Love endures in the House of intrigues

By: Leila B. Salaverria - 10 years ago

REPRESENTATIVES Mark Villar and Em Aglipay: Romance in the unlikeliest of places. ALANAH TORRALBA

While politics has been known to tear friends and families apart, it did the opposite for Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar and Diwa Rep. Emmeline Aglipay.

Love has blossomed between the two, who met as neophyte lawmakers in 2010 in the 15th Congress, where they navigated the often intrigue- and controversy-filled world of politics that has, ironically, brought them closer.

After dating for two years, the couple quietly got married in a civil ceremony on Sept. 19 and are set to have a Catholic wedding at the Church of St. Teresa in Singapore on Oct. 1—a strictly family affair. A reception for friends and colleagues will follow a week later in Las Piñas City.

The couple have chosen to keep their wedding private despite their public profiles.

Major players

Villar’s family is a major player in politics and business. His mother Cynthia is a senator and his father Manuel, a former politician and real estate mogul who is one of the richest Filipinos, with a net worth of $1.5 billion.

The younger Villar used to work for the family’s company, but has since followed in his parents’ footsteps in politics. He is now serving his second term as Las Piñas representative and chairs the House committee on trade and industry.

Aglipay, also a second termer in the House, is a lawyer and a Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee in 2012. She is one of the advocates of the freedom of information bill and the reproductive health law.

She is the youngest daughter of former Philippine National Police Chief Edgar Aglipay and granddaughter of former Ambassador and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Manuel Yan.

Politics worked for Villar and Aglipay’s relationship instead of against it.

“I guess, in a way, it’s OK because on that level, we can also relate to each other, and then we see each other almost every day in [the House],” Villar told the Inquirer in an interview in Aglipay’s Pasig City home.

Independent, strong-willed

The couple have also shared advocacies as lawmakers. These include the welfare of children and adults with special needs—a topic close to Aglipay’s heart, as she has a sister with special needs. They also support the promotion of better education and have similar measures on the welfare of distressed overseas Filipino workers.

Villar recalled how they faced challenges together, particularly when he campaigned hard for Aglipay’s party-list group Diwa on his home turf so it would have a good showing there in last year’s elections.

They have their differences as well, but the couple have not let it come between them.

“Em is very independent-minded and that’s one of the things I love about her. She’s so strong-willed …. She has her opinions and I respect that, whether or not we agree, which we don’t always,” Villar said.

Aglipay, on the other hand, finds Villar dependable and easy to talk to, and they can discuss any topic.

No instant romance

It was not love at first sight for the two lawmakers, who met at work and in social gatherings but had the chance to go out on a date only a year later.

Aglipay said she did not take Villar seriously at first since she thought he was “just a joker” and didn’t like his “chauvinistic” humor.

“And I was probably too serious for my own good,” she said.

She did not take his initial invitations asking her out on group dates seriously, either. However, when he asked her for a lunch date on her birthday in May 2011, she thought, why not?

She had not planned to date, much less marry, someone in politics but had no aversion to the idea, either.

The two did not always have time to see each other after the birthday lunch, so their courtship became a “long, drawn-out thing.”

“It slowly brewed,” said Aglipay.

Passion for food, travel

It was about a year later, on June 18, 2012, that they officially became a couple.

“I realized he was perfect for me, and I for him,” said Aglipay.

Aside from their shared background in politics, the couple have a passion for food and travel.

“Since I met her, I’ve gained about [2.25 kilograms]. That’s one of my accomplishments,” said Villar.

Aglipay, however, has kept her slim figure.

“We travel to eat,” she said, adding that they like trying out new cuisine, as even their trips tend to center around food, which range from street food to fine dining.

Engagement foretold

The couple’s engagement was foretold by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

During the budget deliberations in September last year, another lawmaker, Magdalo Rep. Ashely Acedillo, proposed to his girlfriend on the floor during a session break.

Belmonte had then joked that Villar should be the next to propose.

A year later, Aglipay and Villar became husband and wife.

The couple got engaged on April 16 at the Great Wall of China during their Easter vacation. The proposal did not involve any grand presentation but a long, grueling hike to a steep and secluded portion of the Great Wall.

Villar wanted to propose in a secluded spot, so he asked her to keep on climbing to a steeper portion where there would hardly be any tourists.

Eventually, the climb took its toll on his knees so he soon stopped, knelt, took out the ring and popped the question.

Aglipay said the proposal was not one of those dramatic ones she had seen. She thought that he would make a speech that would make her cry.

But the actual moment was “light and funny,” and no less happy.

“It was a light feeling, and funny. We just kept on laughing,” she said.

They took selfies to document the momentous occasion.

Take two

However, when they got down from the wall, Aglipay lost her phone that contained the pictures of their engagement. She was so sad that they returned to the Great Wall the next day to take engagement pictures a second time.

“But we only went to the flat portion [of the wall]. So our photos were a take two,” Villar said, laughing.

“Just so we’d have something to show our children,” Aglipay added.

Villar said his parents were happy that he finally decided to get married.

“At my age—I’m already 36—I think they were happy we’re finally getting married,” he said.

Mark is the Villars’ middle child. The eldest, Manuel Paolo, is president and chief executive officer of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., while the youngest, Camille, is managing director of Brittany, one of Vista Land’s brands.

Since her siblings are all married and have children, there wasn’t similar pressure on the 32-year-old Aglipay to settle down but she said her parents were as pleased as well about their union.

For their Singapore wedding, the couple said it was their choice to keep it small and intimate.

Despite being in the public eye, Villar said he was a private person and preferred to keep his personal life quiet. Aglipay is the more outgoing of the two but preferred a private wedding as well.

Strictly no politicians

The couple’s four sets of sponsors for their Singapore wedding would consist of their aunts and close family friends—strictly no politicians.

But their colleagues from politics will be invited to their Las Piñas reception on Oct. 9.

Villar said they chose Singapore for their religious ceremony because he had spent a lot of time there for his studies, and was taking courses there for his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).

They will have the Catholic wedding ceremony at the Church of St. Teresa and Aglipay will walk down the aisle in a gown by Veluz Reyes.

Before the Singapore wedding, the couple wed in civil rights earlier this month to make things legal.

Aglipay explained that they could have a legally valid wedding in Singapore as well but they’d have to do it before the consul. In their case, they would be having a religious ceremony, so they opted to wed in civil rights in the Philippines to take care of the legalities.

Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen, Aglipay’s law school professor, presided over their civil wedding, held at the Intercontinental Hotel Manila. It was supposed to be at the Supreme Court but Tropical Storm “Mario” forced the court to close early.

No honeymoon plans

The couple have no definite honeymoon plans yet because Villar has to finish his MBA and they have their work in the House to attend to.

But they plan to start a family soon.

The couple also hope to continue their political careers and plan to run for their third and last terms in the House of Representatives in 2016. Villar joked that he could now join Congressional Spouses Inc., a group composed mostly of House members’ wives.

Villar has no plans to run for public office just yet but in case he does, Aglipay said she would support him. Villar said he would be supportive of her plans as well.

Shared passions and interests keep them strong despite their different personalities, said Aglipay.

“Sharing a passion with your husband or wife is something that brings you together,” she said.