Gianna Llanes tops MYX VJ search

MANILA, Philippines - Maria Gianna Margarita Llanes won the MYX VJ Search 2014 after going through auditions and more than a month of challenges. Known as VJ Gianna, the 19-year-old beauty currently appears on the MYX Channel’s regular shows.

Gianna was also UAAP courtside reporter for Season 77, reporting for the Adamson Falcons. She went through four rounds of auditions before being chosen with five other new courtside reporters. She is also Junior Jock Scherbatsky for Magic 89.9. She is on air on Sunday mornings.

Gianna also writes for the online magazine Revel, hosts events, and models for brands and print publications.

She is the youngest of the two children of Jovy Llanes, a business executive and Ria Macapagal Salgado, a psychologist, and is the eldest great-granddaughter of the late Pres. Diosdado Macapagal and Purita dela Rosa. Purita was the sister of matinee idols Rogelio and Jaime dela Rosa. Gianna’s grandmother is Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, the eldest child of Diosdado and the half-sister of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The young VJ was born in the Philippines but her family migrated to Canada when she was six years old. They lived in Mississauga, Ontario. The family returned to the Philippines after several years.

Gianna went to Catholic elementary schools in Canada and while there, her parents enrolled her in all the activities she was interested in, learning gymnastics, ice-skating, swimming, hip-hop, basketball, piano, among others. She was also an exceptional student and won awards for both academic and non-academic pursuits.

When her family returned to the Philippines, Gianna went to Faith Academy, a Christian school run by American missionaries, where she also graduated high school. Gianna became a student leader and was active in a lot of activities including sports and music.

Currently, Gianna is a sophomore student at Ateneo de Manila University, taking up AB Communications.— Sonia Atabug