Sen. Mark Villar has been elected as the new chairperson of the Senate finance committee, replacing Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian during a plenary session on May 19.
The Senate elected Sen. Mark Villar as chairperson of its powerful finance committee on Tuesday, May 19. This gives him oversight of revisions and realignments to the proposed national budget.
Villar's predecessor, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, was named vice chair. Gatchalian praised Villar's experience in government and business, saying it would help the committee run smoothly.
Villar previously chaired trade and banking committees in the 19th Congress. He was also part of the Senate team that finalized the 2026 national budget last year.