Arnold Ilagan Atienza (Tagalog pronunciation:[ɐˈtʃɛnsa]; born September 29, 1972),[1] also known as Ali Atienza, is a politician, athlete, and newscaster in the Philippines. He was the Presidential Adviser on Youth Affairs from 2005 to 2007 and was concurrently the head of the Manila sports development office and inner city development program from 2001 to 2007. He is the youngest of two sons of former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, the other being weatherman Kim Atienza.
Atienza first gained fame as a gold medalist for the Philippinestaekwondo national team in the 1990s.[2] On March 28, 2007, he formally filed his papers as candidate for Mayor of the City of Manila during the May 14, 2007, mid-term elections. In that election, Sen. Alfredo Lim won the 2007 mayoralty race, and had conceded to Lim.
On February 28, 2021, the Philippine Taekwondo Association conferred upon Atienza with a 5th DanBlackbelt along with DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan.[3]
In 2001, he became the youngest chairman of the Manila Sports Council (MASCO) which hosted the Manila Youth Games, the MY National Invitational and Manila Marathons. He also became the Chairman of Manila's inner city development and Manila employment committee where he was able to light the streets of Manila, employ thousands, and provide children from elementary public schools with rice subsidies. He is a former anchor of IBC Express Balita from 2004 to 2007.
In 2013, he became the top-notch councilor in the fifth district of Manila garnering almost 80,000 votes. He is considered a voice of the people with his stand on two major issues. First, with his fight against the Manila Bay reclamation and second for his firm stand against the 300% tax increase that the city council has approved.
Ali graduated in 2016 from National University of Singapore under the School of Public Policy in their Senior Management Programme. Atienza ran for congressman of the fifth district of Manila in 2019 but lost to incumbent Cristal Bagatsing.
On December 4, 2020, he was appointed Undersecretary for Government Digital Broadcast Television and the Digitization of the Entertainment Industry Sector in Department of Information and Communications Technology. He later headed Education, Ease of Doing Business, PWD, Senior Citizens, and Emerging Technologies in the Department.
Currently, he is holding the position of acting board member of the Food Terminal Incorporated.
References
^"Philippines, Manila, Civil Registration, 1899-1984," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1Z-4JFQ : May 26, 2016), Arnold Ilagan Atienza, September 29, 1972; citing Birth, Manila, Metropolitan Manila, Philippines, Civil Registry Office, City Hall of Manila; FHL microfilm 1,717,726.
