Aiza Seguerra

Page issues

The Journey (born 17 September 1983) is a singer and actress Filipino who won the
Little Miss Philippines Eat Bulaga! . This was the way to become a popular actor.
Most of his films were made by Regal Filmswhere he contracted. She admits she is a
lesbian.
Artist Biography by Marcy Donelson

Born Cariza Yamson Seguerra in 1983, Aiza Seguerra is an actor and musician from
the Philippines. A well-known child actor in his homeland, he pursued a music career
beginning in his late teens and had a hit with his official debut single, "Pagdating ng
Panahon." Identifying as a transgender man as an adult, he's helped raised awareness
regarding gender identity issues, as well as publicly advocating for animal rights and
against child labor. He was appointed Chairperson of the National Youth Commission
by the Philippines' president in August 2016.

Seguerra began his career in the limelight at the young age of three, appearing on the daytime
variety show Eat Bulaga in 1987 as part of the annual Little Miss Philippines competition. After
finishing in the runner-up spot, Seguerra stayed on with the series for the next ten years. The
exposure and connections earned there led to dozens of parts in film and TV, including the title
role in the 1988 film Wake Up Little Susie and the lead in the sci-fi comedy Computer Kombat
from 1997. As a preteen, the actor also recorded an album of covers for Alpha Records
called Little Star, released in 1995.
Seguerra started playing the guitar and songwriting as a teenager, and had his first hit in his
late teens with his official debut single, a pseudo-acoustic 2001 ballad called "Pagdating ng
Panahon." The Vicor Records debut album of the same name went quintuple platinum. His
sophomore LP, Pinakamamahal, went double platinum a year later and was followed by a
Christmas release and a live album from a sold-out 2002 show at the Music Museum in San
Juan. His 2003 full-length, Sabi ng Kanta..., went gold. The next year's Covers
Uncovered would be Seguerra's final record for Vicor. He made his Star Records debut in
2007 with Para Lang Sa 'Yo. It was followed by the platinum album Open Arms in 2008,
another live LP, and 2010's Perhaps Love. Songs from the Vault arrived late the following year.

In the meantime, Seguerra had earned a degree from the University of Santo Tomas
College of Fine Arts and Design, and continued to appear regularly on TV and in films.
In 2014, Seguerra married Filipino model/actress Liza Diño, and in 2016, he was
appointed Chairperson of the National Youth Commission by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Jose Maria Borja Viceral, better known as Vice Ganda, is a Filipino multifaceted
personality, excelling as a standup comedian, actor, TV presenter, recording artist,
writer, and fashion guru. He is widely acclaimed and instantly recognizab le as the
host-cum panelist of the midday TV program ‘It’s Showtime’ presented by ABS-
CBN. He is also popular as an accomplished standup comedian, belting out
comedic performances where he lampoons human sexuality and satirizes Filipino
culture. He has starred in a string of movies, six of which have been huge
commercial successes, setting records as being amongst the highest grossing films
in the history of Filipino movie industry. Vice Ganda commenced his professional
career as a singer and soon graduated to performing as a standup comedian. He
landed a job as a singer-cum-comedian in a bar in Manila where the owner Richard
Castaneda accorded him the epithet ‘Vice Ganda’ that stuck. As he evolved over
the years, he chiseled his inimitable style of humor, harboring on his sardonic brand
of sexuality, situational satire, and scathing mimicry of archetypal demeanor. Vice
effortlessly moved onto the small screen, emceeing a series of programs and shows
including ‘Comedy Central’, and ‘Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbablik’ as well as
making guest appearances sending audiences into splits. Ganda’s forays into the
celluloid realm and music industry have also brought him fame and glory.
Ricky Reyes

With a wildly successful chain of beauty salons, a resort, and a line of beauty products,
it would be hard to believe that Ricky Reyes even had a humble beginning. And yet,
Mother Ricky, as he is also called, began his career as a floor sweeper in a beauty
salon before becoming a hairdresser.

By 1973, he was able to open his first salon, and not long after, changed the beauty
salon game in the country by opening the first mall-based salon in SM North Edsa and
his business soon grew exponentially.

Despite his much earned success as an entrepreneur, he is even more amazing as a

philanthropist. He established the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute, a center that offers
free training to aspiring beauticians and also founded CHILD Haus, which temporarily
offers free lodging, transportation and medicine for sick children undergoing treatments.
Ricky has also put up ten livelihood centers in poverty-stricken areas and has run his
Isang Gunting, Isang Suklay program, a training program for housewives, out of school
youths and the like, for over thirty years.

Rajo Laurel

Multi-awarded fashion designer and Project Runway Philippines judge, Rajo Lauren is
an icon and a pillar in the local fashion scene. His childhood love for fashion was further
honed when he was educated in the New York Fashion Institute of Technology and
Central Saint Martin’s in London. He debuted into the Philippine fashion scene when he
won the ASEAN Young Designers Competition at the age of 21.

His designs range from ready-to-wear to haute couture, accessories to women’s bags,
and pretty much everything else in between. Rajo is also the go-to fashion designer for
the country’s elite socialites and local celebrities, such as Anne Curtis and Sarah
Geronimo.

Beyond dressing up his customers in his gorgeous designs, Rajo is also busy making
the world a more beautiful place. He serves as a designer and business consultant for
Rags2Riches, a social business enterprise that aims to provide livelihood opportunities
to skilled rug weavers of Payatas. He has also served on Bantay Bata’s Board of
Directors and has supported many of their projects.
Kevin Balot, 1stFilipino winner of International
Queen transgender pageant.
Miss International Queen is an annual beauty pageant for transgenders that
takes place in Pattaya, Thailand. Began in 2004, the contest aims to create
human rights awareness among international communities.
In 2012, a transgender from Tarlac won the first-ever crown for the
Philippines—using her original masculine name, Kevin Balot.
Balot, the only male child in the family, has two other sisters, Karen and
Kimberly. She competed against 21 other contestants and brought home
$10,000 and a modeling contract.

Also Read: The Short And Tragic Life of The First Igorota Beauty Queen
9. Gabriel Paolo ‘Heart’ Diño, first transgender U.P.
Student Council chair.

On March 1, 2012, the student body of the state university elected the first
ever transgender chairman of the influential UP Student Council in the person
of Gabriel Paolo “Heart” Diño.
The 22-year-old MS Applied Math student ran under ALYANSA (Alyansa ng
mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran) besting two other
candidates. Her party also garnered a majority of the student council seats,
winning 12 of 33.
Also Read: 30 Things You Didn’t Know About University of the
Philippines
Born a male, the history-making transgender overcame discrimination,
but it was at the U.P. where she found acceptance.Diño previously served
as Gender Committee Head of the USC and was a Councilor of the UP
College of Science Student Council.
Diño was also a proud member of UP Babaylan, the first and largest LGBT
student organization in the Philippines. In the same elections, two other
LGBT members emerged victorious—Alex Castro, a bisexual woman, and
transgender Pat Bringas, who were elected vice chair and councilor,
respectively.

10. Geraldine Roman, first elected transgender in

Congress.
Source: Geraldine Roman Facebook Page.
In the May 2016 polls, the country’s first transgender politician was
elected to the nation’s lower house. Geraldine “Geri” Roman (b. 1967)
came from a political family in Bataan. She grew up in Orani, where, at an
early age, realized she was more of a woman than a man.
Because of her feminine nature, Geri was often bullied in school but found
support from her father, Antonino, a former congressman. She finished high
school at Ateneo de Manila, then went to the University of the Philippines for
her college studies. She went to Spain on a scholarship and finished a
journalism course and 2 masters degree at the University of the Basque
Country.

Also Read: 8 Filipinos Who Make You Proud To Be Pinoy

At age 26, Roman underwent gender confirmation surgery and had her name
legally changed. She worked as a senior editor for the Spanish News Agency
before returning to the Philippines in 2012 to take care of her ailing father.

Running under the banner of the Liberal party, Roman won as 1stDistrict
Representative, succeeding her mother, Herminia. Roman is married to a
Spanish citizen, where same-sex marriage is recognized.
BONUS: The controversial sex test that ended the
careers of two world-class Filipina athletes.
One was crowned Asia’s Sprint Queen in her time, a 2-time Olympian who
won 3 gold medals in the 1962 Asian Games. Another was a rising track star,
touted as “the next Lydia de Vega.” Gender testing in sports was introduced in
1966—and this controversial procedure dashed all hopes of continuing their
running career. One refused to take the test, the other flunked it. Here are the
heartbreaking stories of Mona and Nancy.
Mona Sulaiman
In 1966, Philippine female sprinter Mona Sulaiman, at 24, still had a few years
left to show she was Asia’s best track athlete. She was just 18 when she
qualified to run in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Then, in the 1961 Malacca
Games, the Cotabato native ruled the women’s sprints. A year
later, Sulaiman became the first woman to win the sprint double (100m.
and 200 m.) and a relay gold at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Photo Credit: Alex Castro Photo Archives/The Sunday Times Magazine, front
cover, 5 Aug. 1962
She found herself the toast of the sports world, for she was not just a top
runner– Sulaiman was also the national champion in the pentathlon, the
country’s top discus thrower and shot putter. In 1964, she found herself in
Tokyo Japan for her 2nd Olympics.

Sulaiman already had her sight on the 1966 Asian Games, when the
controversial gender test was introduced. She rejected the said test. At first,
she claimed it was against her Muslim faith. But for the record, Sulaiman said
she was suffering from flu at that time, so she decided to forego with the
medical check-up.

Also Read: 10 Greatest Filipino Athletes You’ve Never Heard Of

Sulaiman’s refusal spawned many speculations about her real gender, which
media played up back in the Philippines. Hurt and humiliated from being
barred from the games, she withdrew from the sports and lost interest, thus
putting a cruel end to an illustrious athletic career that could have been longer.

Nancy Navalta
In 1993, a 17-year-old Filipina sprinter from La Union stunned sports officials
at the Palarong Pambansa held in Isabela after handily winning the 100-meter
and 200-meter dashes in spectacular times.
To prove that her victories were no flukes, she won 6 gold medals at the next
year’s Palaro in Cebu. Soon, she was being touted as “the next Lydia de
Vega.”
By 1995, Navalta’s unbelievable clockings and muscular built put her gender
identity under much speculation. Asked to take a sex test, Navalta
complied, and while waiting for the results, competed both as a man
and woman in a local athletics meet in Pangasinan.
She won the women’s 100 and 200 m., and placed 4th in the men’s division.
This qualified her to the Philippine National Games that determine members
of the Philippine Olympic team. Her best time of 11.42 in the 100 m. was good
enough for the women’s race at the Atlanta Olympics.

Also Read: 13 Incredibly Amazing Pinoy Athletes Who (Almost)

Conquered The World
When the Philippine Centre for Sports Medicine (PCSM) released her sex test
results, it revealed thatshe had a condition called hermaphrodism,
meaning, Navalta had both female and male organs. It dashed all her
hopes of participating in the Olympics and cut short her athletics career.
Navalta retreated back to her hometown and finished a Criminology course at
the University of Luzon. She currently works as a coach in the region, training
both boys’ and girls’ teams in La Union and Pangasinan.

About the Author: Alex R. Castro is a retired advertising executive and is

now a consultant and museum curator of the Center for Kapampangan
Studies of Holy Angel University, Angeles City. He is the author of 2 local
history books: “Scenes from a Bordertown & Other Views” and “Aro, Katimyas
Da! A Memory Album of Titled Kapampangan Beauties 1908-2012”, a
National Book Award finalist. He is a 2014 Most Outstanding Kapampangan
Awardee in the field of Arts. For comments on this article, contact him
at [email protected]

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References
Castro, Alex R., Aro, Katimyas da! A Memory Album of Titled
KapampanganBeauties (1908-2012). Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy
Angel University. 2012, p. 238.
 Cheng, Jacinto. “Men in Women’s Clothing!”, Philippine Free Press, 27 July
1957,p. 18.

Garcia, J. Neil C. Performing the Self: Occasional Prose, University of the

Philippines, 2003.

Ocampo, Ambeth R., Dirty Dancing, Anvil Publishing, Inc. 201, pp. 77-80.

Nationalistic Sect Grows in Calamba, Sunday Times Magazine, 8 January

1956 issue, pp. 20-23

Palawan’s Pagdiwata, A Call to Gods. The Sunday Times Magazine.26 May

1963.p/ 52-53.

Pocket Revolts under the Spanish Shadows, Filipino Heritage, The Making of
a Nation, Felta Book Sales ,Vol.V, p. 1211

The Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi, An Anthropological Study of a Social Movement

in the Philippines, 1975.

Corporal, Lynette L., “Mona Sulaiman emerges from the shadows to receive
an award”. Manila Standard Today, 14 March 1996 issue, p. 31-B.

Online Sources
Geremia-Lachica, M. (1996). Panay’s Babaylan: The Male Takeover. Review
Of Women’s Studies, 6(1), 53-59. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/kk4GkK
InterAksyon. (2012). ‘Heart’ makes history in UP student elections: First-ever
transgender USC chair vows ‘change’. Retrieved 3 June 2016, from
http://goo.gl/Z81ZzU
Pregnant Oregon man is half-Filipino. (2008). ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 3
June 2016, from http://goo.gl/WCCght
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