Villar among UP’s most distinguished alumni
MOST DISTINGUISHED U.P. ALUMNI: Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno (left), Sen. Cynthia Villar and Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio hold their awards as the Most Distinguished Alumni of the University of the Philippines during the alumni general homecoming in UP Diliman, Quezon City.
MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Cynthia Villar was awarded the Most Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) during the homecoming and awards ceremonies at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City on Aug. 19.
Villar, in receiving the award, said, “I am truly honored to be among the awardees this year and to be in the company of such line-up of distinguished alumni, who are most respected and considered as experts in their fields of endeavor.”
Aside from Villar, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno also received the award. Twenty others were also named as professional awardees.
“It is not so much about our achievements per se as individuals, but how our efforts have benefitted others and have done this esteemed university proud,” Villar said.
“This recognition encourages me to carry on with my advocacies and it also serves as a validation of my continued efforts to inspire and help our fellow Filipinos. The award is really a bonus. It feels good to be recognized. But it feels even better to know that you are making a difference in people’s lives,” she added.
As the current chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, Villar is pursuing poverty reduction as a legislative priority.
Together with her husband, former Senate president Manny Villar, the senator established the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) that allowed her to provide assistance to overseas Filipino workers, support environmental protection and establish livelihood projects and farm schools all over the country.
Villar earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from UP and completed her master’s degree in Business Administration at the New York University.
She was elected representative of Las Piñas City in 2001 and served for three terms until 2010. In 2013, she was elected senator. Aside from the agriculture committee, she is also the current chair of the committee on environment and natural resources.
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