Aiza Seguerra

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. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi