Christopher de Venecia explained

Christopher de Venecia
Office:	Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Pangasinan's 4th district
Term Start:	June 30, 2016
Predecessor:	Gina de Venecia
Birth Name:	Christopher George Martin Perez de Venecia
Birth Date:	27 October 1986
Birth Place:	Los Angeles, California, U.S.^[1]
Occupation:	Politician, writer, theater director, theater producer
Nationality:	Filipino
Party:	Lakas–CMD (2017 - present)
Otherparty:	Liberal (2015 - 2017)
Residence:	San Fabian, Pangasinan
Father:	Jose de Venecia Jr.
Mother:	Gina de Venecia
Citizenship:	(formerly)

Christopher George Martin Perez de Venecia (born October 27, 1986), sometimes referred to as Toff de Venecia,^[2] is a Filipino former child actor, writer, director, theater producer, and politician currently serving as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 4th district of Pangasinan since 2016. He is the son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Gina de Venecia.

Education

De Venecia finished his elementary studies at the Colegio de San Agustin and his secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science at the Ateneo de Manila University and completed courses in Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Political career

Congressional stint

De Venecia ran for Representative of the Fourth District of Pangasinan in 2016. He ran under the platform B.A.G.E.T.S., which stands for Buhay na Turismo, Agrikultura, Gusali at Imprastraktura, Edukayson, Trabaho, at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan . He won that election. In the 2019 elections, he was overwhelmingly re-elected for a second term.^[3]

In the 18th Congress, he is sitting as a Deputy Majority Leader and also the Chairman of the Special Committee of Creative Industry and Performing Arts.^[4]

He was also the lead convener of the same Congress's Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Bloc,^[5] with 6 Deputy Speakers and 12 Committee Chairmen as members.

On July 10, 2020, he, along with his cousin Edward Maceda (Manila–4th), was one of the 11 representatives who voted to grant the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. He is the only North Luzon Representative and the only Pangasinense to grant the franchise as opposed to Conrado Estrella III (Abono, who voted to reject the franchise renewal.^[6]

De Venecia was re-elected to his third term in 2022.

Key Legislations

The following are the key legislation of de Venecia:

• Eddie Garcia Bill^[7] - An act seeking to institute policies for the protection and promotion of the welfare of workers or independent contractors in the film, television, and radio entertainment industry.
• Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Act^[8] - An act seeking to create a program to support and empower our young farmers and fisherfolk as partners in ensuring food security, agricultural development, and modernization.
• Manaoag Bill^[9] - An act declaring Manaoag, Pangasinan as a tourist destination.
• Philippine Space Development Act^[10] - An act seeking to strengthen and aid in the development of agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and telecommunications, apart from space exploration.
• SOGIE Equality Bill^[11] – An act seeking the nationwide protection of LGBT rights in the Philippines
• Department of Culture Bill^[12] – An act seeking the establishment of a Department of Culture from the current National Commission on Culture and the Arts
• ARISE Philippines Act^[13] - An act seeking to offer various forms of assistance to MSMEs and other sectors affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic and rebuild consumer confidence.
• Anti-Hazing Act - An act that addresses violence in educational institutions, organizations, and those of community-based due to the alarming increase in the number of deaths resulting from the act of hazing. It prohibits all forms of hazing that will inflict direct or indirect physical or psychological suffering to the recruit at any stage of initiation.
• Free Irrigation Services Act ^[14] - An act that aims to address social order by offering a Free Irrigation Program to all farmers, irrigators' associations, and farmers' cooperatives through the assistance of the National Irrigation Association.
• Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act^[15] - An act aiming to conserve, restore, and protect the country's historical and cultural heritage and resources by focusing the government's efforts towards Gabaldon school buildings.
• Revised Agricultural Tariffication Act - An Act seeking to secure the country's staple source of food by imposing tariffs on all imports of rice.
• Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act - An act establishing a department responsible for the management of all housing, human settlement, an urban development nationwide.
• Philippine Qualifications Framework Act - An act that strengthens the constitutional rights of every Filipino by providing quality and accessible education at all levels by institutionalizing the PQF.
• An Act Ensuring the Preservation and Management of Protected Areas - An act that aims to continuously protect and maintain protected areas that have been notably recognized with biologically unique features from the increasing human activities that also affects these areas through the National Integrated Protected Areas System.
• San Fabian Holiday - An act that declares March 21 of every year, a special non-working holiday in the whole municipality of San Fabian, Pangasinan in commemoration of its founding anniversary.
• Edades and Bernal Museum^[16] - An act which seeks to establish an Edades and Bernal Museum in the City of Dagupan, Pangasinan.

Theater career

Directing Experience

Year	Title	Awards / Citation	Role	Source
2019	Dani Girl: A Musical About Hope	2019 Broadway World Awards nominations for: Best Director, Best Actress (Musical), Best Supporting Actor (Musical), and Best Supporting Actress (Musical) 2019 Gawad Buhay Awards nominations for: Outstanding Stage Direction (Musical), Outstanding Production for Existing Material, Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Musical Direction, Outstanding Sound Design, Male Featured Performance in a Musical, Female Featured Performance in a Musical, Female Lead Performance, and Outstanding Ensemble Performance 2019 Inquirer Best of Theater Awards citations for: Best Actress (Musical), Best Actor (Musical)	Director	^[17] ^[18]
2017	Company Call: Bluerep at 25		Director	^[19]
2015	No Filter 2.0: The Millennial Monologues		Director and Creator	^[20]
2015	No Filter: The Millennial Monologues		Director and Creator	^[21]
2015	Ang Tugon ni Conchita		Director	^[22]
2015	The Boy in the Bathroom		Director
2015	F(r)iction: A new Musical		Director
2014	The Glass Menagerie	Winner, Bravo! Best of Theater Awards for 2014 Best Featured Actor for JC Santos, Best Featured Actress for Justine Peña	Director
2014	Dani Girl: A Musical Good for the Soul	Inquirer Bravo! Best of Theater Awards 2014 : Best Musical (Non-Filipino Material), Best Featured Actor – Musical, Best Featured Actress – Musical, and nominations for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Featured Actor and Musical Direction Broadway World Philippines nominations for: Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Featured Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Scenic Design, Best Theater Company	Director	^[23]
2014	The Boy in the Bathroom	Winner, Bravo! Best of Theater Awards for 2014 Best Featured Actor for Topper Fabregas, Best Featured Actress for Shiela Francisco	Director
2013-2014	Wait Until Dark		Assistant Director
2013	A New Brain: The Musical		Director
2010-2012	Slideshow		Director
2012	13: The Musical		Director
2012	Spell 13: A Musical Revue		Director
2011-2012	Company Call: Bluerep at 20		Director
2011-2012	You're a Good Man Charlie Brown		Assistant Director	^[24]
2011	Little Shop of Horrors	Broadway World Philippines nomination for: Best Director (Musical)	Director	^[25]
2008	All Shook Up		Co-Director
2007-2008	Batboy: The Musical		Assistant Director
2007	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee		Assistant Director

ACTING EXPERIENCE

Year	Title	Awards / Citation	Role	Source
2011-2012	You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown		Linus
2008	Disney's Mulan Jr.		Ancestor Yao, Private Hong
2007-2008	Batboy: The Musical		Pan
2006-2007	Disney's High School Musical		Thespian
2006	Hope for the Flowers		Stripe
2006-2007	Disney's Aladdin Jr.		Iago, Narrator 2
2005	Emperor's New Clothes		Mr. Sew, Paige

Filmography

Television

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Year	Title	Role	Notes <	-- Do not replace with or add a Network/Channel column. Network rivalry is outside of Wikipedia. Do not replace with an Episode column, Notes column is not limited to episode titles. -->	Source <	-- Use third party sources other than the actor's IMDB page -->
1993-95	Ober Da Bakod	Dagul
1993-94	Billy Bilyonaryo	Billy
1993-95	Haybol Rambol			^[26]

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Source
1993	Pretty Boy	Bongbong
1993	Kung Kailangan Mo Ako
1994	Ober Da Bakod: The Movie	Dagul
1994	Oo na sige na	Ampon ni Bonggoy

Notes and References

1. News: Gina De Venecia withdraws candidacy for son. Aldrin. Soriano. December 9, 2015. January 25, 2024. ABS-CBN News North Central Luzon.
2. News: Alpad . Christina . Millennial Congressman Christopher 'Toff' de Venecia finds his place in the sun . April 8, 2022 . The Manila Times . August 23, 2020.
3. Web site: Baby Arenas, Toff de V win big – Sunday Punch . Punch.dagupan.com . 2019-05-19 . 2022-07-16.
4. Web site: House okays creation of Committee on Creative Industries – Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin.
5. Web site: Toff de Venecia at the 18th Congress. .
6. News: List of lawmakers who voted for and against ABS-CBN franchise renewal . . July 10, 2020 . July 22, 2020 . Perez-Rubio . Bella.
7. Web site: Eddie Garcia bill, aprubado na sa congress. .
8. Web site: Magna Carta of Young Farmers pushed in Congress. .
9. Web site: De Venecia wants Manaoag town to be declared tourist destination – Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin. 26 October 2019.
10. Web site: Pangasinan solon lauds PH Space Agency creation. Philippine News Agency .
11. Web site: House approves SOGIE equality bill on 2nd reading. 14 September 2017.
12. Web site: Toff de Venecia: Department of Culture to drive economic growth | Politiko North Luzon. 20 August 2018.
13. Web site: House approves P1.3-trillion economic stimulus package vs pandemic. 4 June 2020.
14. Web site: Why is free irrigation important? Toff de Venecia explains why! | Politiko North Luzon. 15 February 2019.
15. Web site: MacArthur's former HQ in Dagupan undergoes restoration. Philippine News Agency .
16. Web site: Toff de Venecia seeks museum honoring painter Victorio Edades | Politiko North Luzon. 25 September 2018.
17. Web site: 'Dani Girl,' 'Lam-ang' lead 2019 Gawad Buhay 2nd semestral citations. 17 January 2020.
18. Web site: Best of theater 2019. 13 December 2019.
19. Web site: Ateneo BlueRep: 25 years of youthful passion for musical theater. 7 April 2017.
20. Web site: Sights and Sounds: No Filter 2.0. 5 October 2015.
21. Web site: REVIEW: "No Filter" is original and relatable. 27 July 2015.
22. Web site: Cultural Center of the Philippines . www.culturalcenter.gov.ph . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201113130228/https://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph/press-releases/press-kit-june-2015-virgin-labfest-11-at-ccp . 2020-11-13.
23. Web site: Theater review: 'Dani Girl,' a musical about childhood cancer, is oddly uplifting . Jeeves de Veyra. August 15, 2019 . ABS-CBN News.
24. Web site: Toff de Venecia returns to the stage via Charlie Brown musical. .
25. Web site: Ateneo Blue Repertory Presents Little Shop of Horror on Aug 10-27!. 16 August 2011.
26. Web site: Billionaire boys club. .