In October, the founder and chair of Vista Land & Lifescapes donated P615 million, including 1.2 hectares of land and cash, to build a church and school in Malolos, Bulacan, within his residential community, Provence.
“The tycoon’s gift to the local Catholic Church consisted of 1.2 hectares of land, valued at P613 million, and the rest in cash,” Forbes Asia reported.
The church, located in Malolos, will accommodate around 320 people within a 500-square-meter space. A groundbreaking ceremony for the church was held in November, while plans for the adjacent school are still being finalized.
“It has always been my belief that communities flourish when faith and education are at [their] center,” Villar said in an emailed statement to Forbes.
Villar’s previous donations
In 2019, Villar donated more than 2 hectares of land to Manila’s Saint Jude Catholic School and completed the donation of 5 hectares to the University of the Philippines, his alma mater, with a combined value of P8 billion.
He also contributed to new facilities at four Philippine schools. With an estimated net worth of $17.3 billion, the former politician is the Philippines’ wealthiest individual.
15 Philanthropists
Now in its 18th edition, the list features 15 philanthropists recognized for their significant contributions and unwavering dedication to impactful causes over the past year.
Notable honorees include Raamdeo Agrawal, chair of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, and Motilal Oswal, its managing director and CEO. The list also features Melanie Perkins, Canva CEO, and Cliff Obrecht, Canva COO; Abhishek Lodha, CEO of Macrotech Developers; Lei Jun, cofounder, chair, and CEO of Xiaomi; and Tadashi Yanai, chair, president, and CEO of Fast Retailing.
Andrew Forrest, founder and executive chair of Fortescue Metals Group, and Nicola Forrest, cofounder of Minderoo Foundation, are also recognized.
Other honorees include Li Ka-shing, senior advisor at CK Asset Holdings and CK Hutchison Holdings; Samir Mehta, chair of Torrent Group; Sudhir Mehta, chair emeritus of Torrent Group; Eduardo Saverin, co-CEO of B Capital and cofounder of Meta Platforms; and Elaine Saverin, cofounder of the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation.
Mark Dunajtschik, a New Zealand property developer and investor; Solina Chau, cofounder of Horizons Ventures; Daniel Tsai, director of Fubon Financial Holding; Michael Kim of MBK Partners; and Liz Greive, founder of Share My Super, round out the list.
