Parents of the newlywed couple Maine Mendoza-Atayde and husband Cong. Juan Carlos 'Arjo' Atayde (from left) engineer Teodoro Mendoza Jr. and Mary Ann Mendoza, Arturo Atayde and Josette Atayde pose for a photo after the wedding at the Alphaland Chapel in Baguio City last Friday.

Newlywed couple Rep. Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde (1st District, Quezon City) and Maine Mendoza-Atayde will be traveling to Europe on Aug. 5.

Atayde will be serving as Vice Chairperson of the Special Committee in Congress on Creative Industry and Performing Arts during their official trip.

The couple will be attending the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland after Atayde’s action-packed thriller “Topakk” of director Richard Somes was recognized anew by another international film institution last week.

“Me, Maine and the rest of my family are so thankful to hear this announcement just a few days before our wedding day,” said Arjo. “I am so thrilled and excited together with my wife Maine to be recognized by Locarno Film Festival."

Atayde, 32, said that he’s happy to bring home another pride for the Philippines’ film industry.

The last time film “Topakk” was recognized by an international film industry was last May in Cannes, France.

Despite the fact that he will be on official trip from Aug. 5 to 27, Atayde will be working remotely while even he is away since his work in the congress and in his district, among other venues, are endless.

“There’s so many things to be done in the congress and to my district. We cannot stop helping people more so in our district l,” said the actor-politician, adding that his family is already known for helping others for the long time.

Atayde is also tasked by the Congress to visit also the Filipino communities around the area while in Europe after his wedding in Baguio City last Friday.

“Even before my special day or even the day I became a congressman of my district, we are already donating and helping a lot of typhoon or fire victims or anybody who need our help. Our team in my district is always monitoring any calamity and any other assistance needed by the people. he added.

“We never stop helping anyone even before.”

Ninangs and Ninongs (from left) Jeny Ferre, Rosabella Fernandez, Madeleine Tuviera, Celeste Tuviera, Novelita Gallegos, Maricel Soriano, ABS CBN executive Cory Vidanes, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Rhea Anicoche-Tan, the wedding couple Maine Mendoza-Atayde and Cong. Arjo Atayde, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, ABS CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak, Roldeo Endrinal, Joey de Leon, Miguel Atayde, former Senator Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Antonio Tuviera pose for a pictorial last Friday at the Alphaland Chapel in Baguio City.

Arjo and Maine, meanwhile, thanked all guests especially on their principal sponsors not just only for inspiring them how to become a good role model to the people but also for weathering the storm just to attend the wedding.

Their ninongs and ninangs (godfathers and godmothers) mostly from the showbiz and political sides had defied Typhoon Egay’s wrath over the weekend to show their all-out support to Arjo and Maine by being present with them during their special day.

“Thank you for being with us despite the rainy weather in Baguio City and thank you for inspiring us,” Atayde said which the inclusion of “Topakk” was announced also by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) last Thursday.

“We are really inspired to see their presence despite the continuous rains and the huge risk of being in Baguio during that moment. They still found a way to join us in our special day — and that’s the kind of persistence we want to show on helping our people in return,” he added.

The ninongs, as expected who attended the wedding, were led by former senator Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon, who are Maine’s noontime show colleagues, along with Antonio Tuviera.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, House Speaker Cong. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, businessman Miguel Atayde, ABS CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak and film producer Roldeo Endrinal were present in the wedding day.

The ninangs were led by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, veteran actresses Maricel Soriano and Nova Villa, Jeny Ferre, Rhea Anicoche-Tan, Madeleine Tuviera, Celeste Tuviera, Jinky Jane Lacarta, ABS CBN executive Cory Vidanes and Rosabella Fernandez.

According also to the wedding invitation sent to all guests, ninongs and ninangs, in lieu of wedding gifts they were encouraged to just give donations to the victims of all kinds of calamities and any other type of assistance to the people more so in District 1 of Quezon City.

After the church wedding in Alphaland chapel, all the guests and relatives of the newlywed went to the Baguio Country Club for the reception.

'No gov't funds'

The House of Representatives (HOR) on Aug. 2 confirmed that Atayde has been issued an official travel authority (TA) that allows him to travel to Switzerland, Italy, and Greece from Aug. 5 to 27, the cost of which will not be shouldered by the government.

Issued on July 10, Travel Authority No. IPRS-0723-PT2495––addressed to Rep. Atayde and signed by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on behalf of the House Speaker––states that the lawmaker has been authorized from August 5 to 27 to travel to Switzerland to represent the Philippines in “the screening of the movie Topakk during the 2023 Locarno International Film Festival in your capacity as Vice Chairperson of the the Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts.”

Aside from authorizing Atayde to visit Switzerland, the TA authorizes him to visit Italy and Greece.

Asked to clarify if the official travel would be shouldered by the HOR, SecGen Velasco explained that “no government funds will be used for the official travel of Rep. Atayde.”

The House Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts is mandated to tackle “all matters directly and principally relating to industries generated by individual creativity, skill and talent that produce cultural, artistic and innovative products such as but not limited to design, music, book publishing, architecture, interior design, gastronomy, film and video, crafts, visual arts, fashion, furniture, TV and radio, advertising, literature, print and digital media, software and game development, animation, live events and the performing arts.”

The Committee is chaired by Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher De Venecia. Its vice chairpersons include Atayde, Bohol 2nd District Rep. Maria Vanessa Aumentado, Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez, and Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Benitez.