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Noli de Castro
Noli De Castro Vice Presidential Portrait.png
Official portrait, 2004
12th Vice President of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2010
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Preceded by Teofisto Guingona Jr.
Succeeded by Jejomar Binay
Presidential Adviser for Overseas Filipino Workers
In office
August 11, 2004 – June 30, 2010
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Succeeded by Jejomar Binay
2nd Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
In office
June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2010
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Preceded by Mike Defensor
Succeeded by Jejomar Binay
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2004
Personal details
Born
Manuel Leuterio de Castro Jr.

(1949-07-06) July 6, 1949 (age 75)
Pola, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines
Political party Aksyon (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Independent (2001–2021)
Spouses
Pacita Torralba
(sep. 1976; ann. 1998)
Arlene Sinsuat
(m. 1992; died 2021)
Children 3, including Kat
Alma mater University of the East (BS)
Occupation
Nickname
  • Kabayan
  • Noli
TV/radio shows hosted
  • Kabayan radio commentator (1986–2001, 2010–2021, 2021–present)
  • Magandang Gabi... Bayan host (1988–2004)
  • TV Patrol anchor (1987–2001, 2010–2021, 2023–present)
  • Radyo Patrol Balita Alas-Siyete/TeleBalita/TeleRadyo Balita/TeleRadyo Serbisyo Balita anchor (2010–2021, 2021–2024)
  • KBYN: Kaagapay ng Bayan host (2022–2023)
  • Tao Po! correspondent (2023–present)

Manuel "Noli" Leuterio de Castro Jr. (born July 6, 1949) is a well-known Filipino journalist and politician. He served as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 2004 to 2010. This was during the time Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was President.

Before becoming Vice President, Noli de Castro was elected as a Senator in 2001. He received the most votes among all senators in that election. With a career that has lasted over 50 years, he is one of the most recognized faces in Philippine television and radio. Today, he is still an anchor for the radio show Kabayan and the TV news program TV Patrol.

Early Life and School

Noli de Castro was born as Manuel Leuterio de Castro Jr. in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. His birthday is July 6, 1949. He is the fifth child of Manuel de Castro Sr. and Demetria Leuterio.

He went to the University of the East. In 1971, he earned a degree in Commerce, focusing on banking and finance. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

His Career in Broadcasting

Noli de Castro started his career in broadcasting during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos. He worked as a reporter for a popular radio announcer named Johnny de Leon. Later, from 1982 to 1986, he became a radio announcer at RPN's DWWW station.

After the People Power Revolution in 1986, which led to a change in government, de Castro joined ABS-CBN. He became a host for a segment on the show "Good Morning! Philippines." He also joined DZMM, an ABS-CBN radio station. There, he became the main anchor for the radio program Kabayan. This is how he got his famous nickname, "Kabayan Noli."

In 1987, he became one of the anchors for the news and public affairs show, TV Patrol. The next year, he also became an anchor for Magandang Gabi... Bayan. On July 8, 1996, Noli de Castro became the only anchor for TV Patrol. He later became the overall head of production for the newscast and a senior vice president at DZMM. On February 12, 2001, he left the newscast to run for Senator.

While he was Vice President from 2004 to 2010, he still co-anchored a weekly program called Para Sa'yo, Bayan on DZMM.

On July 12, 2010, after his term as Vice President, Kabayan returned with de Castro as its anchor. On November 8, 2010, he also returned as an anchor for TV Patrol. He joined Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon for his second time on the show. In 2011, he started co-anchoring Radyo Patrol Balita: Alas Siyete, which was later renamed.

On November 8, 2021, Noli de Castro returned to ABS-CBN. He resumed his roles as anchor for TeleRadyo Balita and Kabayan. He also hosted a new public affairs program called KBYN: Kaagapay ng Bayan. On January 9, 2023, he returned to TV Patrol for his third time as an anchor.

His Political Career

As a Senator (2001–2004)

In the 2001 Philippine Senate election, Noli de Castro received the most votes among all candidates. He was the top-notcher for that year, getting over 16.2 million votes. He ran as an independent politician.

During his three years as a Senator, de Castro wrote many bills and resolutions. Some of these included the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2002 and the Newborn Screening Test Act of 2001. He did not finish his full six-year term as a Senator because he was elected as Vice President in 2004.

As Vice President (2004–2010)

Presidential styles of
Noli de Castro
Seal of the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines.svg
Reference style His Excellency, The Honorable
Spoken style Your Excellency
Alternative style Mr. Vice President

In the 2004 Philippine general election, Noli de Castro ran for Vice President. He won by a small number of votes against Senator Loren Legarda. He was also appointed by President Arroyo to lead the housing and urban development agency (HUDCC). In this role, he helped oversee various housing and finance groups.

2010 Presidential Election

Noli de Castro was considered a strong candidate for the 2010 presidential election at first. As the Vice President, many older voters thought he would be a good choice to become the next president. However, he later decided not to run for president. In an interview, he said he wanted to retire from politics and focus on his broadcasting career full-time.

2022 Senate Election Bid

Noli de Castro initially planned to run as a senator again in the 2022 Philippine Senate election. He joined a political party called Aksyon Demokratiko and made his last appearance on his TV and radio programs. He officially filed his papers to run. However, a few days later, he decided to withdraw his candidacy.

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