Career and Photo Gallery
GEL SANTOS RELOS is a multi-awarded news anchor and commentator, public service and talk show host, producer, writer, and director. Her career spans more than 30-years in her partnership with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.
Prior to her broadcasting and journalism career, Gel was an Instructor in Broadcast Communication at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP-CMC), her alma mater. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communication and took post graduate courses from the UP-CMC while she was teaching. Inspired by her professor and mentor Dr. Cecilia "Cheche" Lazaro, Gel joined the academe immediately after graduation, teaching courses like Introduction to Broadcasting, Radio Production, Radio and TV Writing, Radio and TV Performance.
Cheche Lazaro, who is one of the pillars of Broadcast Journalism in the Philippines, also inspired Gel to join the broadcasting industry. When Gel intimated that she felt the calling to also work in the field beyond the confines of the classrooms and studios of the UP College of Mass Communication, Cheche advised her to go to the TV station of ABS-CBN Channel 2 to audition for an opportunity in the news department. Gel did just that, and the rest is history . . .
Early Years in TV and Radio Broadcasting
Following Cheche’s advice, Gel auditioned to be newscaster for Channel 2 in 1987, when the Lopez family just re-acquired the ABS-CBN broadcasting station in Quezon City after the 1986 People Power Revolution. She co-anchored the early morning newscast “Balita Ngayon” with veteran actor Robert Arevalo and DZMM radio commentator Mario Garcia.
In 1989, Gel was invited to anchor news and commentary programs on DZMM, starting as pinch-hitter for Mel Tianco on "Mel and Jay" morning news commentary program when she would go on vacation. Shortly, Gel became regular news commentator and co-anchored with Mario Garcia, Bal Domingo, Frankie Evangelista, Neil Ocampo, Ted Failon in different time periods. In 1993, she started going solo with “Relos Reports”.
This opened the doors for Gel to have a free hand in producing the content of “Relos Reports”, combining news and public service, and even drama as her format.
The late Senator Rene Cayetano was among those who volunteered in Gel’s program, initially guesting every Monday live in the studio until it grew to be a daily show. It would start with Atty. Cayetano calling in to give legal advice to letters senders, ending with a dramatization of true-to-life stories sent in by mail from listeners seeking legal advice. Cayetano would give the legal advice while Gel gives the human touch and personal advice to the letter sender.
Gel went back to TV news as pinch-hitter for Mel Tianco on TV Patrol. She also co-anchored special events coverage of the Gulf War, Baguio Earthquake, Eruption of Mount Pinatubo, elections, etc. She also substituted for Tessie Tomas in hosting ‘Teysi ng Tahanan” whenever she was on vacation.
Landmark TV Programs on Channel 2
However, it was through “Tatak Pilipino” — the pioneering TV arts and culture magazine program — that Gel was given a breakthrough in her television career. She co-hosted this award-winning show with APO Hiking Society’s Jim Paredes from 1990 to 1994.
Gel then joined Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon on the public service program “Hoy!Gising!”, from 1994-1998. This was another pioneering program that empowered ordinary Filipino people to fight for their rights and call out erring and nonperforming government officials and institutions.
This was followed by the TV version of the successful radio program “Compañero y Compañera” in 1997. Their radio and TV programs helped catapult Atty. Rene Cayetano to the Senate in the 1998 Elections.
With Atty. Cayetano in the Senate, Gel then invited friends and colleagues to be guest co-anchors like Daniel Razon, Atty. Kiko Pangilinan, Atty Danny Concepcion on her program "Relos Reports". She even partnered with volunteers from the Integrated bar of the Philippines and Psychological Association of the Philippines. The dramatization of real life problem situations continued through "Dear Ate Gel" with legal advise from Atty. Kiko Pangilinan.
Gel also produced and hosted “Tatak Pinoy” on ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel on cable TV) in 1998-1999, which featured travel destinations in the Philippines. Back to TV news anchoring for Gel in 1999, working with Julius Babao and then, Daniel Razon through the late night news in Filipino - “Pulso”. This was followed by “Headlines” which Gel co-anchored with Tony Velasquez.
In 2001, Gel bid her radio and television career at ABS-CBN goodbye when she and her family started a new life in the United States so that her husband, Dr. Rene Relos, could pursue post graduate specialization fellowship and training in General Surgery.
The Filipino Channel in the United States
It was serendipity and Divine intercession that opened the doors for Gel to go back to the broadcasting industry with ABS-CBN, which started producing local programs through The Filipino Channel” (TFC) -- a subsidiary of ABS-CBN -- just before Gel and her family moved to California in 2005. Gel was offered to co-host the immigration program “Citizen Pinoy” with Atty. Michael Garfinkel.
In 2007, the locally produced weekly newscast “Balitang America” went daily with Gel as anchorwoman. This flagship program of The Filipino Channel in North America reported about the Filipinos in North America as well as news and issues in the United States and the Philippines that matter to the Filipino-American community.
Gel also hosted and anchored special programs that empower the Filipino-American community like the Election Primers and Town Hall Meetings during US and Philippine Elections, outreach programs to help kababayans during the US recession in 2008-2009, special events to mobilize the Filipino-American community to help our kababayans back home during times of disaster.
The Filipino Channel also produced "PNoy Global Town Hall" -- the first ever townhall meeting broadcast all over the world with Gel as the main anchor. This was aired live after President Noynoy Aquino was elected President in 2010.
Gel Santos Relos also hosted the “Gawad Gent Lopez Bayaning Pilipino Awards”, a special production that honor Filipino organizations that have made an impact in improving the lives of Filipinos all over the world.
Asian Journal Op-Ed Column
Gel Santos Relos also wrote Op-Ed articles for her column “The Fil-Am Perspective” on the U.S.-based publication Asian Journal from 2009 to 2022. Her articles covered the lives of kababayans and of the Filipino-American community in the United States, news and issues in the Philippines and the U.S. that affect the lives of Filipino-Americans, including US and Philippine elections.
Closing Doors to Open New Ones
In July of 2019, Gel retired from TFC when the taping/editing of the daily newscast Balitang America was outsourced to the Philippines. While she was already in talks with TFC on working on a program online, COVID happened, followed by the closure of ABS-CBN when its franchise was not renewed by Congress during the Duterte Administration.
Gel and her husband availed early retirement in 2022 to pursue other things in life they are passionate about. As their four children are now living on their own and building their own lives, Dr. And Mrs. Relos left the San Francisco Bay Area in California to live a new chapter of their lives as retirees in Vancouver, Washington.