Ali Sotto

Ali Sotto
Ali Sotto
Born	Maria Aloha Leilani Sancianco Carag; May 29, 1961 (age 63)
Nationality	Filipino
Other names	Aloha, Ali Sotto
Occupation(s)	Actress, radio broadcaster, news anchor, segment host
Years active	1987–present
Agents	Viva Artists Agency (1987-1995); ABS-CBN (1988–1994); GMA Network (1995–2021); Manila Broadcasting Company (1997–1999); Associated Broadcasting Company (2004–2006); Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (2021–present);
Spouse(s)	Marcelino "Maru" Sotto Jr. (annulled) ; Omar Bsaies (current)
Children	2, including Miko

Ali Sotto (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈsɔtɔ]; born Maria Aloha Leilani Sancianco Carag; May 29, 1961) is a Filipino actress, radio broadcaster and news anchor and former singer. Her previous screen name was Aloha and now Ali Sotto. She was popularly heard on radio programs of Super Radyo DZBB 594, Saksi sa Dobol B: Sino? and Dobol A sa Dobol B with Arnold Clavio.^[1]

Personal life and career

Ali was named Aloha by her parents as they married in Hawaii. Her mother was a professor in Food and Nutrition at the University of Santo Tomas. Her father was with the US Navy until 1969.^[2] She is the youngest in the family and has three brothers (Allan, Alvin & AJ).^[3]

Sotto was separated from her first husband Maru Sotto, but they remained intimate friends. Today, she is married to her second husband, Omar Bsaies, an American-Tunisian who is a retired foreign diplomat.^[4]

As Maru Sotto's wife, Helen Gamboa and Dina Bonnevie were her sisters-in-law and the Sotto brothers were her brothers-in-law: Val, Tito and Vic Sotto. With Maru, they had two children, Chino Sotto and late actor Miko Sotto.

Ali was discovered by George Canseco at the Inter-University Songfest at FEU in November 1976.

She was a host of the television shows Ali! and Metro, which was the sole public service program at that time on television, and the only public affiliate program of ABC (now 5) that earns. She used to co-host Sino? with Mike Enriquez and Arnold Clavio from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and Dobol A sa Dobol B, a DZBB program, with Clavio every Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM until 2020.

It was an exception that TV hosts could invite successive showbiz names as their guests in just a few months. These were Vilma Santos, Maricel Soriano, Sharon Cuneta, Susan Roces and Dolphy. She was the only one who was courageous enough to ask questions directly to Susan Roces if she believed Fernando Poe Jr. had an illegitimate child.

After her son, Miko, passed away in December 2003, she co-founded INA (Inang Naulila sa Anak) Foundation, a foundation whose mission statement is "to provide psycho-social support to its members and other mothers who have also lost their children through projects and programs aimed at helping them move on from a place of grief to a place of hope – empowering them to reach out to others".^[5]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role(s)	Production company
1987	Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin	Joyce	Viva Films
1987	Jack & Jill	Delia
1987	Walang Karugtong ang Nakaraan	Sandra
1991	Maging Sino Ka Man	Tala
1992	Boboy Salonga: Batang Tondo		OctoArts Films
1994	The Maggie dela Riva Story (God... Why Me?)	Ms. Marcos	Viva Films
1995	The Flor Contemplacion Story	Alicia Ramos, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore	Viva Films
2014	Where I Am King

Television

Year	Title	Role(s)	Network(s)
1988–1991	Magandang Umaga Po	Host	ABS-CBN
1990	Mongolian Barbecue^[6]	Guest	IBC
1993–1994	Eat Bulaga!	Co-host	ABS-CBN
1995–1998	Katok Mga Misis	Host	GMA Network
1998–1999	Compañero y Compañera	Host
1999	Di Ba't Ikaw	Karina Latada
2000	GMA Mini-Series: Umulan Man o Umaraw	Doña Luisa
2004–2006	Sentro	Anchor	ABC
2011	Star Box	Host	GMA Network
2011–2012	Personalan		GMA News TV
2017–2020	Dobol B sa News TV: Dobol A sa Dobol B
2017–2020	Dobol B sa News TV: Sino?
2021–present	A.S.P.N: Ano sa Palagay N'yo'?		Net 25
2024–present	Mata ng Agila	Anchor	Net 25

Radio

Year	Title	Network
1997–1999	Balitang Bayan Numero Uno: 5am Edition	DZRH 666 kHz
1998–2008; 2014–2020	Dobol A sa Dobol B	Super Radyo DZBB 594
2014–2020	Saksi sa Dobol B: Sino?	Super Radyo DZBB 594
2021–present	Ano sa Palagay N'yo?	Radyo Agila 1062

Awards


Year	Award Giving Body	Award
1991	Gawad Urian	Best Supporting Actress (My Other Woman)	Nominated^[7]
2014	Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption	Outstanding Radio Anchor (w/ Arnold Clavio)	Won
2017	Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption	Best Teleradio Anchor (w/ Arnold Clavio)	Won
2018	Trinity University of Asia	Best Female AM Broadcast Journalist	Won
2019	Gawad Filipino Award	Natatanging Filipina sa Larangan ng Pagbababalita at Pagtulong sa Karapatan ng Kababaihan	Won
2019	FAMAS	Dr Jose R Perez Memorial Award for Journalism	Won
2019	Rotary Club of Manila	Journalism Award for Radio Female Broadcaster of the Year	Won
2019	ALTA Media Icon Awards	Best AM Radio Female Personality	Won
2019	Gawad Filipino Award	Best Radio and TV Program Host	Won
2019	Animo Media Choice Awards by De La Salle Dasmariñas Alumni Association, Incorporated	AM Female Anchor	Nominated^[8]
2020	Gawad Lasallianeta Award by De La Salle Araneta University	Most Outstanding Radio Broadcaster	Nominated^[9]
2020	Gawad Filipino Award	Bayaning Pilipino Frontliners Award (w/ Joel Reyes Zobel)	Won
2022	Gawad Filipino Award	Outstanding Radio Female Broadcaster of the Year	Won
2022	Gawad Pilipino Icon of the Year 2022	Outstanding Public Affairs Host of the Year	Won
2022	Mrs. Universe Philippines Foundation	Philippines' Most Exceptional Men & Women 2022	Won
2022	Asia Pacific Luminare Awards	Asia’s Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Journalism	Won
2023	Gawad Filipino Award	Most Empowered Women	Won

References

^ "Ali Sotto: Home from Mexico - Philstar.com". philstar.com. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
^ Lanot, Marra PL. "Ali Sotto speaks". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ Francisco, Butch. "Miko does mom proud even in death". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ Tomada, Nathalie M. "Ali Sotto: You can surmount grief with love". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ Francisco, Butch. "How INA came about". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Primetime Sunday". Manila Standard. Standard Publishing, Inc. February 11, 1990. p. 12. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
^ "Ali Sotto". IMDb. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ Ilaya, Felix. "VOTE: Kapuso journalists and radio personalities, nominated at the "Animo Media Choice Awards 2019"". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Gawad Lasallianeta - Who is your most trusted AM Radio Broadcaster? 📰🤩🗞️ Make your voices heard!📣 Share & Comment under this post your winner! Be our top fan and receive limited editions of Gawad Lasallianeta Lasallian merchadise! and we will choose some to receive FREE TICKETS to the event on Jan 27, 2020! De La Salle Araneta University is proud to present the 3rd GAWAD LASALLIANETA nominees for the Most Outstanding AM RADIO STATION in the country! 🏆 👍 Like and follow our page to be updated! More than 50 categories will be posted until Monday! 🏆 The 3rd Gawad Lasallianeta Awarding Ceremony will be held at the DLSAU campus on Jan. 27, 2020. Animo! 🎉". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

External links

Ali Sotto at IMDb

[1] "Ali Sotto: Home from Mexico - Philstar.com". philstar.com. Retrieved June 19, 2018.

[2] Lanot, Marra PL. "Ali Sotto speaks". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[3] Francisco, Butch. "Miko does mom proud even in death". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[4] Tomada, Nathalie M. "Ali Sotto: You can surmount grief with love". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[5] Francisco, Butch. "How INA came about". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[6] "Primetime Sunday". Manila Standard. Standard Publishing, Inc. February 11, 1990. p. 12. Retrieved January 16, 2019.

[7] "Ali Sotto". IMDb. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[8] Ilaya, Felix. "VOTE: Kapuso journalists and radio personalities, nominated at the "Animo Media Choice Awards 2019"". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[9] "Gawad Lasallianeta - Who is your most trusted AM Radio Broadcaster? 📰🤩🗞️ Make your voices heard!📣 Share & Comment under this post your winner! Be our top fan and receive limited editions of Gawad Lasallianeta Lasallian merchadise! and we will choose some to receive FREE TICKETS to the event on Jan 27, 2020! De La Salle Araneta University is proud to present the 3rd GAWAD LASALLIANETA nominees for the Most Outstanding AM RADIO STATION in the country! 🏆 👍 Like and follow our page to be updated! More than 50 categories will be posted until Monday! 🏆 The 3rd Gawad Lasallianeta Awarding Ceremony will be held at the DLSAU campus on Jan. 27, 2020. Animo! 🎉". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

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