By Eva C. Visperas

 

ON a blistering May morning in Barangay San Bartolome, Rosales, Pangasinan, something monumental quietly took place — an act so sincere, so deeply rooted in compassion and responsibility, that it demands not just acknowledgment, but praise. It was not just about land titles. It was about justice, legacy, and the continuation of a dream seeded more than two decades ago.

 

Vice Mayor Timoteo “Dick” Villar III, the unassuming yet resolute public servant of Sto. Tomas, stood before a crowd of hopeful hearts and teary eyes and delivered not a speech, but fulfillment – fulfillment of a promise long held by his late uncle, former Dangerous Drugs Board Secretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar Jr., and his wife, the late former Mayor Vivien Villar, and the rest of the heirs and heiresses. A promise of home. Of dignity.

 

The Villar property in San Bartolome and Palakipak, once home to tenants without legal claim, now rightfully belongs to them. An initial 30 families received land titles — personally funded and processed by Vice Mayor Dick — in what stands as one of the most compassionate and voluntary acts of land redistribution in the province. Around 80 more are still awaiting processing.

 

I received a late-night message on Tuesday from Vice Mayor Dick. I was ready to call it a day, to tuck my phone away for the night. But that message wasn’t just a casual hello — it was a call to witness a chapter of kindness and resolve. I texted two fellow journalists. We arrived before 8 a.m. the following day in Rosales, under the harsh Pangasinan sun, with our cellphones in hand for audio and video recording, and our hearts wide open.

 

In his candid and heartfelt interview, Vice Mayor Villar took us back 20 years — when the Villar family first began identifying rightful tenants. There were no shortcuts. No handpicked beneficiaries. The process was slow, careful, and deliberate. A blend of surveying, cross-checking, and family meetings led by Bebot Villar himself ensured that only those with a rightful claim would be awarded.

 

But what moved me most wasn’t just the legal process — it was the spirit of humility. Dick Villar didn’t just delegate the task. He bore the financial burden himself. From paying capital gains tax, registration fees, and BIR dues — he pulled from his own professional contracts to ensure no burden fell upon the recipients.

 

All this, just to fulfill a dying wish.

 

“Give them the land,” Sir Bebot had told him — and Dick did.

 

The crowd that day wasn’t rowdy. It was reverent. These were not just recipients of land, they were bearers of a legacy built on generosity. And with every title handed out, I could feel the lifting of invisible weights from tired shoulders.

 

After the land title distribution, I spoke with recipients like Gemma de Guzman, 50, of San Bartolome. She said, “Matagal na kami dito, marami na po akong anak. Tenant yung byenan ko. Di na nga ako nakatulog kagabi. Mabait ang pamilya Villar.”

 

Joel de Guzman, 53, a tricycle driver, said, “Since birth, ma’am, andito na po kami. Masayang-masaya ako. Matulungin ang mga Villar. Tenant ang tatay ko, kamag-anak niya si Doña Auring (Sir Bebot’s late mom). Parang nabunutan kami ng tinik. Mahirap makatulog pag di sayo ang lupa. Ngayon, ayusin na namin yung bahay namin.”

 

Manuel Cuedan, 65, a tricycle driver, said they can now heave a big sigh of relief and can sleep soundly. “Mahirap matulog sa gabi kung di sayo yung kinatitirikan ng bahay mo,” he said.

 

These were not rehearsed soundbites. These were raw, unscripted sentiments from people who finally have what we all long for: a sense of permanence. Of peace.

 

Vice Mayor Dick undertook all the work — armed with legal authority — to honor Sir Bebot, along with his siblings Manong Ray and Manang Marlene, and to fulfill their parents’ long-cherished wish.

 

So here’s my heartfelt admiration for a family that saw beyond ownership and into obligation — not the legal kind, but a moral one. And to Vice Mayor Dick Villar: may your kind multiply.

 

This is not just a story of land. This is a story of the heart.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments