From her role representing a congressional district, Camille Villar—the youngest and only daughter of the Philippines’ wealthiest man, Manny Villar, and outgoing Senator Cynthia Villar, and sister of current Senator Mark Villar – is now vying for a seat in the Senate.
Her opponents and detractors could easily dismiss her as part of the country’s political dynasties. Her name might be viewed as either a curse or a deterrent. She admits that much of the feedback she has received has been negative.
Nonetheless, Camille is determined and working hard to secure a Senate seat.
During a recent roundtable with Philippine media editors and columnists, Camille outlined her priorities: agriculture, MSMEs, OFWs, and jobs. As a young candidate, she displayed a characteristic often associated with millennials—impatience—which comprises 70 percent of Filipinos.
To pursue these goals, Camille emphasizes the importance of proper resource allocation and the immediate implementation of laws.
“The government has a lot of resources. It is just a matter of proper allocation of resources,” she said, adding that the Philippines has many laws that are difficult to enforce.
“What’s important is that you help the people right away, you address the problems right away,” she emphasized.
Agriculture
The Philippines is fundamentally an agricultural country, and agriculture remains a major jobs generator. However, relatively few are entering farming. Its below-subsistence income discourages the youth from tilling the soil, as farming is often equated with poverty in the country.
“We have a lot of vegetables and fruits in the North, but it’s more of a logistical issue,” she said, citing farm infrastructure as crucial to making the country’s agricultural sector more productive.
Camille aims to make farming appealing to the younger generation by making it “cool and sexy.”
For instance, she advocates for incentives—not just daily subsidies but improvements in farm logistics through better roads, machinery, storage facilities, and technology. All these measures would help improve productivity, increase farmers’ income, and eventually make farming a more attractive profession.
“It’s just that we have a lot of inefficiencies in the government,” she noted, stating that there are already good programs and resources available to revitalize agriculture.
Camille’s mother has also passed laws protecting agriculture, including the livestock industry, which thrived until affected by ASF. Sen. Cynthia Villar has also promoted legislation penalizing economic saboteurs and those involved in smuggling agricultural products.
OFWs
OFWs are close to Camille’s heart. She feels the Villar family owes a debt of gratitude to OFWs, who support and patronize their housing development business. The Villar conglomerate traces its roots back to her father’s first venture in housing projects.
Currently, OFWs account for about 50 percent of their housing unit buyers. “So, we’ve had a long and deep relationship with them,” she said.
Before the internet era, they maintained a hotline for OFWs to contact their loved ones back home. They also hold an OFW Family Summit and raffle off housing units. Camille plans to continue the Villar group’s outreach efforts to OFWs.
Despite ongoing issues faced by OFWs—such as the overstaying OFWs who camped inside the Philippine embassy in Jordan—Camille vowed to introduce legislation to better support them if she is elected. She believes government policies and interventions should help prepare OFWs on their return, particularly in managing their finances. Initially, she contemplated establishing a fund or programs to help them reunify with their families after years abroad.
MSMEs
Growing up with an entrepreneurial father who started from scratch, Camille wants to promote entrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty. She notes that many Filipinos are afraid to venture into entrepreneurship because they believe it’s only for big businesses.
“There are lots of opportunities for entrepreneurial Filipinos, though. But government intervention is needed to assist those who want to start their own businesses,” she said.
She emphasizes practical support, such as reducing overhead costs—like electricity—to help startup micro and small enterprises. She advocates for backing MSMEs because they create more jobs.
Jobs
To create more employment opportunities, her father advised her to focus on labor-intensive industries. Camille plans to push for more infrastructure projects and further development in tourism and agriculture.
“We need to give them as much support as possible. We need to put resources there,” she stressed.
She intends to prioritize sectors that can generate jobs quickly and develop industries with strong potential for growth, since it’s impractical to push for all industries simultaneously.
“Let’s prioritize the ones that can provide the most jobs and, secondly, industries that will make the Philippines competitive,” she added.
Implementation
Camille stated that there are already many laws intended to help improve the country’s economy. However, she emphasized that the main issue lies in implementation. While these laws exist, some of their implementing rules and regulations remain unfinished even three years after the laws were passed.
“We have beautifully written laws, we have a lot of laws in the Philippines, and if you look at them, they address all the problems that we have, even on climate change,” she said.
Camille shared that during her research, she discovered laws dating back to the year 2000 that address the effects of climate change on agriculture. “No one pays attention to it,” she remarked.
Having worked in the private sector for 15 years before entering politics, Camille said she was trained to act quickly. “When you’re in business, you have to be quick, and you have to be able to implement properly,” she explained.
Her goal for legislation is to improve how laws are implemented—making the process more straightforward and accessible.
“How do we implement our laws more efficiently so that the people can enjoy the benefits right away,” she asked, noting that many existing laws are overly complicated and very theoretical.
Despite being born with the proverbial “silver spoon,” Camille asserts she is just a typical Filipino. She relates to a self-made father and a mother who passionately advocates for the plight of ordinary farmers.
While Camille makes a lot of sense, her latest survey ranking places her in 12th spot, behind celebrity candidates who have no clear platform.
