Aiza appointed chair of National Youth Commission

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has appointed rights advocate and showbiz personality Aiza Seguerra as chairperson of the National Youth Commission (NYC), commissioner Earl Saavedra announced yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella confirmed the appointment and said Seguerra’s partner, Mary Liza Diño, was also named chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

The two, supporters of Duterte even before he ran for president, will have a term of three years.

Diño is the daughter of Martin Diño, chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, who was initially fielded by PDP-Laban as its presidential candidate. He was later replaced by Duterte, who was then mayor of Davao City.

Speaking during the celebration of the International Youth Day in Quezon City, Saavedra formally introduced Seguerra as the new head of the agency, replacing Gio Tingson who resigned in April after serving since 2014.

Seguerra attended the event yesterday but did not deliver a speech or release an official statement regarding her appointment.

Seguerra, a former child star, is a singer, host and actress while Diño is an actress, chef and beauty queen who worked in the United States. The two got married in San Francisco, California in 2014.

“New things coming my way. Prayers and good vibes will be appreciated. Salamat po (Thank you),” the singer-actress posted on her Facebook account.

In an interview with The STAR, Saavedra said they received the appointment papers of Seguerra on Wednesday. It was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday.

Seguerra in a TV interview said that she received her appointment papers on Thursday and would start working on Tuesday.

“We are in the process of assisting her as she intends to immerse herself in the bureaucracy, to understand what the mandate of the agency is, what the organizational responsibilities are.”

Saavedra, whose term as commissioner will expire next year, welcomed Seguerra’s appointment to the youth body.

“There are advocacies that she can bring in as she assumes the chairpersonship,” he said.

Seguerra was earlier rumored to have been appointed to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which she denied.