Rhea Santos Dreams Big

Everyday, we catch sight of this lady when she takes her place amongst the jolly gang of Unang Hirit. As she delivers good cheer and brightens up our day, it is easy to peg Rhea Santos as just another pretty face. But that, of course, would be an impulsive and incorrect notion.

She relates, “Baka pretty face lang, kaya nandyan.’ When I used to do field coverage, I would cover mga rallies. Yung mga kasabayan naming mga radio reporters, sila yung mga protective. Although medyo nakakatawa na rin. ‘Dun ka sa lilim, bawal ka maarawan.’ Sabi ko, ‘Hindi, okay lang, kuya.’”

Rhea is certainly more than the girl you’d like to hide from the sun. “I wanted to prove myself to them na hindi lang ako hanggang dun. And I’ve done stories to prove that. I think already asserted myself to prove them wrong, in a way.”

While at Unang Hirit, we see a Rhea in a lighthearted atmosphere, the tone of work turns serious as she hosts her Sunday show, At Your Service. “The goal of the show,” Rhea points out, “is to bring help to communities. It addresses their problems. I think it’s very timely this Christmas especially sa mga pinaka-recent na ginawa namin. We distributed relief goods to those affected by the four storms that hit the country 2 weeks ago. Christmas is about giving; I kind of felt the meaning of Christmas because of that.”

As host of the show, Rhea immerses herself in the issues they tackle each week. “It has always been a humble experience whenever I do a segment for At Your Service. I always feel it makes you realize how lucky you are. You have all these things, you are receiving all these graces. Tapos these people na walang bahay, lubog pa rin ang bahay, walang pagkain… It’s a humbling experience. It makes you appreciate life more.”

MARRIED BLISS
Christmas this year is extra special for Rhea. “I just got married last September. It’s our first Christmas together. We’re still in the process of fixing the house. It’s pretty exciting for both of us this Christmas.”

Married life, apparently, is something that preoccupies her a lot. Talk dips in its general direction: there are plans to save up for future kids, a place to own, and the eventual retirement. She tells us also of an experimental foray into the kitchen. “Last weekend when my husband arrived from Indonesia, I cooked for him. I surprised him with sinigang na baboy and buttered prawns. Those are his favorites kasi. That was the first time I was able to cook a complicated dish.”

While a preferred nightcap involves hanging out at home enjoying married bliss and a glass of wine, Rhea also knows how to enjoy herself in other ways.

“I’m a crazy person. I love dancing. I love letting go. I love screaming, shouting. Outside of work, relaxed lang ako. Hang out somewhere. Simple joys in life lang naman.”

She wistfully talks about her desire to travel during a hypothetical year off. Europe is her token destination; she fell in love with the place during her honeymoon. “I want to go back, explore the other countries.

HARD WORK
In the meantime however, Rhea is bent on working hard. “I hope we (At Your Service) can bring more workshops, or we can teach communities livelihood projects pa,” she discloses. “I hope we can bring more livelihood projects and we can empower them.”

It makes sense, observing how this woman aims to have it all, that empowerment is a quality she values — to give it (“empowerment of communities”) and to possess it. “I believe in myself, I never stop fighting.”

As she breathes a word of thanks for the network’s support and gamble on her, she shares a dream. “I would like to touch their lives. I would like to make a difference in their lives. I would want to be there for them, if they need someone to listen to their problems. Parang ikaw ang hingahan nila.”

This conviction to help others belies her young 25 years. Nonetheless, she believes her youth to be a great asset. “I think since I’m young, I’m willing to learn. Excited pa ako sa mga bagay-bagay. Ang dami ko pang di nagagwa. I’ve worked for GMA for more than four years already, and it’s still not enough to say that I’m already fulfilled or I’ve done everything. I’m still starting and I think still there’s a lot to learn.”

Published in igma.tv, 2005