MANILA, Philippines — Lifestyle television host Daphne Oseña-Paez has been named as the new "press briefer" of Malacañang under the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Oseña-Paez clarified that her new title is not a Cabinet position as she is not a presidential spokesperson, "The President will speak for himself. I am just here to support the Office of the Press Secretary for now."
Rather in her designated role, Oseña-Paez will be the regular source of updates from the Palace as she "amplifies and communicates the message of President Marcos Jr., the Cabinet, and the government" through weekly briefings every Tuesday after Cabinet meetings.
This is Oseña-Paez's first time working directly for the government as she used to be a journalist and a lifestyle personality.
Background
Oseña-Paez started out her professional career in 1997 as a television host and news reporter for ABS-CBN and Studio 23 — she was even the weather girl on "The World Tonight" for a year — before co-hosting lifestyle magazine program "F!" with Angel Aquino and Cher Calvin from 1999 to 2006.
After "F!," Oseña-Paez went on to host other lifestyle shows such ABS-CBN's "Urban Zone," which she “conceptualized, wrote and created,” and Cignal TV’s "Recreate."
Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, in announcing Oseña-Paez's new role, said the former lifestyle host had covered the Malacañang beat under the Fidel V. Ramos administration during her time as a a journalist. Oseña-Paez later clarified she did so for just six months.
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Her other ventures included a jewelry line featuring images of well-loved saints and her linen collection "It’s Daphne Luxe" produced in partnership with Linens Direct. She also used to design furniture, most notably, a namesake chair.
She has been married to fellow broadcast journalist and news executive Patrick Paez, son of architect Gregorio Paez, since 2002 and they have three daughters together.
In fact, it was Paez who created "F!" after her weather girl stint, as she came back to the Philippines from Toronto, Canada to help in the planning of then-new municipality Guimaras since she took up Urban Planning and Art History in college.
Social outreach
Oseña-Paez has been an advocate of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) since 2010 as she has been involved in infant and young child feeding, maternal health and mortality, universal primary education, nutrition and more recently, child protection.
In 2019, UNICEF elevated Oseña-Paez to the role of goodwill ambassador, given her active support and promotion of children’s rights and well-being.
“Being an advocate and fundraiser for UNICEF is something I truly treasure and take seriously," Oseña-Paez said then. "I strongly identify with UNICEF’s values and vision for children’s growth, development, protection and participation.”
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At the time, her flagship project was Auction for Action, an art auction that brings together top Filipino artists in design, furniture, art and jewelry for a good cause; this was on top of her local travels to show UNICEF's efforts to mothers and children.
Ties to the Marcoses
A 2009 column in The STAR by Tanya T. Lara said that Oseña-Paez's father, Col. Delio Oseña, was the pilot of former President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda.
The colonel was assigned to Canada as a diplomat, but his papers were "lost" during the 1986 EDSA Revolution.
“My father was not allowed to come back because he was a senior military official. It was just sad and strange that he was on the wanted list," Oseña-Paez said in the column, reiterating her father was just a pilot and diplomat.
"As a teenager it made me confused. I rejected the Philippines altogether; I didn’t have Filipino friends in Canada. But in my adult life, I ended up coming back here — and I was the only one of all my siblings who married a Filipino,” the new Malacañang "press briefer" also said then.
Because of the circumstances, Oseña-Paez grew up in Canada as her whole family immigrated there, studying in high school and college before an eventual return to the Philippines.
During the 2022 national elections, Oseña-Paez backed the candidacy of Marcos Jr. and even hosted events at the Palace before being given her new role.
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