Aiza Seguerra

Born in 1983 as Cariza Yamson Seguerra, Aiza Seguerra grew up in the Philippines and later built careers in both acting and music. Widely recognized during childhood for performances on local screens, the artist turned toward songwriting and performing in late adolescence, scoring an early success with the 2001 debut single “Pagdating ng Panahon.” As an adult Seguerra has identified as a transgender man, using that platform to promote understanding of gender identity while also speaking out for animal welfare and against the exploitation of children. In August 2016 President Rodrigo Duterte named Seguerra Chairperson of the National Youth Commission.

Seguerra first entered the public eye at age three, joining the 1987 edition of the Little Miss Philippines contest on the daytime variety program Eat Bulaga. Although finishing as runner-up, Seguerra remained with the show for the next decade. The visibility gained during those years opened doors to numerous film and television roles, among them the title character in the 1988 feature Wake Up Little Susie and the lead in the 1997 science-fiction comedy Computer Kombat. While still a preteen, Seguerra also cut a collection of covers for Alpha Records; that project, titled Little Star, appeared in 1995.

During the teenage years Seguerra took up guitar and began composing original material. The first commercial breakthrough arrived with the acoustic-leaning ballad “Pagdating ng Panahon,” whose parent album on Vicor Records ultimately reached quintuple-platinum status. The follow-up full-length Pinakamamahal, issued a year later, earned double-platinum certification and was succeeded by a holiday collection plus a live recording drawn from a sold-out 2002 concert at the Music Museum in San Juan. The 2003 release Sabi ng Kanta… attained gold status, after which Covers Uncovered became Seguerra’s last Vicor project. The 2007 album Para Lang Sa ‘Yo marked a move to Star Records and was followed in 2008 by the platinum-certified Open Arms, another live set, and the 2010 disc Perhaps Love. Songs from the Vault closed out the sequence late in 2011.

Alongside these activities, Seguerra completed studies at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design and maintained a steady presence in television and film. In 2014 the artist married model and actress Liza Diño; two years afterward came the appointment to the National Youth Commission.