Joel Villanueva

The Honorable
Joel Villanueva

Villanueva in 2015
Senate of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2016
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Citizens' Battle Against Corruption
In office
February 6, 2002  June 30, 2010
Succeeded by Sherwin Tugna
Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
In office
2010  October 13, 2015
Preceded by Augusto Syjuco, Jr.
Succeeded by Irene Isaac
Personal details
Born Emmanuel Joel Villanueva
(1975-08-02) August 2, 1975
Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines
Parents Eddie Villanueva
Adoracion Villanueva
Website joelvillanueva.ph

Basketball career

Career information
College University of Santo Tomas
Career history
c. 2014 Malacañang Patriots
c. 2016 Senate Defenders

Emmanuel Joel Villanueva (born August 2, 1975) is a Filipino politician and a Senator of the Philippines. He recently won the 2016 Philippine Election ranked second with 18,459,222 votes. He was a former Director General of the TESDA from 2010-2015 and a three-term congressman from 2001-2010. Villanueva became the youngest member of the House of Representatives when he took his oath of office on February 2002.

Early life

Joel Villanueva was born in August 2, 1975 in Bocaue, Bulacan. He is the second of four children of Eddie Villanueva and Adoracion "Dory" Villanueva.[1] He attended the University of Santo Tomas where he graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce Degree, Major in Economics. He then went to Harvard University in the United States where he took graduate studies in Business Administration from 1996 to 1998.[2]

While in the office of the director general of TESDA, he also completed a 124-hour course in Advanced Food and Beverage Services at the agency to acquire vocational skills as a barista.[3]

Career

Sports

Villanueva was part of the UST Growling Tigers varsity basketball team that won the UAAP Season 56 and 57 of 1994-1995.[4] Villanueva was part of the Philippines national basketball team that competed in international basketball competitions in Taiwan and Malaysia in 1995.[5]

He returned to competitive basketball in 2014 playing for the Malacañang Patriots in the UNTV Cup.[6] After winning a Senate seat, Villanueva joined the Senate Defenders basketball team, in preparations for the opening of Season 5 of the UNTV Cup.[7]

Politics

CIBAC

Villanueva was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 2001 as a party-list representative of the Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).[3] His taking the oath of office was delayed for seven months following accusations that CIBAC was an extension of the Jesus is Lord Church, a sect founded by his father, Eddie Villanueva. At age 26, Villanueva took his oath of office in February 2002, becoming the youngest member of the House of Representatives, a distinction previously held by Felix William Fuentebella.[8]

He was part of the 12th, 13th, and 14th Congresses spanning from 2001-2010. At the 12th congress he became the first party-list representative and minority leader of the House's Commission on Appointments. He was also among the principal sponsors of Republic Act 9485 (the Anti Red-Tape Law of 2007).[3]

TESDA

He was appointed as TESDA chief in 2010.[5] Upon taking his post as head of TESDA, Villanueva performed an audit of the government agency's debt after learning that the previous leadership asked for ₱2.4 billion in expenses for sponsoring TESDA scholars. The result of the audit concluded that the actual debt was only ₱880 million after discounting "ghost schools" and "ghost scholars".[9]

As TESDA chief, one of his pet projects was the "Shoot for your Dream Program" which involves organizing exhibition games featuring Philippine Basketball Association Legends team dubbed as "Team Trabaho" as an awareness campaign to counter misconceptions that technical vocation are low-paying courses.[4] Villanueva himself played as part of Team Trabaho.[5]

Under his watch, TESDA's central office as well as 17 regional offices and 81 provincial offices were granted ISO certifications. This include the office at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which was the first office to receive such certification in Mindanao.[10]

Prior to launching a senatorial bid, he tendered his resignation from the post in October 9, 2015.[11] His resignation went effective in October 13, 2015 and President Benigno Aquino III named TESDA deputy director general, Irene Isaac as his successor.[12]

Senate

Villanueva is running for senator under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid at the 2016 senatorial elections. He is also a shared candidate in the 10-member senatorial slate of Miriam Defensor Santiago.[13] He filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections in October 16, 2015.[14] He unexpectedly won the Senate race, landing in the 2nd place.

Campaigning under the moniker "TESDA Man"[15] (alternatively spelled as TESDAMAN) alluding to his previous experience as head of TESDA, Villanueva's platform is focused on employment. His platform is likewise abbreviated into TESDA – which stands for Trabaho, Edukasyon, Serbisyo, Dignidad and Asenso (Employment, Education, Service, Dignity and Progress).[16]

On November 14, 2016 Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal from the public service of the Senator for "grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service" over alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund during his tenure as a congressman. Villanueva alleged that the incriminating documents were forged.[17] Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III was directed by the Ombudsman to implement the order imposed against Villanueva.[18]

Personal life

He was given the Gawad Dangal ng Lipi for Public Service Award by the Bulacan provincial government in September 15, 2012. The Development Executive Group (DevEx) an organization based in the Unites States gave him the DEVEX Manila 40 Under 40 International Development Leaders Award in February 19, 2013. A former student of the University of Santo Tomas, he was named as Most Outstanding Alumni Award by the university.[2] He was granted a Honoris Causa degree of Doctor of Humanities by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in May 10, 2013.[3]

Villanueva has two children, Jaden and Gwyn.[5] As a basketball enthusiast, Villanueva reportedly is a fan of the Boston Celtics of the NBA.[9]

Villanueva is a host in the television host in Adyenda and leads the Kristiyanong Kabataan para sa Bayan Movement, a youth organization.[3]

References

  1. "Who is Bro. Eddie Villanueva?". Bro. Eddie Villanueva. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Profile". Joel Villanueva Official Website. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Director General's Profile". TESDA. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Caluag, Randy (13 August 2015). "Team Trabaho a hit among Filipino youth". The Standard. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Shooting for Joel 'Tesdaman' Villanueva's dreams". The Standard. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. "Malacañang, PNP eye lead". Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 12, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  7. "VILLANUEVA JOINS SENATE DEFENDERS". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  8. Labog-Javellena, Juliet (7 February 2002). "New Solon takes office with much fanfare". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Love for basketball unites Dato Arroyo, Joel Villanueva". ABS-CBN News. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  10. Chu, Patricia Denise (13 April 2015). "Aquino lionizes Joel Villanueva in speech marking TESDA's ISO certification". GMA News.
  11. Alvarez, Kathrina Charmaine (9 October 2015). "TESDA chief Joel Villanueva resigns ahead of 2016 senatorial run". GMA News. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  12. Bacani, Louis (15 October 2015). "PNoy accepts Villanueva's resignation, names new TESDA head". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  13. Gonzales, Yuji Vincent (February 13, 2016). "Shared candidates comprise Santiago-Marcos Senate slate". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  14. Gonzales, Yuji Vincent (16 October 2015). "Ex-Tesda chief Villanueva 'applies' for Senate job, willing to campaign with De Lima". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  15. "Joel Villanueva adopts 'TESDA Man' nickname, says, 'TESDA owes me for promotions'". Coconuts Manila. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  16. "'TESDAMAN' Villanueva: Boost workforce training through budget reforms". Manila Bulletin. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  17. "Sen. Villanueva ordered dismissed from public service over 'pork'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  18. "Ombudsman: Senator Joel Villanueva liable for P10M PDAF scam". Ombudsman of the Philippines. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.

External links

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