ALI SOTTO: ‘Dare to find your passion’
ALI SOTTO is always sure and fearless in everything she discusses. But be it a commentary on the day’s biggest headlines or a critique on issues that cannot be ignored, the longtime broadcaster, nonetheless, presents a piece of her mind tactfully and diplomatically every time.
It hasn’t always been this way for the younger Sotto when she started in the news industry. The now-popular radio anchor had to try several approaches to delivering her opinion before she found confidence in her voice as a broadcaster, commentator and public servant. Moreover, she had to work hard to earn her name and credibility, having taken a different route toward broadcasting than her peers.
Born Maria Aloha Leilani Carag, Sotto was only 16 years old when the late revered composer George Canseco spotted her for stardom. As many might know, she started a career as a singer before becoming an actress and TV host until she found her niche as the competent and credible news personality she is today.
“I was discovered in my fourth year of high school in UST [University of Santo Tomas]. My classmates and I were bored one
Saturday afternoon while waiting for our
CAT training, and we heard an interuniversity song fest in nearby FEU [Far Eastern University] was going on. So we went to watch it.
“But when we got there, we learned UST had no representative in the solo category. My classmates dared me to join, and I did,” Sotto entertainingly recalled in a sit-down interview with The Sunday Times Magazine.
Feisty even then, Sotto gamely competed with coeds who clearly prepared for the singing showdown. They were well-practiced, dressed in gowns, made-up and all.
Yet when the UST student got up on stage in her yellow sweatshirt and jeans, belting out “Whispering Waves” by Donna Summer and “Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy” by Cinderella, it didn’t matter what she wore. Unknowingly, she stunned both judges and the crowd.
And so, when she and her friends tried to leave in a hurry after her performance — all flushed from completing the dare — Sotto had the contest organizer running after her with the happy news she won the grand prize.
“George Canseco was chairman of the board of judges at that time and immediately offered me a contract,” Sotto related.
From here, “and the rest was history” would be a perfect fit, but Sotto did not have it so easy. Her parents weren’t keen on the idea and instead bade her to focus on her studies.
Canseco was relentless, however, for he knew he had found a gem so that the great composer reappeared months after his initial offer to persuade Sotto anew.
“That was the next summer. Bored na naman ako when Mr. Canseco called. I went to see him with a friend and he made me sing. Hindi ko alam ang mga kaharap ko sina Vic del Rosario and Tony Ocampo. Pag uwi ko, may kontrata na ako with Blackgold Records!”
Expectedly, Sotto’s folks — her mother, who was a professor, especially — hesitated to give their permission again, but their ever-astute and determined daughter was ready to negotiate.
“I promised my parents that I’d finish college and that my honor student status wouldn’t be affected. So ayun pinayagan ako.”
From campus to stage
Sotto delivered on her promise to her mom and dad and graduated from University of Santo Tomas with honors at 19. She enjoyed her singing career to the hilt over these years.
Later on, Sotto took a hiatus from performing and married Marcelino “Maru” Sotto Jr. of the famed political-showbiz clan, eventually having two children. [Their marriage would be annulled in 1994].
By the time Sotto was ready to work again, she saw herself acting more on film and television instead of singing. The networks she worked with also spotted another skill in the comeback artist, which had nothing to do with either.
“When people started to realize na I can ‘talk,’ kinuha naman ako for TV shows. My first was ‘Hotline sa Trese,’ a public affairs program with [former President] Joseph Estrada. The audience responded positively, so the next thing I knew, I had my own talk show.”
Spotlight on GMA Network’s highly successful morning chat show “Katok Mga Misis,” which ran for years. Sotto had a co-host to start with but was soon given the solo spot.
The next group to notice tinsel town’s newest host du jour was no less than the esteemed radio network DZRH. Management started sending emissaries to woo Sotto to join them for a radio program.
Believing she wasn’t a fit for the more hard-hitting style of AM broadcasting, Sotto only agreed to an appointment once she could no longer put it off. And she decided she would talk her way out of the predicament. Or so she thought.
“Joe Taruc and Jun Nicdao of DZRH so powerfully convinced me to do it. Sabi nila, try mo lang ng one year, don’t outright just say no.”
Always up for a dare, Sotto gave in, and she “loved it!”
All or nothing
Mentored from that point by Taruc, the broadcasting veteran, Sotto was even more inspired to give her one year in radio her all.
Her first directive from Taruc was to strengthen her Filipino speaking skills and study the language.
“Kinarir ko naman — I was buying books by Virgilio Almario. Yung grammar ko binantayan ko talaga. I am strict with grammar in English so ganun din sa Filipino. In time, I can confidently say my Filipino fluency was at par.”
Passion-wise, Sotto discovered an immense enjoyment in hosting a radio program since she had always been a news junkie, even as a singer and actress.
“I just fell in love with broadcasting,” she declared. “It’s amazing and an honor to have a platform, do the research and put it out there so that people would be informed to formulate an educated opinion about any issue of the day.”
In between her radio shows, Sotto still made time for her showbiz career and hosting “Katok Mga Misis.”
“It wasn’t easy because TV and movie shoots could go on to the wee hours of the morning, and my radio show aired at 6 a.m.”
Expectedly, work consumed all of Sotto’s time, missing out on being with family and friends. Fortunately, a good friend advised her to choose what she really wanted to do to live a more balanced and fulfilling life.
“It was [seasoned TV executive] Wilma Galvante who told me the longevity of my career will be assured in broadcasting, unlike entertainment where the premium is in youth and beauty.” Sotto shared.
“In News and Public Affairs, the longer you are in the business, the wiser you are, the more experienced you are and the more ‘premium’ you have. Seniority counts in this department, although, salary-wise, you earn so much more in entertainment.
“So it was Wilma who showed me this careerpath and shift from entertainment to public affairs. It was really good advice kasi up to now, nandito pa rin ako di’ba?”
The GMA years
Time came when GMA’s iconic Mike Enriquez invited Sotto to join the network’s radio station since she continued hosting shows for their TV studio. It made so much sense to go with DZBB, so she accepted Enriquez’s offer to take on the time slot shared by veterans Mel Tiangco and Jay Sonza after the former left the show due to medical reason. Enriquez, an expert in radio programming, put together what soon became AM radio’s favorite tandem, pairing up Sotto with Arnold Clavio for the now legendary “Dobol A sa Dobol B” morning slot. It was news and information spruced up with entertainment at its best.
“With the show, updated ka na sa issues, natatawa at naaaliw ka pa tapos bumabanat pa kami na hindi nahahalata,” she chuckled. “We really had fun. Ako malaking bagay sa akin, sa trabaho yung I should enjoy it, otherwise, I wouldn’t be there.” Dobol A sa Dobol B ran from 1998 to 2020, with Sotto taking a hiatus twice. She had to join her second husband, diplomat Omar Bsaies, in his tours of duty, first from 2000 to 2003 in Mexico City and from 2008 to 2010 in Madrid, Spain.
Happily, every time Sotto returned, her spot on Double A was waiting for her at GMA.
New beginning
As all things come to an end, so did Sotto’s stay at DZBB and GMA. Just as the Coronavirus pandemic was rearing its ugly head, Sotto and her husband agreed she should retire just as he did so they could spend more time together and travel.
Of course, the couple’s plans to explore the world were ruined by the pandemic, which meant that Sotto being home would soon have the broadcast industry luring her back.
So began her current chapter with Net25 via the program “Ano Sa Palagay Nyo? (ASPN)” she shares with former TV executive Pat-P Daza.
“It was Wilma [Galvante] again who called me up, convincing me to return. Sabi ko, ayaw ko na talaga, but she told me, ‘Tulungan natin sila.’ She had just joined Net25, which had the goal to be a mainstream and commercial network,” Sotto recounted.
“Ako naman, I’ve always believed that another viable network would always be a plus for the country. When a network thrives, maraming mabibigyan ng employment. And, of course, ako naman, I love the challenge of building something up, so sabi ko sige.”
The offer made her feel the way she did over 20 years ago when Joe Taruc first tapped her for radio. So like before, she jumped into something new eager to try a different concept in a different environment.
“Believe it or not, a year has passed since Pat, and I started ASPN simultaneously on radio, TV and online, and we’re still thriving,” Sotto said gratefully.
ASPN officially marks AM radio’s first attempt to put two women together in a primetime news commentary, and it worked.
“Tatak na tatak yung women empowerment sa programang ito since we both deliver a woman’s point of view in today’s issues,” Sotto beamed.
She takes pride in ASPN’s well-thought-out segments and her camaraderie with Daza, who, like her, is a bundle of energy every day.
Try and dare
When asked to look back at the last 45 years of her colorful career in the public eye — one filled with many twists and turns — Sotto can only count herself blessed that she has definitively carved her rightful place in Philippine broadcasting.
Proof is how the industry never fails to beckon to Sotto every time she chooses to call it a day. And even if there will always be someone who would say she wasn’t always a broadcaster in public service first but a singer and actress, the beloved and outspoken personality wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Hindi ko kinakahiya yung pagiging artista ko, it’s who I am — I sing, I act, I host, ito yung totality ko. Wala akong itatapon doon,” Sotto avers. “Every art, meron kanya-kanyang satisfaction. In singing, for you to express the songs in such a way that it speaks of people’s pains and joys. In acting, you let people escape reality with your character. “And broadcast in public service naman kung saan ang dami mong natutulungan, sa akin, to have just made a difference in the lives of one or two people — yung napakinggan ka one day and it affected them in a way that made their lives better at nagkaroon sila ng kumpyansa — sa akin, that’s enough.” Uncertain how long she will assist the Filipino public in navigating the issues that affect them at this crossroads, Sotto has this nugget of wisdom to share, especially with the young.
“Do not be impatient to find your place in the world,” Sotto expressed. “It took some time for me to find my passion and niche, realize my strength and discover where I most make a difference.” In getting there, however, Sotto warns never to waste any part of the journey. At every opportunity, do not resist but dare and try as she did through the years. “The next thing you know, you won’t be looking for what you love and what you’re meant to do. You’ll see, it will be the one to keep calling you back and, happily, you won’t be able to say no,” she ended with a smile.