He may now be in his second term as Quezon City congressman, but actor Arjo Atayde isn’t ready to exit showbiz just yet.
The 33-year-old, known for his intense dramatic turns and award-winning performances, was officially sworn in on Monday by Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo at Quezon City Hall.
While the event was political in nature, it still felt very much like a star-studded affair—with his wife, TV host-actress Maine Mendoza, and his ever-supportive parents, veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez and businessman Art Atayde, present to cheer him on.
Naturally, the big question on everyone’s mind: Is this goodbye to acting?
“Acting is where I started, it is my passion and source of livelihood. As long as there are interesting acting vehicles, I will keep on pursuing acting,” Arjo said with a grin.
And as for how he balances his many roles? “It’s all about proper time management,” he said coolly, before adding, “Here’s the thing: I’m a husband first, public servant second, and actor last.”
Though he made his name in front of the camera, Arjo’s clearly stepping into his legislative role with leading-man energy.
On day one of his new term, he wasted no time filing a line-up of priority bills—ranging from expanding East Avenue Medical Center’s bed capacity, to pushing for salary standardization for barangay officials, and even championing the local entertainment industry by proposing a national framework to promote film and TV tourism.
He’s also backing a bill to declare Quezon City as the Film and Television Arts Capital of the Philippines—a fitting touch for someone with showbiz in his DNA.
Not stopping there, Arjo is also pushing for legislation to create a national forensic DNA database, regulate artificial intelligence in labor to prevent job loss, and protect the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“These measures are about listening to the people, understanding what they need, and then doing something about it right away,” Arjo said. “I return to Congress excited and ready to work even harder. Progress cannot and should not wait—and neither should the people we serve.”
