THE Villar family, led by former Sen. Manuel B. Villar Jr., is ready to spend on ticket items, such as becoming the country’s third telecommunications company and infrastructure, on top of running its own integrated hotel and casino.
Manuel Paolo A. Villar, son of the former politician, said their family is serious in all of the three endeavors, all of which, he added, hopes to contribute to national development.
“Like gaming, we’re looking seriously at telco. I can’t disclose anything right now. We’re obviously looking at partners to do certain things, but we want to be active in the sector. The family is looking seriously at getting involved in the telco business,” he said.
Paolo Villar heads property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. as its president and CEO, while also overseeing some of the private businesses of the family.
He said the family’s entry into these three projects is leveraging on its huge land bank, through Vista Land, though none of those new businesses will be placed under its property-development arm.
“We have access to land and that’s key. And on the telecom side, we do have a lot of areas in the Philippines that we are developing. We need infrastructure. We’re looking seriously at it, what the form is, though I can’t comment on that,” Villar said.
The Villar family is reported to be developing a huge area of 1,000 hectares of land in Dasmariñas in Cavite into an integrated resort and casino. It already filed an application with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Paolo Villar added the prospects for gaming is good, and the Villar family has real-estate assets.
“It’s a solid business,” he said.
Meanwhile on infrastructure, Villar said they are interested in all projects that would help in national development, such as airports. He declined to give specific details.
He did not, however, indicate on the possibility they will be in either toll roads or toll bridges, and also on water distribution, which the family already has, but is limited to its properties.
Villar said their family is also expected so submit an unsolicited proposal to the government, but did not give specifics.
“We’re trying to get involved right now,” he said.