Eddie Villanueva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Villanueva
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines | |
| In office July 22, 2019 – June 1, 2022 |
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| House Speaker | Alan Peter Cayetano Lord Allan Velasco |
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for CIBAC | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2019 Serving with Domingo Rivera (2019–2022)
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| Preceded by | Sherwin Tugna |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eduardo Cruz Villanueva
October 6, 1946 Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines |
| Political party | CIBAC (2018–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Bangon (2004–present) |
| Spouse |
Adoracion Jose Villanueva
(m. 1971; |
| Children | 4, including Joel |
| Alma mater | Philippine College of Commerce (BComm) University of the Philippines Diliman |
Eduardo Cruz Villanueva (born October 6, 1946), often called Bro. Eddie Villanueva, is a well-known evangelist. He is the founder and president of the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide (JILCW).
Before becoming an evangelist, Villanueva was involved in radical activist movements. He was even imprisoned twice during the period of martial law for standing up for people's rights.
He also founded the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM). This movement includes many leaders from different Christian churches across the country.
Bro. Eddie has run for president in the 2004 and 2010 Philippine elections. He also ran for senator in the 2013 elections. All these campaigns were under the Bangon Pilipinas Party.
He is also a radio and TV evangelist. He owns ZOE Broadcasting Network, which operates TV channels like A2Z (VHF Channel 11) and Light TV (UHF Channel 33).
Villanueva also founded the Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation, Inc. (JILCF). This is a Christian school in Bocaue, Bulacan, where his wife, Adoracion Villanueva, was the school president.
Currently, he is a member of the 19th Congress of the Philippines. He also served as a Deputy Speaker in the 18th Congress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eduardo Cruz Villanueva was born on October 6, 1946, in Bocaue, Bulacan. His parents were Joaquin Villanueva and Maria Cruz. His father, Joaquin, was a former Olympic sprinter. He represented the Philippines in the Far Eastern Games in the 1920s.
His School Years
In 1969, Villanueva earned a degree in commerce with a focus on economics. He graduated from the Philippine College of Commerce (PCC), which is now known as the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
During the 1970s, he was very active in student and labor movements. He joined groups that were against the Marcos dictatorship. He also studied law at the University of the Philippines. However, he was so busy with activism that he never took the bar examination to become a lawyer.
He worked as a full-time professor in the Economics and Finance Department at PCC until 1972. Later, he worked as an export manager and a general manager for different companies. In 1978, he returned to PCC as a part-time professor.
His Spiritual Journey
According to his church's website, Villanueva had a "life-changing encounter with the Lord" in 1973. At that time, he was involved in a legal battle over land in his home province. Five days after this experience, the people who were trying to take the land were arrested.
On October 5, 1978, Villanueva started the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide. It was first called Jesus Is Lord Fellowship and began with only 15 members from his Bible studies. By 2007, the JIL Church reported having over five million members. These members are in many cities in the Philippines and in 60 countries around the world. Many members abroad are overseas Filipino workers and their families.
Views on Marriage
Villanueva believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. He has stated that his views are based on the Bible.
Political Career
Presidential Campaigns
Villanueva ran for president in the 2004 Philippine presidential election. Even though polls showed him behind, he believed he would win. He pointed to the large crowds at his rallies as a sign of his support.
He ran for president again in the 2010 election. He finished fifth among nine candidates. He received 1,125,878 votes, which was about 3.12% of the total votes. The winner of that election was Benigno Aquino III.
Senate Campaign
In 2013, Villanueva ran for a seat in the Senate. He ran as an independent candidate for the Bangon Pilipinas Party. He did not win, finishing 19th out of 12 available seats. He received 6,932,985 votes.
Awards and Recognitions
In 1979, Villanueva was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel by the Victory in Christ Church and International Ministries. He was also given the title of Episcopacy in April 1996. Two months later, in June 1996, he received the Gintong Ama (Golden Father) award for his work in the Socio-Civic/Religious Sector.
In February 2001, Villanueva's ZOE TV 11 received the EDSA People Power Freedom Award. This was for its fair reporting during the People Power II movement. He founded and owns ZOE Broadcasting Network Inc., which operates Channel 11. Bro. Eddie hosts three programs on ZOE: Diyos at Bayan, PJM (Philippines for Jesus Movement) Forum, and Jesus The Healer.
Personal Life
Eduardo Villanueva married Dr. Adoracion "Dory" Jose on June 5, 1971. Their marriage lasted until her passing on March 10, 2020. They had four children together.
Their oldest son, Eduardo "Jon-Jon" Villanueva, Jr., is the current mayor of Bocaue, Bulacan. Another son, Sen. Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, is a Senator and the Senate Majority Leader. He was the youngest member of the House of Representatives when he joined in 2002.
Their daughter, Joni Villanueva-Tugna, was a Christian singer and TV host. She also served as Mayor of Bocaue from July 2016 until her death on May 28, 2020. She was married to Sherwin Tugna, a former representative for the CIBAC partylist. Their other daughter, Edelisha Jovi, works as an educator.
