ABOUT ROY VILLAREAL SEÑERES
(More links to about Roy V. Señeres at the bottom of the page)
Roy Villareal Señeres, known to friends and acquaintances as “Amba”, was born in Mambusao Capiz on
July 6, 19
47, the third of five children. His father, Federico L. Señeres, was a World War II soldier, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. His father’s name can be found in the book, “Guerilla Warfare in
Panay
Island
”. His paternal uncles, Alejandro, a Colonel, Andres, another Colonel, and Roque, a Captain during the Second World War, were prominently mentioned in the book entitled, “The Crucible” by Col. Yay Marking, as brave soldiers.
His mother, Lourdes Bayot Villareal, was a cousin of Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal and COMELEC Commissioner Flores M. Bayot.
In 1948, Amba was only a year old when his family migrated to Mindanao, initially in
Compostela
Valley
,
Davao
province, and subsequently to
Butuan
City
, Agusan del Norte, where he finished his elementary and secondary education in public schools.
He was the Corps Commander in the Preparatory Military Training (PMT) at the
Agusan
High School
. He took up his Bachelor of Arts, major in Political Science, at the University of the Santo Tomas in
Manila
, and his Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) at the San Beda College of Law.
At the San Beda College of Law, Amba was consistently the president or leader of his class. He became Speaker of the Student Legislative Council, and Articles Editor of the San Beda Law Journal.
After passing the bar exams in 1971, at the age of 25, he practiced law for a while, and he later on joined the Department of Labor and Employment, initially as Hearing Officer I, where he rapidly rose from the ranks by becoming a Regional Director at the age of 26, Executive Labor Arbiter at the NLRC, with rank of
RTC
Judge at the age of 28 and as Labor Attaché, with the rank of Consul General, at the age of 33, and eventually as Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates at the age of 45. He was the youngest Ambassadorial appointee of President Fidel V. Ramos at the time.
In between career changes, Amba obtained another degree in 1976, a marriage degree, when he married Minerva Laceste Maaño of La Union and
Quezon
Province
. They have six (6) children – Jay Thomas, Christian who is now a Congressman, Roy Jr., Hannah, Hazel, and Christopher.
In June 200, at the age of 53, he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada as the Chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission with the rank of Cabinet Secretary, the youngest ever appointed to the position. The chairmanship of the NLRC is considered as a hot seat because of its role as umpire or referee of the two constantly conflicting titans in our society, namely, labor and capital.
But, it seems that Ambassador Roy Señeres is doing his job well, as evidenced by the public statements of prominent leaders of both labor and management. Thus, Mr. Democrito Mendoza, President of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said and I quote the Philippine Free Press, dated
November 29, 2003
, “Notwithstanding its meager resources, the NLRC is doing its level best to discharge its functions as dispenser of labor justice. We request Congress and the Office of the President to favorably consider the NLRC’s appeal for strengthening by giving it more personnel and increase in their salaries and benefits to enable it to improve its services further.”
On the other hand, according to Mr. Donald Dee, President of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, “Despite its deficient budgetary allocation, the NLRC, under the stewardship of Chairman Señeres has so far been reasonably faithful to its legal commitment to render swift and impartial labor justice.”
Mr. Antonio Policarpio, Chairman of Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center and Executive Vice President of the National Labor Union, said, and I quote: “The scenario has changed. Two years ago, the labor sector wanted the NLRC abolished due to poor performance, but now it wants it retained and strengthened by reason of its good showing.”
Mr. Miguel Varela, Chairman, Employers Confederation of the Philippines and President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, and I quote: “Noting the marked improvement in the overall performance of the NLRC, the employers are no longer for its abolition but rather calling for the strengthening of its conciliation and arbitration mechanisms.”
But Amba is no stranger to accolades. If you will recall, it was Amba who saved Sarah Balabagan from the gallows in the
Middle East
. Thus, Nestor Mata, columnist of Manila Standard, acknowledging Amba’s successful handling of the Sarah Balabagan case, had this to say in his column on
October 28, 1995
, “Ambassador Roy Señeres used his skills in foreign relations plus his political instincts to gain clemency for Sarah”. Ros “Kaka” Olgado, another columnist, had this to say in his column in the Taliba on
December 13, 1999
, “Maliban kay Sarah Balabagan, iniligtas din ni Ambassador Roy Señeres sa UAE si John Aquino ng Binmaley, Pangasinan at si Wahida Malaydin ng Cotabato. Walang ibang Ambassador ang nakagawa na ganito.”
The World’s Who’s Who in International Affairs, a prestigious London-based NGO, has this to say in 1998, and I quote: “Ambassador Roy Señeres is a leading diplomat and principal figure in the field of international relations.”
But to my mind, the most prophetic of these accolades comes from Ariel S. Bocobo, another prominent columnist who said in his column on
September 30, 1997
, and I quote: “Señeres represents the new wave of the future and would make a good legislator in the mold of Recto,
Laurel
, and Roxas.”
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