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Name: Celestine Cruz Gonzaga
Nickname: Tintin
Screen name: Toni Gonzaga
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Birthdate: 20 January 1984
TV Shows: MRS (Most Requested Show), ETK (Entertainment
Konek), ASAP '06 Wazzup Wazzup Extra Strong, Pinoy Big Brother
Season 1 and Celebrity Edition
"Basta gusto mo ang ginagawa mo walang mahirap, nandyan
ang mga taong sumusoporta sayo and they appreciate what you are
for doing for them" -Toni G.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Celestine Cruz Gonzaga or better known as Toni Gonzaga started
as a fan of Piolo Pascual in a sofdrink commercial. She was only
seventeen then. She recalls that at that time "Masaya ako
at excited kasi ito yung first lead commercial ko tapos Piolo
was there di ko nga ineexpect na nandun sya."
Toni later became one of the co-hosts of a noontime show where
she started her showbiz career. Later she joined Studio 23 's
Wazzup Wazzup as one of the anchors and was tagged as the News
Diva because she always seemed to deliver the news with such a
powerful voice.
After signing with ABS-CBN, Toni quickly became a part of such
shows like the Most Requested Show (MRS) with Roderick Paulate
and Amy Austria. Of which she says, "masaya katrabaho mga
beteranong artista kasi aside sa magaling sila at enjoy kasama
marami kang matutunan sa kanila." She is also a part of Entertainment
Konek (ETK) with Ogie Diaz, which she enjoys because of the fun
environment. As if this girl from Taytay wasn't hot enough, she
is also one of the hosts of the new reality show, Pinoy Big Brother.
"Natutuwa ako at nagpapasalamat kasi they (Management) considered
me at they trusted me na maging part ng malaking show na ito,"
she says. She shares that the offer to be a part of PBB came before
their group went to perform in the US for the US Kapamilya Caravan.
SIMPLE AND BEST
Toni grew up in a Christian family with a heart for the people.
Even before she started her career in showbiz, Toni has always
felt the need to reach out to other people. She was once a Sunday
school teacher in her town. She also ran for Baranggay Kagawad
in Taytay, a position she lobbied hard for, recalling how she
went door to door when she first campaigned. Toni is now in her
3rd year as a Kagawad where she is in charge of the "Clean
& Green" campaign of her baranggay. She says, "Inelect
ka nila sa posisyon and they have their trust in you na magagawa
mo ang trabaho at service mo sa kanila." For Toni, she understands
that her celebrity is just one aspect of her life and it shouldn't
stop her from doing a good job in the public service arena.
In spite of celebrity stereotypes, Toni enjoys the simple life.
On her downtime, she likes to stay at home and to play with her
1 year old Golden Retriever named WuWu (named after her show,
Wazzup Wazzup) "Minsan lumalabas kami to eat outside, watch
movie, ganun masaya basta kasama mo family mo" she says.
She enjoys going back to the basics so much that she says she
would easily last in the Big Brother house for 100 days. “Di
naman ako mahilig sa mga cellphone, ganun” she shares. Toni
admits, though, that the she would miss being able to surf the
internet if she were in the Big Brother house. She says that she
loves to surf, and she regularly reads the forum posts about her,
especially the ones with negative comments. She figures that reading
albeit sometimes hurtful opinions help her grow as an artist.
Ever bent on self-improvement, Toni is currently taking AB English
– a shift from her Mass Com course. She feels that her new
course will help her become a better host. "May mga practicumer
kami sa show na nakakausap ko then nakakakuha ako ng idea from
them in broadcating" pertaining to the trainees in her shows.
TONI ENJOYS
With her numerous hosting jobs & growing career, Toni certainly
feels blest. She says she especially enjoys working in Pinoy Big
Brother because "masaya kasi at magaan ang ambiance at ang
set." When asked about her thoughts on the housemates, she
easily says, "Na-meet ko sila personally kasi ako sumundo
sa kanila kaya alam ko kung saan sila nakatira at ang atmosphere
ng life nila kaya i have no doubts kung bakit sila ganun kumulos
sa loob ng bahay, kasi totoong tao sila talaga."
Aside from PBB, Toni enjoys working with people like Vhong Navarro,
one of her co-hosts in Wazzup Wazzup. She’s thankful that
she has also gotten to work with Ms. Nova Villa, and other co
workers in her shows.
Aside from enjoying her work, Toni feels she is just your average
21 year old, who just happens to be on televisoin from time to
time. In her 4 years in the business, Toni’s biggest learning
in life has been to know whom to trust, and to always follow your
parents. "Wala kang mapagkakatiwalaan maliban lang sa mga
taong totoo sayo at sa pamilya mo sila yung nariyan para pagkuhanan
mo ng lakas at inspirasyon," she affirms. When asked where
she sees herself after 5 years, she only smiles and says everything
happens in God's purpose and will.
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