President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has named filmmaker Paul Soriano as Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications, Malacañang announced on Monday.
“Confirmed. Will take his oath later,” Press Secretary’s Office officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said, referring to Soriano’s appointment.
Malacañang has yet to release details of Soriano’s duties and responsibilities as well as his appointment paper.
A few weeks ago, Soriano said he was being considered as Press Secretary, but he feels “the position needs more qualified people to help the President.”
“I can be of better service behind the scenes working with the President’s media and communications team. I know my strengths, I know what I can give him,” Soriano said in an interview with ABS-CBN earlier this month.
“I am better utilized in the background than be in front of the camera,” he added.
To date, the President has yet to name his new Press Secretary after lawyer-vlogger Trixie Cruz Angeles resigned from her post, citing health concerns.
Soriano and his wife, showbiz personality Toni Gonzaga, actively campaigned for Marcos in the 2022 presidential elections.
The 41-year-old movie maker directed Marcos’s television political advertisements and campaign rallies, while Gonzaga hosted and performed in sorties, and feature him in exclusive interviews on her online program.
He also directed the maiden State of the Nation Address of Marcos.
Soriano, a grandson of matinée idol Nestor de Villa, is a nephew of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
Marcos and his wife were also the couple’s wedding sponsors in 2015.
Soriano thanks BBM
The OP said that Soriano agreed to get P1 each year as his salary.
“One of the greatest assets of the Filipino is our creativity, and we must find many ways to highlight that to the rest of the world. And that is what Paul Soriano has already been doing in his career as a filmmaker. And now we have asked him to help us at one peso per year,” Marcos said, as quoted in the OPS statement.
For his part, Soriano thanked the President for tapping him as his adviser.
“It’s an absolute honor to be able to serve, first and foremost, of course, for the country and then, of course, for the PBBM administration,” Soriano said.
“It’s a passion of mine to just create and communicate. It’s an absolute honor that the President has trusted me with this position.”
Soriano is tasked to advise the Chief Executive and assist departments and agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations, on matters that will enhance their information dissemination programs and initiatives.
“You know, in this day and age, you need to do it creatively, and you need to communicate so that the mission and the vision and the message of the President are clearly communicated to the Filipino people,” Soriano added.
Soriano is an advertising and marketing communications graduate from De Anza College in Cupertino, California, USA.
He was best director in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival for his movie Siargao which also won Best Film.
He co-produced the Lav Díaz film, ‘A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery,’ won the Alfred Bauer Award for Best Film at the Berlinale International Film Festival in 2016.
His other films also won best film awards from the Catholic Mass Media Awards, Cinemalaya Film Festival, Mexico International Film Festival, Film Academy of the Philippines and Star Awards for Movies.