OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Sometimes we tend to complicate life. We work so hard looking for things we do not have and ignore those that we actually have. I understand why some people look for happiness by acquiring wealth and material possessions. As a young boy...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar When his parents gave him the name Fidel, they probably saw something in him that told them he was going to be great someday. Fidel is a name that was derived from the Latin “fidelis” which means “faithful”. And that embodied what...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Two separate violent occurrences shook our world in the past week. The first was political while the second was natural. On July 24, 2022, a shooting incident marred what should have been a joyous occasion, the graduation ceremonies of the...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar In about a week’s time, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. will deliver his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the Congress of the Philippines. It is one of the Constitutional duties of the Chief Executive...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar The votes that have been reflected in the COMELEC Transparency Servers and reported in real time by various media outfits and citizen watchdogs seem to show one thing—a landslide victory for the tandem of former Senator Ferdinand...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar One important lesson I have learned is that life always offers us a second chance. Even when we experience failures and setbacks, life always gives us a do-over so we can try again and succeed. This, I believe, is the real message of Easter....
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar In response to calls from the private sector, government has announced that they are now crafting a pandemic exit plan. Presidential adviser for COVID-19 response Vince Dizon has been quoted by the press as saying that the National Task Force...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar As the election campaign nears, a lot of people have been asking me who I am voting for in the May national elections. I do not have an answer for that question right now but there is a question that I think is equally important—what kind...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar I have said it before and I will say it again — entrepreneurs will lead our country’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. During the recently concluded Villar SIPAG’s 10th OFW & Family Summit, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M....
Former Senate President Manny Villar OF TREES AND FOREST We are entering a decisive moment in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The 7-day moving average of new cases has plummeted to 5,732 from a high of 20,915 around the second week of September. Active cases are down to 66,887 from a high...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Why do people run for public office? What motivates people to devote themselves to 60 or 90 days of grueling campaign, cruel and unfair attacks on one’s character, loss of financial resources, and, in some instances, put their lives on the...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Getting a college education has always been a life goal, even a status symbol for Filipinos. Having a college diploma—that big, laminated piece of paper hanging in your living room—is considered by many as one of the indicators of...