Spotlight
Camille Villar: Empowerment Through Motherhood and Self-care
A multi-hyphenated woman in her own right, Camille Villar shares what it’s like to navigate a multifaceted journey of business, politics, and motherhood.
Over the years, the narrative about women has changed, even more so their roles in society. The past limits them as just mothers—wives who cook and clean while raising their children—while the present day allows for a more liberal shift as women now have the opportunity to do so much more. Gone are the days when men were the sole breadwinners. Double-income households have become the norm now as women both earn money and manage the household.
But amid their ever-changing roles, the indomitable spirit of women remains strong. As the unsung heroes who shape societies, challenge norms, and propel progress forward, their ongoing pursuit of empowerment and equality is still a long journey. Nevertheless, it is paved with remarkable progress and stories of success that have shaped history—or should we say, herstory.
Such is the case of Camille Villar, a prominent figure in society. As a businesswoman, politician, mother, and daughter, she navigates her day-to-day responsibilities and challenges with ease as the true definition of a modern-day woman.
A woman who wears many hats
As the youngest and only daughter of former Senate President Manny Villar, Camille Villar has big shoes to fill. Beyond her responsibilities as the District Representative of Las Piñas City, she also helps manage the family’s many retail companies.
“I help oversee AllDay supermarket and AllHome, which is a home improvement store. And we have a chain of coffee shops called Coffee Project,” Camille explains in an interview with Modern Parenting. “I also attend to my district and my constituents, but at the same time, I also go to the House of Representatives three times a week because we have sessions and that is where we create laws and pass legislation.”
Outside the limelight, however, Camille is a wife to her husband, Erwin Genuino, and a mother to her two adorable children: Tristan and Cara. “My son is in the second grade at ISM (International School Manila). And I’ve recently had a daughter. She just turned a year old, like two weeks ago, so I’m also adjusting to being a girl mom now,” she happily shares.
You can’t pour from an empty cup
Balancing all three roles and more means living a constantly busy life. And for Camille, striking the right chord of the elusive work-life balance is essential. “With all the things that you do, sometimes you forget to take care of yourself. And I’ve found myself in situations where I’ve felt like I’m juggling a lot of things. When you’re very, very tired, you [feel like you’re] not succeeding at any one of them. Perhaps you’re not giving 100%.”
“So I’ve always asked my friends and my family for advice on how to do it and I am still figuring out the best way—what works for me,” she continues. “My husband tells me that you also have to leave time for yourself and that you can’t be whole for other people—like you can be the best mom or the best wife or the best boss or colleague if you yourself are not taken care of.”
While Camille has tried “assigning certain days to certain tasks,” juggling a massive mental load can be overwhelming at times. “Perhaps the best advice that my dad gave me when I was feeling overwhelmed was that ‘you have to know what’s most important to you and make that a priority’,” she explains.
In her case, as a mom, her world revolved around Tristan back when he was the only child but that orbit has grown to accommodate Cara when she came into the equation.
“When you’ve figured out what’s the most important thing at that given point in time, prioritize that first. Your time, your effort, the balancing act—[all that] will fall into place,” the mom of two adds. “You need a North Star. That’s what I always remind myself whenever I get overwhelmed. It’s about prioritizing what is the most important to you.”
Self-care = self-love
Even as someone who is constantly busy and on the go, Camille uses her downtime to relax and unwind. As someone who deals with people regularly, she finds comfort in the solace of being alone. “When I carve time out for myself, sometimes, I enjoy the luxury of doing nothing—of just waking up and just doing something simple that makes me happy, whether it’s watching TV or just being by myself.”
“During my “me” time, I like not having a schedule, not having to be someplace, not having to do anything, and not having to solve problems,” she admits. “In fact, during my birthday, when my husband asked me, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I just want to stay home in my pajamas, eat my favorite food, and be with the people that I love.’ To me, that is heaven.”
But when it comes to the rare times Camille gets to treat herself, her go-to includes spending time with friends and going out of town. “Recently, I found that one thing that was really good for my soul was when I went on a getaway with my high school best friends—friends from when I was young. We went to a new place and we just hung out and whenever I’m stressed, I still go back to that and [think about] how much fun I had.”
And above all, she makes time for the important men in her life: her husband and her father. “I also take some time out to have dates with my husband…[and I also] see my dad, who’s like one of my best friends,” she says fondly.
“I work with him, but at the same time, whenever I need something I always run to him for advice and I look forward to that. So we have breakfast together and talk about anything and everything. We hang out together and that’s very comforting for me.”
Staying on the top of her game
Although Camille has found the optimal blend when it comes to juggling motherhood, politics, and business, she admits that she has faced challenges in that journey. “The biggest challenge is being able to give your best in each of those roles,” she admits. “Syempre, I want to be the best public servant to my constituents. I want to help them as much as I can.”
“At the same time, even in the business, you cannot give direction if you’re not there,” she adds. “And of course, as a mother, you always want to have time for your kids—to be present for your kids. I mean, you want to make sure that everything they need is there. So the real challenge is giving your best because I feel that every aspect of my life requires and deserves my best.”
However, the only thing that stands in her way is time. While the congresswoman admits that she does face her fair share of challenges in her many roles—given that she is not just present, she is also a leader—the rewards are as gratifying as they are enormous.
“The biggest reward is being given the opportunity to represent my city and being given the opportunity to be part of something great,” she explains. “When you see other people enjoying the things that you’ve worked hard on, it’s the most fulfilling feeling.”
“I think to me, as with any mother out there, the most important thing is family,” Camille says simply. “So seeing them happy, seeing them thrive and succeed—that is the most fulfilling thing. The greatest reward to me is seeing the books that my son creates. Seeing my daughter take her first steps and seeing her smile at me. I think that’s the most rewarding thing that makes everything worth it.”
From a mother’s perspective
Politics, motherhood, and business. While seemingly contrasting concepts, the three share similarities, given that the same person runs the show. “When I became a parent, I felt I became more empathic, like I was a lot more caring when I became a mom. In business, there are certain things I realized that probably would have never surfaced had I not become a parent—in terms of what kind of products and services I wanted to provide.”
“As a congresswoman, I’ve always championed children, education, and empowering other parents,” Camille explains. “And when I became a parent, I understood the struggle to keep the family together even more and that all people want is what’s best for their families. I realized it really takes a whole community. It takes a real support system.”
“Motherhood changed my perspective and everything that I strive for, like how can I make things better for these moms? Who is managing all these things for the dads who are trying to provide for their families? How do I make things better for kids who are the future of this country? Even if we have malls, coffee shops, and all those things, how else can we best serve them? I applied that [mindset] with everything that I do,” she elaborates.
All this, she says, stemmed from her pillar of inspiration, her mom, Cynthia Villar. “My mom was the original career woman,” Camille beams. “She started our family business in real estate with my dad a year after they got married. She was a congresswoman and she is now a senator. But she was always a very present mother to me and my two brothers. I don’t know how she did it. But she did it all.”
Empowering the next generation
Now a parent herself, Camille hopes to be present in Tristan and Cara’s lives—as a pillar of support, a source of inspiration, and a constant and reliable figure. But more than that, she hopes to empower her children to become good and capable members of society who will eventually be changemakers.
Camille hopes that Cara grows into a woman who is comfortable with herself. “I think an empowered woman is someone who knows herself and has a good idea of what she believes in. Someone who has a purpose and is working towards that,” the multihyphenate says.
“Every woman has different aspirations and as long as you’re doing your best to achieve that goal, whether it’s for your career or your family, and you’re making yourself better every day—I think that is an empowered woman.”
But what inspires Camille to do her best? “I want to be the best example,” she says honestly. “My husband and I want to be the best example for our kids because they will be our legacy.”
“Beyond that, I also want to prepare and empower them to be the best humans they can be. In the same manner that our parents were an inspiration and a guiding light to us, we hope to do the same for our kids,” she continues.
As for the family’s plans—while nothing is still set in stone just yet—Camille shares, “My husband and I hope to grow our family and enjoy parenthood. We are just starting and we want our children to grow up happy and fulfilled. As for myself, whenever I am presented with opportunities, I like to seize them and see where it leads. I trust that all the experiences I go through in life help me become a better person each and every time.”
Words DIANE NICOLE GO
Photography KIERAN PUNAY of KLIQ, INC.
Makeup TWINKLE BERNARDO assisted by ANGELI ALFONSO
Hair PATTY INOJALES
Styling ROSHNI MIRPURI of THE CLOSET CULTURE
Art Direction DENIELLE CARAG
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO TUPAZ
Shot on Location at BRITTANY HOTELS VILLAR CITY
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