Camille

Coffee Project was a passion project for Camille and myself. Before, we would visit Vista Malls and our other projects and lament the lack of a nice, cozy coffee spot where we can meet while enjoying a cup of Joe. So we thought about putting up the coffee shop of our dreams. It was a passion project because we both love coffee. She loves an iced Americano while I like mine hot. Coffee was our thing. 

I remember one time when we were still conceptualizing the coffee shop, Camille was very adamant about never compromising on quality. I remember her saying, “Dad, we want our coffee shop to be affordable to everyone but it does not have to be cheap.” She insisted on the highest quality for coffee lovers. This is one of the things I love about my daughter: When she does something she really gives it her all to make sure that not only does she accomplish what she set out to do but also do it the best possible way. That is how she is in our business. That is how she is as a public servant.

This is the reason why I was beaming with pride when I, together with Mark, accompanied her in filing the certificate of candidacy for Senator in the 2025 elections. I have no doubt in my mind that, should our people give her the mandate, Camille will do her job with the interest of the people foremost in her mind, and, with unparalleled excellence. 

She could have been a spoiled brat satisfied with mediocrity but she is not. She could just have waited — partying all night and spending till kingdom come — to inherit our family business but she persevered to get a degree on business management at the Ateneo de Manila University. Not contented with her preparation she also obtained a master's degree in business administration from the prestigious IESE Business School in Barcelona. She wanted to be prepared. She wanted to be the best.

This is the reason why, at a very young age, she successfully managed all the retail business operations of Villar Group under AllValue, and has overseen the rapid growth and expansion of AllValue group of companies.  For these, she was honored with two prestigious awards at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in Las Vegas, USA, and was recognized as both the Government Hero of the Year and the Female Executive of the Year in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

In 2019, 27 years after I made my decision to enter politics, Camille made her own decision to serve our country. And I think that, similar to my experience in Congress, her excellence in business management and corporate governance has proven very helpful to her success as a legislator. In her first term, she was elected to become deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Some might think that I am just a biased dad extremely proud of her daughter. That is probably true. But my response to that is the same response I have to critics who falsely claim that we are encouraging nepotism and building a political dynasty — look at her record and her accomplishments, and read her platform of governance before you dismiss her.

Those who shout new politics to high heavens are the same people who perpetuate the old ways because they are judging simply based on the surname of the candidate. If you argue that people should not vote for someone simply because of their last name then doesn’t it make sense that you should also not reject someone simply because of the surname? These people talk about voting intelligently but as a wise voter shouldn’t you study the candidate’s record first and her platform before making an informed decision?

I think Camille has sufficiently answered those critics and she will stand by her superb track record and her plans for a new voice for a new future in our country. I like that — “Bagong Boses, Bagong Bukas.” But I told Camille to ignore haters because “the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.” Camille knows that all she needs to do is be true to herself as she has done all her young life. 

At the end of the day, it is the Filipino people who will decide. And I am confident that our voters understand what kind of people we need in government, especially in the Senate. I am confident that voters will see (as I have seen her grow up into a responsible and effective young leader) Camille as a young, new voice ready to lead our country into a bright, new future.

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