VETERAN actor Tirso Cruz III is the newly appointed Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). He succeeds Mary Liza B. Diño-Seguerra who held the position since 2016.
Ms. Diño-Seguerra served the national film agency as an appointee of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte since 2016. Prior to the appointment of the new chairman, Ms. Diño-Seguerra had been reappointed to the post in March, to serve for another three-year term until 2025.
An official statement by the FDCP, which was posted on its Facebook page on July 8, stated that Ms. Diño-Seguerra was called to Malacañang on July 6 by the Office of the Executive Secretary “to discuss the appointment of incoming FDCP Chairman Tirso Cruz III.”
It also stated that Ms. Diño-Seguerra “was instructed to continue to perform her duties as Chairperson and CEO in a hold-over capacity to ensure the continuity of the agency’s operations while waiting for the release of the official appointment documents of the incoming Chairman.”
It further added that the outgoing and incoming Chairpersons “have already talked and discussed details regarding the turnover process.”
Using Mr. Cruz’ nickname, Ms. Diño-Seguerra said in a statement: “I personally welcome the appointment of Kuya Pip as the new Chairman of the agency, and I hope that he continues the programs that we have started and take these initiatives to new heights,”
Mr. Cruz, along with the other new presidential appointees, took his oath at the Malacañang Palace on July 6. — MAPS