Eunice Villanueva-Latimer

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Current revision as of 19:50, 22 January 2008

Eunice Villanueva-Latimer
13th President of the Philippines
In office December 30, 2005 — present
Political party	Nacionalista Party
Preceded by	Franklin Drilon
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Born	October 31, 1965 (age 42) Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
Spouse	Josh Latimer
Profession	Lawyer, politician
Religion	Roman Catholic
Languages	Cebuano, English, Tagalog

Her Excellency Eunice Laurino Villanueva-Latimer (b. October 31, 1965), or "V-L" as she is known by her supporters, is the current President of the Republic of the Philippines. Her term began December 30, 2005, and it is widely believed that she will seek re-election in 2009.

V-L was born in Mandaue City to Ernesto and Tita Zambo (née Villanueva), a physician and a nurse, respectively. She was the oldest of three children. She has a younger brother, Oscar (b. 1971) and a younger sister, Erika (b. 1973); the latter currently serves as Executive Secretary. Unlike her siblings, Eunice was given her mother's maiden name as her surname, even though Tita herself adopted her husband's surname upon marrying him.

V-L graduated summa cum laude with a law degree from the University of the Philippines in 1987 and was elected to the Pi Gamma Mu international honor society. She practiced law for four years, and earned a reputation for her unshakeable honesty, enormous capacity for hard work, and utter devotion to causes she believed to be just. In 1988, she married American-born economist Josh Latimer, whom she had met at the age of 17 (Latimer was then 19). They have two children: Joshua, Jr. and Tita (named after Eunice's mother), born in 1990 and 1994, respectively.

She first entered politics in 1992, when she ran for mayor of her hometown, Mandaue, on the Nacionalista Party ticket, and won by a slim margin. Her tenure proved quite popular, as her policies saw a decrease in crime and a rise in living standards. At the same time, Mandaue became known as the most business-friendly city in the Philippines, and healthy levels of domestic and foreign investment facilitated an economic boom. By the time V-L's term ended in 1996, the city boasted a balanced budget; scores of new, modern schools and clinics; and the distinction of being one of the safest and cleanest cities in the country. V-L was sufficiently popular and well-known that she was urged by her supporters to run for the House of Representatives, which she did after encouragement from her husband. During her term in Congress, she sponsored or co-sponsored several pieces of legislation designed to improve transparency and accountability in the government, reform the armed forces (i.e., promote cost-efficiency, eliminate corrupt officers, ensure human rights standards were enforced), and give more power to provincial and local governments. She became one of the most vocal supporters of adopting a federal system for the Philippines (in fact, after being elected President, she promised to hold a referendum on this issue in 2008).

The 2005 election was one of the closest in the country's history, but V-L waged a tireless campaign, travelling to the most far-flung corners of the country, conversing with thousands of people and hearing their aired grievances. She was well-liked for her down-to-earth manner, sense of humor, acute perception of public opinion, and excellent communication skills. She won the election with 52% of the popular vote.

Notable events of her administration thus far have included: The signing of a peace treaty which has granted autonomy to the Muslim community of Mindinao; the signing of free trade agreements with several countries; a dramatic drop in communist insurgent activity; promotion of women's rights; and improved relations between the Christian majority and Muslim minority. Privatization of government industries, complete liberalization of the economy, and the transition to a federal system have been announced as long-term goals of her government. She has also retained the country's historically warm ties with the United States, and is regarded as one of the most pro-American world leaders.

At home, she currently maintains an approval rating of 68%, with 21% disapproving and 11% undecided or having mixed feelings.