Rhea Santos facts for kids

Rhea Santos-de Guzman, born on June 1, 1979, is a Filipino journalist and TV host. She is currently based in Canada. Many people know her for co-hosting the morning show Unang Hirit on GMA Network. She also hosted other news programs like Reporter's Notebook and Tunay na Buhay. After working as a journalist for 19 years, she moved from the Philippines. She went to Vancouver, Canada, to study more and continue her career there.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in the Philippines

Rhea Santos was born on June 1, 1979, in San Mateo, Rizal. She spent most of her childhood in Marikina. She has two brothers, one older and one younger. She completed her elementary and high school education at St. Scholastica's Academy of Marikina.

College Years and Dreams

She studied AB Mass Communications at St. Paul's College Quezon City. This school is now known as St. Paul University Quezon City. She graduated with high honors, called magna cum laude. In her first year of college, she interviewed Arnold Clavio. He later became her co-host on Unang Hirit. During her junior year, she had an internship at ABS-CBN.

From Beauty Pageants to Modeling

When she was in high school, Rhea knew she wanted to be a broadcast journalist. However, her childhood dream was to become a beauty queen. Her mother fully supported this dream. In 1996, she joined the Body Shots competition. She was a finalist and won "Best in Swimsuit." Standing at 1.76 meters (5 feet 9 inches) tall, she also worked as a commercial and ramp model. She was an endorser for various products. She also tried out for Binibining Pilipinas, a beauty pageant.

Career in Journalism

Starting at GMA Network

After college, Rhea Santos first worked for an airline and a public relations company. But she still wanted to be a broadcast journalist. So, she started sending job applications to TV networks. In July 2000, GMA Network hired her as a segment producer. One day, she got a chance to be a newscaster and host for Unang Hirit. She filled in for Miriam Quiambao, who was absent. In 2001, she became a regular host on the show.

Hosting News and Public Affairs

In 2003, she became an anchor for the GMA Action Force segment on Frontpage. She also worked as a field reporter, interviewing people in places like Tondo, Manila. In 2004, she hosted her own show, At Your Service-Star Power. That same year, she co-hosted the Eat Bulaga! Silver Special with Arnold Clavio.

From 2005 to 2010, she anchored the primetime newscast News on Q. She also hosted public affairs programs like Women's Desk (later called Draw the Line) and DoQmentaries. In 2009, she co-hosted Reporter's Notebook with Jiggy Manicad. She reported from the field, covering important cases like the Maguindanao massacre.

New Shows and International Coverage

In 2011, Rhea Santos left Reporter's Notebook to host Tunay na Buhay. This show features the life stories of famous people. In 2013, she was a guest on The Ryzza Mae Show. In 2016, she hosted a TV special called Imagine You & Me: The Journey. This was a documentary about the film Imagine You and Me. In 2018, she anchored a special Lenten broadcast of Unang Hirit live from Israel.

Moving to Canada

In 2019, Rhea Santos retired as a broadcast journalist in the Philippines. She moved to Canada with her family. She studied Broadcast and Online Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She had 19 years of experience in Philippine television news. She covered many major events during the 2000s and 2010s. These included Philippine national elections and State of the Nation Addresses. She also reported on the September 11 attacks in New York City. Other events included the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. She also covered the Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona's impeachment trial.

Rhea Santos was the longest-serving female morning newscaster in Philippine TV history. On September 1, 2020, she started her career again in Canada. She became the anchor of the national Philippine edition of Omni News in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Personal Life

On September 17, 2004, Rhea Santos married Carlo de Guzman. He is a businessman and owns the Hotshots Burger chain. They have two children, nicknamed Uno and Yuan. Besides her media work, she also had a baking business called Curious Chef Philippines. In 2010, an entertainment website named her one of the hottest TV newswomen in the Philippines.

Her own life story was featured in the last episode of Tunay na Buhay that she hosted.

Television Appearances

• Unang Hirit – (2000–2019)
• Frontpage – (2003–2004)
• i-Witness: Abakada ni Ina – (2004)
• Eat Bulaga!: Silver Anniversary Special – (2004)
• At Your Service-Star Power – (2004–2005)
• Pinoy Abroad – (2005–2006)
• News on Q – (2005–2010)
• Draw the Line – (formerly Women's Desk, 2005–2009)
• 100% Pinoy! – (2006–2007)
• Quickfire – (2008) – guest
• Case Unclosed – (2009)
• Reporter's Notebook – (2009–2011)
• Tunay na Buhay – (2011–2019)
• Follow That Star – (2013) – featured celebrity
• The Ryzza Mae Show – (2013) – guest
• The 700 Club Asia – (2016) – guest
• Imagine You & Me: The Journey – (2016)
• OMNI News: Filipino Edition – (2020–present)
• OMNI Prairies: Pinoy Konek – (2020) – guest

Awards and Recognition