Filipina-Indian Beauty Queen Venus Raj

Born as Maria Venus Bayonito Raj on July 7, 1988, our featured Pinay celebrity represented the Philippines in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, placing fourth runner-up to Mexico's Ximen Navarrete.

She is a mixed Asian, of Indian and Filipino descent. Raised by her mother, a former tenant farmer and dressmaker in the rural town of Bato, Camarines Sur, Miss Venus Raj was not born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. For twenty years, she lived in a wood and bamboo hut with no electricity in the middle of a rice field.

The Filipina-Indian beauty, who at the Miss Universe pageant stood at 5 foot 9 inches with very slim 22 inch waistline, graduated cum laude at the Bicol University in Albay with a degree in Communication Arts, major in Journalism.

She has been crowned in various pageants: as Miss Bicolandia, Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism in 2008, and finally Binibining Pilipinas Universe in March 2010, where she coined the term "major major" in the question and answer portion with American actor William Baldwin.

Miss Raj signed up an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN on January 2011, where she has starred and guested in various TV programs such as Wansapanataym, Maalala Mo Kaya: Korona, Kris TV, Happy Yipee Yehey, ASAP, among others. She is now a regular host of the morning program, Umagang Kay Ganda.

In 2012, she is cast in the movie "Pridyider" by Regal Films.

More photos of our featured Filipina celeb (click to enlarge)!

source: Wikipedia

Sassy Girl, Pinay celebrity Toni Gonzaga | Photos

Celestine Cruz Gonzaga, better known as Toni, is a Filipina singer, TV host, model and actress. She made her mark in Philippine show business in 2001 when she starred in a television commercial for international softdrink brand Coca-cola opposite Piolo Pascual.

Since then, her career blazed a stellar path. She became a regular co-host of GMA-7's noontime variety show Eat Bulaga in 2002. For said network, Toni recorded the song "Doon", the theme song for the afternoon drama "Ikaw sa Puso Ko", starring Nadine Samonte and Oyo Sotto.

In photos below, she poses on the cover of the July 2012 issue of Women's Health magazine and for the Belo medical clinics.

Before she switched to ABS-CBN in 2005, she first joined Studio 23's Wazzup Wazzup with Archie Alemania and Vhong Navarro on March 2004. Chemistry with the former (Navarro) led to various romantic movies featuring both actors.

For ABS-CBN, she hosted the reality TV show Pinoy Big Brother and ASAP, a musical variety noontime show during Sundays. In below photo, she poses with equally stunning Angel Locsin.

Since then Toni went on with her musical and movie career, earning not only various awards and citations but millions of pesos. According to a Philippine Star article, eight of her movies with Star Cinema has raked in P730 million in total estimated gross sales! They are D’ Anothers, You Are The One, You Got Me, My Big Love, My Only U, Ang Tanging Pamilya, Wedding Tayo Wedding Hindi and My Amnesia Girl.

Below, a promotional graphic for "This Guy's in Love with You, Mare".

For more information on Miss Gonzaga, you can access her website. By the way, in case you don't know yet, her little sister Alex is also a star. Read up on her in a featured post in this blog!

UPDATE: For the 20th anniversary of Star Cinema, Toni Gonzaga is starring as Teddie Salazar in the romantic comedy/sit-com movie "Four Sisters and A Wedding". She will be joined by fellow Filipina bombshells (all of whom we have previously featured in this blog, see links for profile and pictures): Angel Locsin (as Alex Salazar), Bea Alonzo (as Bobbie Salazar), Shaina Magdayao (as Gabbie Salazar) and Enchong Dee as (CJ Salazar).

Said movie has the following as supporting cast: Angeline Quinto, Coney Reyes, Sam Milby, Janus del Prado, Bernard Palanca, Xyriel Manabat, Carmi Martin, Boboy Garovillo and Vangie Labalan. The film is directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and will be showing on June 26, 2013.

More photos of our featured Filipina celebrity (click to enlarge)!

source: Wikipedia, Philippine Star