non-stop. Especially now that competition is fiercer and more intense.”
Success also hinges on perfect timing, he said: “Sometimes, it is also risky if you were the first one. You have to find the perfect timing. It is dangerous to be late, but it is also dangerous to be way ahead. It is best to find the right timing.”
What comes after perfect timing and a string of successful business ventures – expansion or diversification?
“Actually, I'm just adding to what we have. I build homes and communities and the residents would need power, convenience stores, schools, hospitals, memorial parks, etc. In the end, it is just providing what they need. They want to eat and watch movies, so I put up malls. They want to study, I put up schools. When they get sick, I built hospitals. When they die, there's a memorial park.”
Mr. Villar is the chairman of the board of All Home, All Shop, All Toys and Coffee Project. His family is also involved in water, energy and mining and owns Golden Haven Memorial Park, Inc., a publicly listed company.
Raising the standards
Successful ventures led him to be meticulous about raising the standards of his products, especially those that are located out of Metro Manila.
“In the provinces, we have already built the best. If you look at the Camella Homes communities there, we opened communities with international themes. Our new commercial spaces are indeed very nice,” he said especially citing the modern features of his cinema houses.
Leaving a legacy
This man who defied the odds – poverty, competition, and fast changing trends – will certainly leave a strong legacy to Pinoy businessmen.
“You can be successful no matter who you are or where you come from. A lot of tycoons have Spanish or Chinese blood. I'm the only one who is 'Pinoy na Pinoy.' I hear a lot of other people say that they don't want to go into business because they don't have Chinese blood. That's a wrong way of thinking. We are all the same. I see no reason why any ordinary person cannot become successful.”
And that is why they call him “The Brown Taipan.”
Mr. Villar is married to Senator Cynthia A. Villar. They have three children – Paolo, Mark (now the Secretary of Public Works and Highways); and Camille.
Manny Villar (FORBES / MANILA BULLETIN)
By Pinky Concha Colmenares and Johannes Chua
Manuel Villar, the second richest man in the country in the Forbes List, walked into the coffee shop in a most ordinary fashion, much like the ones who were coming in for coffee that Wednesday morning. No bodyguards cleared his way.
But this man is far from the ordinary coffee customer. He owns the place – Coffee Project, now with 39 branches around the country. By the end of the year, there will be 12 more to add to the brand’s strong image as a coffee shop also featuring stylish spaces to meet and do business.
If millennials only know of Coffee Project, their parents and bosses must know Mr. Villar for building houses – nearly 500,000 units now – since he established a company known as Camella Homes in 1977.
Camella Homes is one of the subsidiaries of Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., whose other companies – Brittany, Crown Asia, Communities Philippines, Vista Residences and Starmalls – have added to the reputation of being the leading integrated property developer in the country which has a 45 percent share of the market.
In September 2018, The Forbes Philippines Rich List placed Villar’s wealth at $5 billion.
Rich man in a mobile office
Even with the achievement of building many communities – in addition to being former Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives – Mr. Villar calls Coffee Project his mobile office. He is like the many millennials who have made coffee shops their unofficial office address, except that he’s generations ahead of them.
“Actually, I don't have an office. Coffee Project serves as my mobile office. I meet people here. With just a smartphone, an Internet connection, you can already do your work. Unlike before when you need to be in an office with an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setup,” he told us.
This man, who speaks in the mild manner of a fine gentleman, has always been way ahead of the game. His most recent business enterprise — Coffee Project – started because he noticed that the ground floors of his buildings – and the people working or living there – needed a presentable yet functional coffee shop.
But more than just a place to get coffee, Mr. Villar developed Coffee Project as a co-working space where people meet or work at seating areas with an ambience very stylishly upscale, just like the coffee shops in trendy cities of the world.
“I want people to go here. I want them to feel like it is a co-working space where they can socialize or work at the same time; it is very millennial,” he said.
The simple businessman
The aura of Manny Villar settled around us as soon as he took his seat at his favorite corner. He did not exude the air of the number two richest man in the country. He talked like a simple businessman who had taken risks, and succeeded.
He did not think of creating this big business empire when he started. “Dreams progress; as you become bigger, your dreams become bigger. When I was young, I just wanted to sell a lot of fish in the market. Then when I went into the sand and gravel business, I wished for more orders so I can expand the business, and so on,” he recalled.
It is not the first time that he makes us aware of his roots. He had described the conditions in the wet market where at nine years old, he helped his mother sell fish, standing on wet floors, where one looks forward to the coffee of a roaming vendor.
‘Nothing to lose’
He traces his guts from being poor. “If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. So don't feel bad if you have nothing. You can become the best entrepreneur.”
We are enchanted by the conversation. We hang on to a magic tip he can share that would perhaps drive us to be successful entrepreneurs.
He gives that in one line: “You must have the desire to compete,” he said. “The feeling is more like what basketball players and athletes feel; they need to compete and they feel good competing.”
He adds another ingredient to be a successful businessman — guts.
“That separates the ordinary man from the big businessman or tycoon. Tycoons are gutsier. They are more daring, they are the ones who innovated the business landscape, they thrived when there is none,” Mr. Villar said.
Perfect timing
“What I learned along the way is that you have to continue learning. Otherwise, you become stagnant. Business is a continuing game, you are shooting the rabbits non-stop. Especially now that competition is fiercer and more intense.”
Success also hinges on perfect timing, he said: “Sometimes, it is also risky if you were the first one. You have to find the perfect timing. It is dangerous to be late, but it is also dangerous to be way ahead. It is best to find the right timing.”
What comes after perfect timing and a string of successful business ventures – expansion or diversification?
“Actually, I'm just adding to what we have. I build homes and communities and the residents would need power, convenience stores, schools, hospitals, memorial parks, etc. In the end, it is just providing what they need. They want to eat and watch movies, so I put up malls. They want to study, I put up schools. When they get sick, I built hospitals. When they die, there's a memorial park.”
Mr. Villar is the chairman of the board of All Home, All Shop, All Toys and Coffee Project. His family is also involved in water, energy and mining and owns Golden Haven Memorial Park, Inc., a publicly listed company.
Raising the standards
Successful ventures led him to be meticulous about raising the standards of his products, especially those that are located out of Metro Manila.
“In the provinces, we have already built the best. If you look at the Camella Homes communities there, we opened communities with international themes. Our new commercial spaces are indeed very nice,” he said especially citing the modern features of his cinema houses.
Leaving a legacy
This man who defied the odds – poverty, competition, and fast changing trends – will certainly leave a strong legacy to Pinoy businessmen.
“You can be successful no matter who you are or where you come from. A lot of tycoons have Spanish or Chinese blood. I'm the only one who is 'Pinoy na Pinoy.' I hear a lot of other people say that they don't want to go into business because they don't have Chinese blood. That's a wrong way of thinking. We are all the same. I see no reason why any ordinary person cannot become successful.”
And that is why they call him “The Brown Taipan.”
Mr. Villar is married to Senator Cynthia A. Villar. They have three children – Paolo, Mark (now the Secretary of Public Works and Highways); and Camille.