Bernardo Villegas

Bernardo Malvar Villegas (born March 12, 1939) is a Filipino economist and writer best known for being one of the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, for authoring a number of widely used Philippine economics textbooks, and for his role in the founding of two influential Philippine business organizations, the Center for Research and Communication and the Makati Business Club.

He is also known for advising Philippine presidents since the Fifth Philippine Republic came into power in 1986, and as a professor and vice president at the University of Asia and the Pacific, as well as visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona. becoming a teaching fellow at Harvard's College of Arts and Sciences at the age of 21.

While at Harvard, Villegas and Filipino fellow-student Jesus Estanislao attended activities organized by Opus Dei, and became members before returning to the Philippines in 1964.

Center for Research and Communication and Makati Business Club On August 15, 1967, Villegas and Estanislao formally established the Center For Research and Communication, a non-profit private research center that served as a think tank for private sector businesses and a provider of economics training programs.

In 1981, Villegas became a member of the founding Executive Board of the Makati Business Club, a forum to address economic and social policy issues which affect the development of the Philippines, together with Enrique Zobel and former ambassador Jose V. Romero Jr. Villegas remains a member of the board of trustees. In favoring a bicameral legislature, Villegas stated that "As long as a Senate will be elected at large, I am in favor of a bicameral form of government. [...] I see the Lower House as the individuals who will be experts on 'trees.' Now we need some people who will be experts on the 'forest' to take a look at all of these legitimate vested interests."

According to his own account, Villegas was part of the minority which objected to the protectionist stance taken by the constitution against foreign investors. However, the majority prevailed and provisions were added to limit the potential role of foreign investors in key sectors of the Philippine economy. The PCGG later cited a similar amount as an estimate of the unexplained wealth of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

As one of the framers of the 1987 constitution, Villegas is considered an amicus curiae (friend of the court) by the Philippine Supreme court.

In 2024, Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 framer Villegas at the Philippine Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes hearing, rejected Charter change “We do not need to amend the Constitution, especially as regards [to] media, advertising, education, and ownership of land at this stage of our development”.

University of Asia and the Pacific and current roles

Villegas and Estanislao had attended a private meeting with Opus Dei founder Msgr. Josemaría Escrivá in 1970, which inspired them to transform CRC into a university. This resulted in the CRC offering its first graduate program, the Masters in Industrial Economics. This was followed by the establishment of the CRC's College of Arts and Sciences in 1989, and the government recognition of the new University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) on June 26, 1995. where he now serves as research director.

Awards Villegas received awards including the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) 1972, Fulbright, Johnson Foundation, Asia Foundation and the Instituto de Cultura Hispanica.

Written works "State of the Philippine Economy" "Strategic Guidelines to Investments in the Philippines" "Challenge in Asia" "The Philippine Economy after the May Elections" "The Outlook of Asia Economic Region" Economics and Society: Policy Perspectives for the 1990s, Sinag-Tala Publishers, 1989, A Filipino's Vision for Recovery: Polevaulting to the Third Millennium, University of Asia and the Pacific Foundation, 1997, Book of Values, University of Asia and the Pacific, 1998, The Filipino Phenomenon, University of Asia and the Pacific Foundation, 1998, The Philippines at the Threshold of the Third Millennium, University of Asia and the Pacific in cooperation with Philip Morris Philippines Inc., 2000, The Philippine Advantage, University of Asia and the Pacific, 2001,