Here are some of the Filipina celebrities who started their showbiz career by joining Little Miss Philippines of Eat Bulaga.
Little Miss Philippines, a search for adorable and talented young girls, had been a major part of Philippine television.
Through the initiative of the people behind the longest-running noon time variety show Eat Bulaga, new doors in the entertainment industry opened for the young aspiring stars.
Through the course of the said segment it brought hope to the dreams of many young girls who started as a contestant in the search and were able to find their spots in showbiz.
Here are some of the Pinay celebrities who joined the Little Miss Philippines contest.
Gladys Reyes
She did not win the crown for Little Miss Philippines; however she brought home the Miss Metro Manila title in 1984.
After that, her name made it big in the showbiz industry and she was able to be included in several projects such as movies with Viva Films which gave her a Best Child Performer nomination.
Gladys did a remarkable portrayal in the famous soap opera Mara Clara as the ‘kontrabida’.
Jessa Zaragoza
She joined the contest in 1987 and was able to reach the grand finals. During the talent portion, she lip-synced the Visayan song Waray-Waray.
Jessa joined the search as Richelle Ann Mallari and was the number 13 contestant.
Now, she continues to make her own mark in the industry as singer. Jessa is happily married to her fellow singer Dingdong Avanzado and they are blessed with a child named Jayda.
Donna Cruz
Donna was also a finalist in Little Miss Philippines during her time. Following that, she had her big break in showbiz when she won as the Bulilit Bagong Kampeon in 1989.
She was then started her career as a singer and recorded several albums.
Now, Donna is more focused on her family life but from time to time she appears in TV shows and advertisements.
Pauleen Luna
Pauleen was also part of the noon time show even before she became a host. She joined the search for young girls in 1995 and 10 years after that she became one of the Dabarkads of the show.
She did not win in the daily round and the one who interviewed her during the Q&A portion was her husband Vic Sotto.
Aiza Seguerra
Though Aiza or Ice cannot be called as Pinay celebrity now, but he is the most notable personality who was first known in Little Miss Philippines.
He was just a runner-up but he had his own segment in Eat Bulaga which help the ratings of the show when it was about to be dominated by its rival.
Due to that, Aiza continued to receive salary from TAPE even though he was no longer one of the hosts.
Now, aside from his musical stints, he is also the current chairman of National Youth Commission.