Cynthia Aguilar Villar is a prominent Filipino politician currently serving as a senator. Before winning a seat in the Senate in 2013 and in 2019, she was the representative for the lone district of Las Piñas from 2001 to 2010.

Having worked as a financial analyst and a college professor before she went into politics, she has a strong background in education, finance and business. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of the Philippines.

Cynthia Aguilar Villar has been married since 1975 to billionaire businessman Manny Villar, who also served as House Speaker and Senate President from 1998 to 200 and from 2006 to 2008, respectively. Together, they have played a pivotal role in building the Villar Group of Companies into one of the most influential business conglomerates in the Philippines. Notably, their property development arm, Vista Land, stands as one of the largest home builders in the country, having constructed over 200,000 homes across multiple provinces.

Villar has made significant contributions to the Philippines through her philanthropic efforts. She founded and chaired the Villar Foundation, which has supported Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and played a leading role in environmental conservation, notably establishing the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park. The Villar Foundation has successfully initiated livelihood projects in over 3,000 locations nationwide.

In 2023, as the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, Cynthia Villar actively diversifies and modernises agricultural production in the Philippines. Her innovative approach includes supporting farmers with scholarships for agriculture-related courses and exploring creative farming alternatives, among other strategies, to enhance the performance of Philippine agriculture.