How long have you been married? 6 years. Oh, so almost the same. Let's start? We went ahead. He has a bachelor's degree in economics, political science and philosophy from Wharton School University of Pennsylvania. He also finished his master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He was the president of Crown Asia Corporation before becoming the managing director of Vista Land and Landscapes. He was elected as congressman in Las Piñas back in 2010. And continuing the mantra Build, Build, Build. We have with us the Philippines's secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. We have Sec. Mark Villar, hi. Hi Toni. Thank you so much. If you were to rate yourself as a student before, what type of student were you? I used to go out a lot when I was in high school and college. That eventually became my problem too because I go out too much when I was in high school and college. I just try to balance it. And thankfully, I passed all my classes. You come from a prominent family here in the Philippines. Your family name already speaks for itself. Recognized in the whole country. What for you is the advantage and disadvantage of being a Villar? Actually, I don't really feel any different. Especially when I was young. During that time, we were not public servants yet. I guess later in life when I was much older, that's when my father came out more to the public. But early on, we lived a simple life. When I was young, I didn't really feel anything out of the ordinary with my family. Did your father discipline you before? He wasn't strict but he was very conscious with our grades in school. Even my mother, she was very active when we were schooling. They were actively involved in our education. How was your relationship with your father while growing up? Happy On weekends, we drove going to fast foods. I remember very distinctly when I was a kid, every Saturday, we would have breakfast. Our father would drive and we would all be cramped in the backseat. When he ran for president in the 2010 elections, what was that experience like for you? Exciting but stressful. Of course, we all know that during presidential campaigns, there would be a lot of criticism. Maybe, it really is like that during elections. That's one of the things I admire about my father, he moves on fast. I think that's very important lesson for anyone, perseverance. Because when he lost, the next day, he went back to work right away. He moved on right away. So I always remember that, his resilience. Sometimes in life, you'll really lose sometimes. But you have to be ready to move on fast. I think that's one of the important lessons you got from your father: Resilience. Yes, I think. And perseverance. Actually, it's true what they say that perseverance is key. That's what I want my daughter, Emma, to learn too. You should also be brave. Life's really challenging. You can't win all the time. You'll fail many times in life. Like me. Whether it's academically or politically, In running a business, that's normal. After every failure, I ask myself, "what did I do wrong?" So, I do my best to study my process and what went wrong. Failure is a learning experience. It's the best learning experience to say even until now. Yes. You will learn more from your failures than your successes. Yeah, I think that's always important. How's your relationship with your mother? My mother is more of the disciplinarian between the two of them. She would really check my homework. What's one thing you got from your mother? I guess hard work. My mom really is a hard worker. I see her everyday as she leads by example. Their hard work is immeasurable. That became part of my values, too. When you were assigned to be the DPWH secretary, what was that challenge like? It was a huge challenge. I was very- I was nervous. It was my first time to be in the executive branch. I came from a private sector. All of us want to be written in the history of our country, and to be able to contribute something. All of us grew up with familiar problems in our country like heavy traffic. All of us get frustrated. We see that other countries have excellent trains, excellent road systems, and their highways are topnotch. Sometimes, their development makes me envious. So, in my head, the dream is, when Emma grows up, things should be better. And that's part of the reason why I decided to take the job. I think, for me, what's most important is that the problems you experience, should not reach the next generation. What are the problems you've experienced? Traffic. I'm never home early. I don't see my child anymore. I kept thinking, "This is not right. Two hours in traffic?" In a way, I had no regrets on taking the position. I will do everything I can so that Emma won't go through this anymore. That's just one example. There's still a lot of problems, like the flooding. And of course, the biggest one, poverty. So that we could further develop. we need to fix our infrastructure first because nobody will invest here if we have no means of proper transportation. Those are out infrastructure, roads, and train systems. When that gets fixed, I'm sure the rest will follow. Sometimes, this job is difficult too. It's stressful. Sometimes, I'd keep thinking if I chose the right job or if it's worth it. This isn't really for me. But whenever things get difficult, I just think of my daughter. What's the hardest part? You can't avoid the negative things that confront you. Whatever you do, someone will always say something. How do you handle the criticism? If it's negative, I ignore it. I just focus on the job at hand. That's why I'm usually quiet. Even when I started my position as the DPWH secretary. A lot of people say that I'm too quiet. I would think about what I could say. I haven't really done anything because I just got the position. So, I'll just act on it, rather than say it. My work will speak for itself. So that was my mentality from the beginning. I do understand that I am new to public service, nobody really knows me, and they don't know my track record, so it's understandable that I get a lot of criticism. It's understandable and I don't take things personally. I just keep telling myself, "I'll just do what I need to do." In the end... the structures will speak for me. What are you most proud of about your Build, Build, Build project? I'm proud of everything. Not my work but the people around me, the whole team. And I'm very proud to work with them because they work hard every single day. They've worked so hard for the past few years and they don't really get any acknowledgement. The people I work with have great characters. So I have the highest respect for them. And that's what I'm very proud of, the work of the people in the department and even all around. You mentioned a while ago that you came from a private sector. And now you're working in a position that's very public. Yes. What's the biggest difference from before? Me personally, I'm really timid. I'm not a really outgoing person. If I could just stay at home, and not come out for the media, I'd do that. But I also know how crucial it is for people to know what the government has been doing. They have to know because that's their money. So, I had to be more outgoing. I adjusted to the life of a public servant. So what do you like most about what you do? The fulfillment. When you see something fully built bridge or highway, and you hear comments from people who'd say, "Hey, that looks nice. We used to travel longer, but now, all it takes is 20 minutes." Before, we'd be stuck in two hours of traffic. That really makes me feel that everything was worth it, the sacrifice, everything. And at least, we were able to do something in our time here. You know, I wanted to make sure from the beginning that at least in the end, I can- I can say that the improvement was huge. If there's one thing that you don't like? I don't like how people try to look for the negative in each project. But that's part of it. That's part of this job we chose. What do you prioritize in life? Of course, family always number one in the end. That's why I'm doing this. But like I said, especially now with my daughter. That's the- One of the most- My daughter and my wife. serve as my inspiration in life. And of course, my family. Like in life, I've been blessed. I've already been very blessed more than most. So in my mind, the least I can do is give my daughter a better future. That's a good goal, but it's still better if the whole country becomes prosperous. So that's what's most important for me, especially in this work. If you think about it, that's not needed, but that's definitely something I want to accomplish in my lifetime. When I got into public service, I never thought that I'd become the DPWH secretary. It was never- What was your dream when you were a kid? When I was a kid? To be a basketball player. But, I didn't have the height of one. But I used to practice every day. As in you wanted to get into the PBA? Yeah, but again, I didn't have the height. Reality check. I accepted that right away. That's another important lesson in life. Sometimes your destiny- you have to accept it. I accept the reality of the situation, but before, I really loved playing basketball and I even watch live games. When I was growing up, my favorite player was Allan Caidic. So that was my dream as a kid, to become a basketball player. - And you were shocked that your future led you here.
- Yeah, that's why I don't know how I ended up in DPWH. From PBA to DPWH. You really can't tell what destiny has in store for you, or what the Lord's plans are. As to what your true calling is, right? - God's plans.
- Yes. When I was younger, my father would always tell us a story -- that he wanted to do this and that, with the highways and such. He would tell us that we should be able to connect everything. We should have one highway so at least the country is connected as one. If you want to go to Bicol, it should be an easy journey already. He had those stories. And I never thought that one day, I'd be the DPWH secretary. So when the job was offered to me, somehow, maybe that was the message to me. Even if my father did not win in the elections, we were still given a chance to realize what his dreams were. That's what I had in mind when I was offered the position. Could this be God's plan too? Since this is already my career path already, I really want to do an excellent job. And I always knew that infrastructure is important. You mentioned a while ago that your biggest inspiration in your job and whatever it is you do is your family. And when I learned about your love story, it's so inspiring. You met your wife in 2010 in the Congress. Yes, yes. You were both neophyte lawmakers. My wife is very... very intelligent. She's also beautiful. Speaking of intelligent, she graduated magna cum laude sa La Salle. Good for her that she's very intelligent. Her academic career was great. So I was very attracted to her from the beginning. But she wasn't that attracted to me. So when you met her- She comes from the descendants of Aglipay. - Am I right?
- Yes, yes. Her father became a PNP chief. Yes. And then her grandfather was also in the military. Manuel Yan. Then she's also the descendants of - Gregorio Aglipay.
- Yes, yes. So they really had a history of being part of uniformed services. What attracted you most to your wife? The whole package. Intelligent, pretty. We talked and we became friends. And sometimes, I'd ask her to go out for lunch or dinner. Her concern, really, is her lupus. How did she reveal to you her sickness? Her symptoms. Sometimes, her hair would fall off. But for me, I really love her. So her sickness was never an issue. But I studied that. So when you found out about lupus- It's an autoimmune disease that attacks the tissues and organs of your body. So how did you look at her after learning about her sickness? I admired her for her strength. I saw that having lupus wasn't a hindrance for her. I never even noticed it. When you see her... it's like nothing's changed. So it's very courageous the way she handles the lupus. And there were a lot of challenges, even giving birth. Right? That's why our daughter is a very big blessing. You called her a miracle, We prayed for her. We went to so many churches to pray so that we could have a child. And that's why her name is Emma Therese. Because we prayed to Saint Therese. And it was a huge blessing because right after that prayer, Em became pregnant. How was her pregnancy? It was problematic. Very difficult for her especially. So I admire her very much because she did everything she had to do. Because when you have lupus, it sometimes affects your child as well. So there were a lot of procedures. Everyday, they'd inject something on her. She had to take different kinds of medicine. And there would be times when she gets so weak when she goes low blood. - During her whole pregnancy?
- During pregnancy. Was she bedridden? There were times that she needed transfusions. So it was very difficult. We were afraid that Emma would get sick, too. She was only 4.5 pounds. But that's all in the past now. Her height and weight are good. Emma is super healthy. That's why this huge blessing makes us so grateful. That's the one thing I'm always thankful for, My baby's health. Isn't it that when we finally have a child, something changes in us? Yes. What changed in you? For me, I became more courageous. Like what I was saying a while ago, when I have problems, and when it's so difficult for me, I always think of who the hardships are for. They say our kids can be our best teachers in life. What's the biggest lesson that your daughter has taught you? - about life.
- For me, one sacrifice, selflessness because I love Emma so much. And everything I do, it's always thinking to the future. That's my mindset, especially with this job. That's why it's not a problem anymore. I'm not stressed because- Whenever I do get stressed though, I just think of Emma, and everything I'm doing for her. When you take that perspective, you can do anything. You can withstand anything. So when problems arise, I'm sure I can manage. I'm not doing this for myself, I'm doing this for my child. I will really endure anything. At least at the end of the day, when I step down from my position, I can say that I left something good for the children. So if I were to ask you, what is success for you? Because when we look at you, we know you've lived a successful life already. But if you were to define success-- That's a really good question. If I were to define success, it starts with family first. When I say with your family, happiness and health with the family. And of course, when it comes to public service, in the end, what you're doing is also for your family. At least, what's going to be left for your child would be better - than what you started with.
- than what you had. For me, that's success: If I leave my children with something better than I experienced, I think that's the ultimate form of success for any parent. We're very happy, especially with our daughter. We're so grateful. She's really our happiness. You might meet her later. She's actually here. She's really like one of our driving forces. What is your dream for the DPWH? There are eighteen thousand people under the DPWH. Eighteen thousand strong with engineers. There are a lot of professionals in the DPWH. So I really want the organization to be a more professional one. That's why we've been implementing a lot of projects. The software systems to make our monitoring more efficient. For our service for the people to be better. That's my dream, to become an admired professional organization. There's a saying in basketball- And I go back to my basketball because that really is my talent. Wow! Wow! And I got to one of my idols, Kobe Bryant. They always say "When you play a game, at the end of the day, you want to leave it all in the court." Meaning? Meaning, you'll give everything you can give. For the next few months, I just want to say that when I step down, I left everything at the court. Meaning, all the efforts, the blood, sweat, tears and everything, I left it all in the court. So I'll have no regrets in the end. That's my only message. At the end of the day, no regrets. I will do everything I can. I'm not going to say that, "I could've done more." No, I will really do everything I can in the next few months. I will finish everything I can finish. At one point in your life, you became the secretary of DPWH. How would you want the people to remember you? These are not my accomplishments. These are the accomplishments of so many people. You know, I'm just one person they're helping. But the reality is, there's so many people, six million people who worked on this project. So I think, you know, I'm the last person who should get credit for that. I'll go for the six million and one. Because the six million people never really get the credit, but they're the ones who are really, you know, working every day. And I leave that to other people to decide on what they think of me, As long as, for me, I want what we did to be remembered. I want these roads, you know- And that's the beauty of doing road projects, it'll be there forever. Even after we're all gone, it'll still be there. And people will remember what happened. I'm sure Emma is so proud of you. Thank you. Thank you. She will be very proud of you when she grows up. "My father did that." Honestly, that's actually my fantasy that one day when I'm old already, Emma would take me to the bridges we built. "This bridge was made by your dad." I even have a picture of that. I hope and I look forward to that day. That one day at least. And for me, that's more than enough. The fact that it goes beyond me. Even her kids. Nothing can measure to that. It's something, that kind of fulfillment. It's amazing. When you think about you kid, you can endure anything. Nothing's ever too difficult if it's for your children, for the next generation. Those challenges will be easy.
