Land developers form group for Villar

With still one year and nine months to go before the May 2010 elections, Filipino-owned property developers, led by businessman Reghis Romero II have banded together to form an organization that will support Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar’s presidential bid.

Joining Romero in putting up the Manny Villar for President Movement Inc. (MVPMI) are Noel Carino, a former congressman and a member  of the Fil-Estate Group triumvirate; Sta. Lucia Realty & Development Inc. top honcho Exequiel Robles, Victorio V. Soliven who heads the V.V. Soliven Group of Companies, Vazbuilt  owner Edgardo Vazquez, and Polar Property Holdings Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Jerry Navarrete,

Completing the group are Fernando Caguiñgin (president of Professional Estate Ventures Corp. and a consultant to a member of the House of Representatives in the field of housing and urban development), Arsenio De Guzman Jr.  of realty and marketing firm Asian Pacific Group of Companies and father of Quezon City Councilor Dante De Guzman, Wonder Island Resort owner Rodolfo Pua, real estate broker and developer Florentino S. Dulalia of F.S. Dulalia Realty Inc.,  Pedro Tario (former president of the Chamber of Real Estate& Builders Association) and Angel Vivas Jr. (vice-president for chapter affairs of CREBA), architect Enrique Olonan (former head of the United Architects of the Philippines) and Eugene Yu.

Polar Holdings is part of the Villar Group of Companies, whose main business is real estate development. Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. serves as the holding firm for most of the real estate assets of the Villar family including Communities Philippines Inc., which markets the brands and products of three other sister companies Brittany, Crown Asia and Camella Homes in areas outside Mega Manila.

The SEC has already approved the  incorporation of MVPMI, which has been initially capitalized at P500,000, of which P80,000 was contributed by Romero, owner of R-II Builders. The other incorporator-directors chipped in P30,000 each.

Listed as MVPMI’s primary purpose is “to identify, enlist and mobilize leaders in private business, professionals and other individuals and encourage, motivate and organize them to consistently and regularly cooperate, fund and provide other resources and support to the organization.”

Its foremost objective is provide wide private sector voluntary involvement in getting full participation for the development of all individuals in the organization without acting as a political party. In an interview, Romero said MVPMI  is an organization of businessmen who have pledged support for Villar  should he decide to run for the highest political position in the land. “We formed the organization because we share a common concern. And that is for the country to be run like a business. We feel that Villar is highly qualified to run the Philippines. We need someone who understands the fundamentals of business,” he said.

Villar and Sen. Manuel Roxas II  were the earliest candidates to signify  their intentions to run for President in 2010.  Villar is both Senate President and head of the country’s oldest party Nacionalista Party while Roxas is president of the Liberal Party.