On December 13, 1949, Manuel Bamba Villar, Jr. was born to Manuel Montalban Villar, Sr. and Curita Bamba in poor Tondo, Manila. He is the second eldest in a big brood of nine. Manuel Sr. was a government employee and Curita was a seafood vendor.
Life was not easy on Manny. He went to a public school in Tondo for his primary education. He helped his mother selling seafood at the same, which eventually forced him to quit school for a while. He later resumed studying at Tondo Parochial School. Manuel Sr. was sent to the United States on a higher education scholarship grant that lead to a big promotion upon his return to the country. He was able to procure a housing loan for a better home for his family. Manny went to Mapua Institute of Technology for his secondary school and to University of the Philippines for his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his Masters. While in UP, he still juggled work and school to make ends meet.
Just like Noynoy, his career started in business. He was an accountant for the reputable firm Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Company (SGV). After he quit his job, he took after his mother and started his own seafood delivery business. The business failed due to broke customers. He went back to being an employee. He worked for Private Development Corporation of the Philippines as a financial analyst. The department he was assigned to was not doing well so quit his job yet again and went to start a new business venture, this time, in construction. He started with raw materials, providing sand and gravel to construction firms. He later on progressed to having his own construction firm with its own housing project plans. It was an astounding success, and he received numerous honorary distinctions in many organisations and academic institutions.
In 1992, he was elected as the Representative of the District of Las Piñas City. He was the House Speaker in his second term. He was elected Senator after his third term as Representative. He also became the Senate President Pro Tempore and then Senate President as well as Chairman of several committees. He is current running for president in the 2010 Elections.
Manny is married to Cynthia Aguilar and they have three children together, Manuel Paolo, Mark and Camille Linda.