Rhea Santos | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1979-06-01)June 1, 1979 (age 45) San Mateo, Rizal, Philippines[1] |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Alma mater | St. Paul University Quezon City, (AB) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Employers |
|
| Television | |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1][2] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
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-anchoringGMA Network's morning showUnang Hirit and hosting several news and public affairs programs includingReporter's Notebook andTunay na Buhay. After 19 years of being a broadcast journalist, she left the Philippines to study and eventually resume her profession inVancouver, Canada.
Santos was born on June 1, 1979[3] inSan Mateo, Rizal and stayed most of her childhood inMarikina.[1] She has an older brother and a younger brother.[1] She finished elementary and high school atSt. Scholastica's Academy of Marikina.[3][4] She graduated magna cum laude at St. Paul's College Quezon City (now known asSt. Paul University Quezon City) finishing AB Mass Communications.[3][5] One of her project in her first year in college was interviewingArnold Clavio (her future co-anchor inUnang Hirit) about martial law.[6] She had an internship atABS-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 forBinibining Piipinas but after an argument with her mother in front of the judges, she did not pursue it.[2]
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 showUnang Hirit, temporarily replacingMiriam 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 anchorFrontpage's segment GMA Action Force where she was also a field reporter interviewing different people such ascriminal gangs inTondo, Manila.[10] In 2004, she had her own showAt Your Service-Star Power.[9] In the same year, she co-hostedEat Bulaga! Silver Special, which was a co-production ofTAPE Inc. andGMA News and Public Affairs, with her fellow anchor inUnang Hirit,Arnold Clavio.[11] The following year, GMA launchedPinoy Abroad, which she co-hosted withIvan Mayrina.[9]
She had anchored primetime newscastNews on Q (previously aired byQTV, renamed as Q, laterGMA News TV and eventually since 2021 becameGTV) from 2005[9] to 2010.[12] She also hosted public affairs programWomen's Desk (later re-titled asDraw the Line) in 2005[9][13] and documentary showDoQmentaries in 2008[9][14] along with other presentersConnie Sison[15] andPia Arcangel.[16] She co-hostedReporter's Notebook withJiggy Manicad in 2009 where she reported from the field and covered high-profile cases such as theMaguindanao massacre.[12]
Santos left Reporter's Notebook in 2011 to hostTunay 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 atThe Ryzza Mae Show.[20] In 2016, she hosted the television special entitledImagine You & Me: The Journey, which is a documentary for the filmImagine You & Me, starring theAlDub love team ofAlden Richards andMaine Mendoza.[21][22] In 2018, she anchored the Lenten special ofUnang 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 upBroadcast and Online Journalism at theBritish 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 thePhilippine national elections of those times,State of the Nation Addresses of Philippine presidentsGloria Macapagal-Arroyo,Benigno Aquino III andRodrigo Duterte, the9/11 attack in New York City, United States, thewedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, andPhilippine Chief JusticeRenato Corona'simpeachment 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 ofOmni News in Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada.[26]
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 inTunay na Buhay features her life story.[30]
| 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 |