OF TREES AND FOREST Just like everyone else, I 've been watching how the Middle East conflict is unfolding and praying that somehow all the parties involved realize that peace is better than war. The economic ripples of the conflict are already showing up at sari-sari stores, tricycle drivers,...
The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to protect overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) remittances by requiring transparency in fees and foreign exchange rates. Sen. Joel Villanueva, sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1917, otherwise known as the Overseas Filipino Workers’...
OF TREES AND FOREST I write these words not just as a former colleague, but as one who had the privilege of sharing with Speaker Joe de Venecia the burden—and the joy—of shaping our nation’s path. When I served as Senate President while he led the House, we stood on opposite ends of the same...
A Senate bill is seeking to provide mechanisms to make polling places readily available to PWDs, pregnant women, and indigenous people. Senator Mark Villar filed Senate Bill No. 1698, titled “An Act Enhancing Accessibility in the Voting of Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, Pregnant...
Billionaire Manuel B. Villar denied allegations of price manipulation and insider trading filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), describing the charges as baseless while vowing to defend his family’s business reputation. Villar, the Philippines’ richest person, said in a...
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed criminal charges against Villar Land Holdings Corp., its top executives, and related entities for alleged market manipulation and insider trading. In a complaint filed with the Department of Justice on Jan. 30, the regulator accused the company of...
There’s no doubt that Metro South is on the cusp of growth. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the region is prepared to manage that expected expansion effectively. One answer to that challenge is already beginning to take shape in Villar City. Envisioned as the new center of gravity of...
The news of the purchase of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. by billionaire Lucio L. Co in December of the past year spooked me, coming as it did while I was focused on the continuing downward spin of the equities market and the weakening of the local currency. Yes, Virginia, the acquisition—lock,...
ABS-CBN Corp. signed a licensing agreement with billionaire Manuel Villar Jr.’s Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc. to air the Kapamilya Channel on the ALLTV Network starting Jan. 2, 2026. The media company controlled by the Lopez family disclosed the deal to the Philippine Stock Exchange on...
OF TREES AND FOREST They say life slows down as you get older, but I’ve found that, for me, it has only become richer, deeper, and somehow more vibrant. I’ve been working for as long as I can remember — waking up early to accompany my Nanay Curing to Divisoria, where, in our little stall,...
Billionaire Manuel Villar Jr. is selling 100 percent of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. to Lucio Co’s Crystal Bridges Holding Corp., marking the property magnate’s exit from the water utility business. The Villar Group confirmed the divestment in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 16, saying it has...
Sen. Mark Villar said on Wednesday, December 4 that the Independent Commission on Infrastructure’s (ICI) latest decision to refer his case before the Ombudsman proves that the allegations against him are without any basis. “The ICI’s decision to refer my case to the Ombudsman reaffirms...
