SENADO 2016, sino nga ba?

Mark Lapid

Aksyon Demokratiko Party/ Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid

Born: February 16, 1979

 

Whenever someone mention the surname, Lapid, people will most of the time remember the action star and the former Senator Lito Lapid who was a member of the upper house for 12 years and known for films like Ang Pagbabalik ni Leon Guerrero and Lisensyadong. But unlike his father,

 

Mark Lapid began public service before he entered the show business. He wanted to follow his father’s footsteps, describing himself as the “upgraded version” of his dad because of his educational background.

 

His career in the entertainment industry didn’t become as successful as what his father had accomplished. You probably didn’t know it, but he was the one who delivered the famous line, “saging lang ang may puso,” from 2006 movie entitled Apoy sa DibDib ng Samar. While starting out his political career, he was producing films on the sidelines. He was elected as Barangay Captain in Porac, Pampanga in 2002, and became a governor at the age of 25 in 2004.

 

In 2009, he was appointed by former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority. PTA was reorganized as Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA), and he was re-appointed by Presdent Benigno Aguino III as its chief operating officer.

 

As published in bilangpilipino.com, under his leadership, TIEZA was able to accomplish projects like Boracay Drainage and Sewerage System, Kalibo Airport Terminal, San Vicente Airport Terminal, Alburquerque, Bohol Sanitary Landfill, Mindanao Ethnic and Cultural Center in Davao, the Tubbataha Ranger Station, the revival of the colorful Luneta Dancing Fountain and Baguio Rose Bowl.

 

His main advocacies revolve around tourism development, the creation of jobs and livelihood, and more tax incentives for investors. According to him, tourism is not all about beaches and churches. People should also look at agriculture, medical, educational, and sports tourism. He also said that to attract more investors, they should be given more tax incentives, and this would result in more job opportunities and poverty reduction.

 

In 2010, before former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez resigned, she cleared Mark, his father, and three other ex-Pampanga officials of graft charges, which involved the alleged unremitted P568 million quarrying fees, because of failure to present evidence of ill-gotten wealth. Mark and Lito Lapid allegedly failed to remit quarrying fees during their term as governors of Pampanga.

 

While in his post as TIEZA chief operating officer, he was probed by the Commission on Audit because of repeated questionable use of funds to non-government groups organizing events which didn’t have a significant impact on tourism. The first one involved leasing a 12-story commercial building in Makati for five years, with P6.49 million monthly rental. Two other COA reports found out that there was an excess of 500 workers in the existing workforce and a P1 million peso cash spending supposedly to promote tourism.

 

Born on 16th of February 1979 in Poblacion, Porac, Pampanga, the 18-year old Lapid, started early as a public servant as the chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chapter in Pampanga from 1997 to 2002.

 

He finished his primary and secondary education at Saint Vincent High School, Quezon City, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management degree at Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City. He then obtained his Masters in Development Management at the University of the Philippines-Los Banos in 2012. He also attended leadership programs in Stanford University and Harvard Kennedy School.

 

He is married to Tanya Katherine Rosales Lyttle or more popularly known as Tanya Garcia. They have two daughters, Mischa Amidala, eight years old, and Matilda Anika, five. In an article published by GMA News Online in 2007, it was said that he got married first to Yuri Park in 2006 and they have a child named Maria Casandra Park-Lapid. In February 2007, just days before the news of Mark’s relationship with Tanya erupted, he filed the divorce papers in Nevada. According to Park, Lapid discontinued to give child support.

 

He was awarded as Most Outstanding Kampangan in Youth Service (2002), Most Outstanding Youth of the Year (2002) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Most Outstanding Youth Leader (2004) by Pampanga Press Club, and Outstanding Public Servant (2005) by Angeles City Press and Radio Club.

Mark Lapid will run for senator under the Daang Matuwid Coalition this 2016 elections.

 

Stand on issues

 

In an interview and email reply with InterAksyon, Lapid shared his stand on major issues concerning our country. These include the passage of Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), West Philippine Sea disputes, LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, and many more.

• “I am for full transparency and on my part, I would push to make it mandatory for every government agencies to have a periodic Ulat sa Bayan especially on the matter of how they spend the budget.”

• On the issue of political dynasty, he believe there is “the right of anybody to run and the right of the voters to choose whoever candidate they want,” but stated that the law shall be passed because of families’ monopoly of leadership in various parts of our country.

• “…the peace pact in Mindanao through the passage of the BBL, is the only option left to prevent the repeat of these incidents since the ensuing actions somehow would keep the people there busy improving their lives rather than tinkering with their guns and thinking of how they would score against the government,” he said, mentioning the over 150,000 deaths caused by the clashes in Mindanao.

• When it comes to LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, he believes that “everybody is entitled to happiness” because it is their right.

• Asked about the China dispute over West Philippine Sea, he said, "We have to defend our sovereignty. We have to defend our right but in a democratic way."

• He is against job contractualization because Filipinos should have “permanent benefits.”

• On the passage of divorce bill, he stated that Philippines already have annulment and it should be amended first to become more accessible.

• On K to 12: “Yes, it's about time. We have to do it. Tayo po ay napag-iiwanan na. (Ito po ang dahilan) kung bakit tayo ho ay hindi nakakasabay sa pandaigdigang qualifications sa paghahanap ng trabaho. Kailangan na po natin 'yan."

 

 

References

http://www.philstar.com/business/2014/09/22/1370880/creating-permanent-positions-tourism-officers-lgus

http://tpb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/TIEZA-COO-MARK-T.-Lapid.pdf

http://www.bilangpilipino.com/candidata/mark-lapid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lapid#Personal_life

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/41681/showbiz/yuri-s-pal-mark-lapid-said-kris-was-old-woman-stuck-with-him

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/62281/ex-ombudsman-let-lapids-off-plunder-case-before-quitting-her-post

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/69310/3-coa-reports-censure-tourism-exec-mark-lapid-over-questionable-use-of-funds