Wikipedia

Rhea Santos

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is unknown, the birth surname or paternal family name is Santos, and the marital name is de Guzman.

Rhea Santos-de Guzman (born June 1, 1979) is a Filipino broadcast journalist and television presenter currently based in Canada. She is known for co-anchoring GMA Network's morning show Unang Hirit and hosting several news and public affairs programs including Reporter's Notebook and Tunay na Buhay. After 19 years of being a broadcast journalist, she left the Philippines to study and eventually resume her profession in Vancouver, Canada.

Rhea Santos
Born (1979-06-01) June 1, 1979 (age 45)
San Mateo, Rizal, Philippines[1]
NationalityFilipino
Alma materSt. Paul University Quezon City, (AB)
Occupations
  • Broadcast journalist
  • television presenter
Years active2000–present
Employers
Television
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1][2]
Spouse
Carlo de Guzman
​
(m. 2004)​
Children2

Early life

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Santos was born on June 1, 1979[3] in San Mateo, Rizal and stayed most of her childhood in Marikina.[1] She has an older brother and a younger brother.[1] She finished elementary and high school at St. Scholastica's Academy of Marikina.[3][4] She graduated magna cum laude at St. Paul's College Quezon City (now known as St. Paul University Quezon City) finishing AB Mass Communications.[3][5] One of her project in her first year in college was interviewing Arnold Clavio (her future co-anchor in Unang Hirit) about martial law.[6] She had an internship at ABS-CBN in her junior year in college.[2]

During her senior year in high school, it became clear to her that she would like to be a broadcast journalist.[2] Although, her childhood dream was to become a beauty queen[2][6] and her mother fully supported her.[1][6] With that, she participated in the 1996 Body Shots competition where she became one of the finalists and won the "Best in Swimsuit" special award.[5][7] Standing at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m),[1][2] she was once a commercial and ramp model and an endorser for some products.[8] She also auditioned for Binibining Piipinas but after an argument with her mother in front of the judges, she did not pursue it.[2]

Career

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Upon graduating from college, Santos worked for an airline company and a PR firm.[6] Eventually, she decided to follow her aspiration to become a broadcast journalist and began to send job applications to television networks.[5] In July 2000, GMA Network replied on her application and started to work there as a segment producer.[2] One day, she had the opportunity to be one of the newscasters and hosts of GMA Network's morning show Unang Hirit, temporarily replacing Miriam Quiambao who was absent for a day.[5] She eventually became a regular of the show in 2001.[9]

In 2003, she was assigned to anchor Frontpage's segment GMA Action Force where she was also a field reporter interviewing different people such as criminal gangs in Tondo, Manila.[10] In 2004, she had her own show At Your Service-Star Power.[9] In the same year, she co-hosted Eat Bulaga! Silver Special, which was a co-production of TAPE Inc. and GMA News and Public Affairs, with her fellow anchor in Unang Hirit, Arnold Clavio.[11] The following year, GMA launched Pinoy Abroad, which she co-hosted with Ivan Mayrina.[9]

She had anchored primetime newscast News on Q (previously aired by QTV, renamed as Q, later GMA News TV and eventually since 2021 became GTV) from 2005[9] to 2010.[12] She also hosted public affairs program Women's Desk (later re-titled as Draw the Line) in 2005[9][13] and documentary show DoQmentaries in 2008[9][14] along with other presenters Connie Sison[15] and Pia Arcangel.[16] She co-hosted Reporter's Notebook with Jiggy Manicad in 2009 where she reported from the field and covered high-profile cases such as the Maguindanao massacre.[12]

Santos left Reporter's Notebook in 2011 to host Tunay na Buhay,[17][18] a television program that features biographies of celebrities, which was first aired on January 21, 2011.[19] In 2013, she guested at The Ryzza Mae Show.[20] In 2016, she hosted the television special entitled Imagine You & Me: The Journey, which is a documentary for the film Imagine You & Me, starring the AlDub love team of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza.[21][22] In 2018, she anchored the Lenten special of Unang Hirit where they broadcast live from Israel.[23]

In 2019, she retired as a broadcast journalist after leaving the Philippines together with her family to pursue her further education in Canada taking up Broadcast and Online Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.[24] With her 19 years experience in the television news industry in the Philippines, she has covered and broadcast major events during the 2000s and 2010s such as the Philippine national elections of those times, State of the Nation Addresses of Philippine presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, the 9/11 attack in New York City, United States, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona's impeachment trial.[25][9][12] She has been the longest-serving female morning newscaster in the history of Philippine television.[12] On September 1, 2020, she resumed her career in the news industry, premiering as the anchor of the national Philippine edition of Omni News in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[26]

Personal life

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On September 17, 2004, Santos married businessman and Hotshots Burger chain owner, Carlo de Guzman.[27] They have two children nicknamed Uno and Yuan.[28] Aside from being a media personality, she had a baking business through Curious Chef Philippines. In 2010, she was named by Spot.ph, an entertainment website, as the third hottest television newswomen in the Philippines.[29]

The last appearance of Santos in Tunay na Buhay features her life story.[30]

Filmography

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Television

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Accolades

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001 Unang Hirit 15th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won
2002 Unang Hirit 16th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won
2002 Rhea Santos 16th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Most Promising Female TV Personality[3] Nominated
2004 i-Witness: ABAKADA ni Ina 2004 Catholic Mass Media Awards – Best TV Magazine Show[12] Won
2005 At Your Service: Under the Sea Special 2005 U.S. International Film and Video Festival – Gold Camera Award[9][34] Won
2006 Pinoy Abroad 20th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Travel Show Host[9] Won
2008 Unang Hirit 22nd PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won
2013 Unang Hirit 27th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won
2015 Unang Hirit 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won
2016 Tunay na Buhay 30th PMPC Star Awards for Television – Best Documentary Program Host[35][36] Nominated
2017 Unang Hirit Gawad Tanglaw Awards 2017 – Best Morning Show Host[9] Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Gloria, Mira B. (October 13, 2008). "Rhea Santos: Right on Cue – TV Host, News Anchor". HerWord.com. BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "FREE TALK – Rhea Santos reveals her 'secret'". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. July 29, 2005. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "iGMA.tv :: Celebrities – Rhea Santos". iGMA.tv. GMA Network. February 4, 2005. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Kulasas with Kulazayaw". When in Manila. September 21, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Dimarucut-Sison, Lei (April 3, 2012). "Mom We Love: Rhea Santos-de Guzman". SmartParenting.com.ph. Summit Media. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Glorioso, Bot (December 9, 2013). "Rhea shares her tunay na buhay". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Lo, Ricky (June 5, 2007). "Beauty queens turned newscasters". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Tunay Na Buhay ni Rhea Santos: Fast facts about the news anchor and host". GMA News Online. GMA Network. July 19, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Mendoza, Ruel J. (August 2, 2019). "Rhea Santos bids farewell to GMA-7 after 19 years". PEP.ph (in English and Tagalog). Summit Media. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  10. ^ Rañoa-Bismark, Maridol (July 16, 2003). "Rhea rises". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  11. ^ Eat Bulaga Silver Sunday Special November 28, 2004, retrieved August 6, 2019[dead YouTube link]
  12. ^ a b c d e f "MNP Q&A: Rhea Santos, News Anchor and TV Host for GMA News and Public Affairs". Media Newser Philippines. September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  13. ^ "QTV's Rhea Santos: Empowering women". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. December 24, 2006. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  14. ^ Orosa, Rosalinda L. (July 5, 2009). "The Rhea Santos Special". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  15. ^ Orosa, Rosalinda L. (June 7, 2009). "Night owls on Doqmentaries". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  16. ^ "Mane event". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. August 2, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  17. ^ Cruz, Marinel R. (January 21, 2011). "Rhea Santos in real life". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 6, 2019 – via PressReader.
  18. ^ Red, Isah V. (June 27, 2015). "GMA's 'Fully Loaded Afternoon'". Manila Standard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  19. ^ "Tunay na Buhay will feature inspiring biographies starting January 21". PEP.ph. Summit Media. January 19, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  20. ^ RYZZA MAE SHOW with RHEA SANTOS # 1, retrieved August 6, 2019[dead YouTube link]
  21. ^ Sun, Cherry (July 8, 2017). "The making of 'Imagine You & Me,' mapapanood ngayong July 9". GMA News (in Tagalog). Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  22. ^ Cruz, Angel Javier (August 12, 2016). "Rhea shares life lessons from Tunay na Buhay". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  23. ^ "'Unang Hirit' goes to the Holy Land". entertainment.inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 25, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  24. ^ "Rhea Santos: Philippines will always have a place in my heart". GMA News Online. August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  25. ^ "'Unang Hirit' anchor Rhea Santos leaving GMA-7". Media Newser Philippines. July 23, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  26. ^ Biong, Ian (September 2, 2020). "Former 'Unang Hirit' anchor Rhea Santos, ABS-CBN reporters team up for Canadian TV newscast". Inquirer.net. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  27. ^ "A love story made for the telenovela". philstar.com. The Philippine Star. January 16, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  28. ^ Mendoza, Ruel J. (August 5, 2019). "Rhea Santos posts heartfelt message as she bids goodbye to Unang Hirit". PEP.ph (in English and Tagalog). Summit Media. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  29. ^ "Top 10 Hottest TV Newswomen in the Philippines". SPOT.PH. August 18, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  30. ^ "LOOK: These Rhea Santos pics show why she was a campus crush". GMA News Online. August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  31. ^ "Case Unclosed investigates 2006 Wowowee tragedy". PEP.ph. Summit Media. February 5, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  32. ^ "Rhea Santos, lilipat na nga ba sa kabilang istasyon?". GMA News Online (in Tagalog). May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  33. ^ Rhea Santos off-camera, devoted wife and mother, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved August 9, 2019
  34. ^ "US International Film & Video Festival Award Winners". filmfestawards.com. US International Film & Video Festival. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  35. ^ "LIST: Winners, PMPC Star Awards 2016 – television". Rappler. October 24, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  36. ^ "ABS-CBN dominates 2016 PMPC Star Awards for TV nominationsn". ABS-CBN News. October 10, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
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