Donna Cruz Yrastorza-Larrazabal professionally known as Donna Cruz is a Filipina singer and actress. She is a member of the Philippine showbiz family Cruz. Her self-titled debut album ''

Donna Donna may refer to the short form of the honorific ''nobildonna'', the female form of Don (honorific) in Italian. People *Donna (given name); includes name origin and list of people and characters with the name * Roberto Di Donna (born 1968), Ita ...

'' was well received by the general public and earned her a double platinum certification. Cruz's fourth studio album '' Habang May Buhay'' earned a certification of four-times platinum six months after its release. Its lead single "Only Me and You" became a radio hit in the Philippines during the summer of 1995. In December 1995, Cruz won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the 1995 Metro Manila Film Festival for her portrayal as Noemi in the movie '' Muling Umawit ang Puso''. In 1996, Cruz starred in '' DoReMi'', while she also released '' Merry Christmas Donna''. In 1997, Cruz released '' Pure Donna'' which was certified three times platinum in 1998. Cruz had official PARI certifications for all her studio albums releases from 1989 up to her hiatus in 2000. Cruz returned to the music industry with the release of her eighth studio album '' Now and Forever'' under

Star Music Star Music (stylized in lowercase as starmusic; formerly known as Star Records), is a record label in the Philippines owned and operated by media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly owned ...

in 2016.

Biography

1988–1991: Early career beginnings and ''Donna''

She was born on February 14 in

Manila, Philippines Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

. As a child, Cruz joined pageants and singing competitions. Her first stint in showbiz was when she ended up as a grand finalist of '' Eat Bulaga!s ''Little Miss Philippines'' child beauty pageant. Her biggest break up to that point was her achievement of becoming a grand champion of ''Bulilit Kampeon'' in 1988. She signed with

Viva Records Viva may refer to: Companies and organisations * Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator * Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia * Viva Air Dominicana * VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company * ...

in 1989 and released her debut album ''

'' in 1991. Her original single "Kapag Tumibok ang Puso" and her cover of Boy Mondragon's Rain became popular singles in OPM music. Cruz recorded all the songs at the age of 14, making her the youngest artist from Viva Records to ever record a full studio album. The album was very successful and earned a double platinum certification, making her the youngest artist to ever reach platinum in the Philippines.

1992–1994: ''Kurot sa Puso'', ''Langit Na Naman'' and breakthrough as an actress

In 1992, Cruz won as Best New Performing Artist in Awit Awards, and joined German Moreno's '' That's Entertainment'', a daily variety show that featured young and upcoming new talents. She released ''

Kurot sa Puso ''Kurot sa Puso'' is the second studio album by Filipino singer Donna Cruz (then using the mononym Donna), released in the Philippines in 1993 by Viva Records. It was originally released on compact disc and cassette tape and is the last album by ...

'' in early 1993 and later that year starred in the movie ''Kadenang Bulaklak'' alongside Vina Morales, Ana Roces,

Angelu de Leon Maria Luisa Angela Martinez de Leon-Rivera (born August 22, 1979), better known as Angelu de Leon, is a Filipino actress and politician. Early and personal life Angelu de Leon is the youngest daughter of Luis and Flora de Leon. She attended S ...

and Nida Blanca. She became part of the sitcoms ''Alabang Girls'' and ''

Ober Da Bakod ''Ober Da Bakod'' () is a Philippine television situational comedy series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Ariel Ureta, it stars Janno Gibbs, Leo Martinez and Anjo Yllana. It premiered on September 14, 1992. The series concluded on May 27, ...

'', both produced by VIVA Entertainment Group. In 1994, she released '' Langit Na Naman'', her third studio album. It was certified gold in the Philippines. It was in that same year that she starred in another drama produced by Viva, ''Pangako Ng Kahapon,'' together with Agot Isidro, Alice Dixson and

Charito Solis Rosario Violeta Solís Hernández, better known as Charito Solís (October 6, 1935 – January 9, 1998), was a FAMAS and Gawad Urian Award-winning Filipina film actress, in addition to being the first Philippine woman who have bared her chest in ...

which gave Cruz her first Best Supporting Actress nomination.

1995–1996: ''Habang May Buhay'' and dominance in the entertainment industry

After a string of successful movies, Viva Entertainment Group gave Cruz her first soap opera entitled '' Villa Quintana'' in 1995, opposite actor Keempee de Leon. She also starred in college romance flicks such as ''Campus Girls'', ''Okey Si Ma'am'', and ''Love Notes: The Movie''. As a recording artist, she launched her signature album, '' Habang May Buhay'', an album composed of love songs. The album received a quadruple platinum award, becoming Cruz's best-selling album so far. The single "Only Me and You" was chosen as Awit Award's Best Ballad Recording in 1995, and Cruz won the award for Best Ballad Performance by a Female Vocalist. Before the year closed, Cruz joined actress

Nora Aunor Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (born May 21, 1953), professionally known as Nora Aunor (), is a Filipino actress, recording artist, and film producer. Aunor has also appeared in several stage plays, television shows and concerts. She is known as P ...

in the drama film, ''Muling Umawit ang Puso'', in which she won her first acting award, a Best Supporting Actress trophy given by the Metro Manila Film Festival. Cruz was only eighteen when she won the coveted recognition making her the youngest recipient of the award until then sixteen-year-old actress Rebecca Lusterio won the award in 2004. In 1996, her second single "Habang May Buhay" was released as a tie-in with a romantic movie of the same name. ''Habang May Buhay'' was top-billed by Cruz, Ian de Leon,

Candy Pangilinan Maria Carmela Espiritu Pangilinan , popularly known as Candy Pangilinan, is a Filipino film and television actress and comedian. She won best actress for CineFilipino 2016 and Los Angeles International Film Festival for the movie ''Star na s ...

and veteran actress Hilda Koronel. She also starred alongside Bong Revilla and

Nanette Medved Nanette Gwen Medved (born January 21, 1971) is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and former actress and model in the Philippines. She is the founder and chairwoman of Hope. She was honoured with a resolution passed by the Philippine House of Repre ...

in the action romantic-comedy movie, ''Pag-Ibig Ko sa Iyo'y Totoo''. Cruz recorded a

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a sol ...

with American singer Jason Everly, called "Wish", son of Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers which became the biggest radio single of 1996. Later that year, Cruz starred in '' DoReMi'', the biggest movie of 1996, together with Regine Velasquez and

Mikee Cojuangco Mikaela María Antonia "Mikee" de los Reyes Cojuangco-Jaworski (born February 26, 1974) is a Filipino sports official, equestrienne, model, former actress and television host. She was a gold medalist at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Kor ...

. By the end of 1996, Cruz became the most popular female recording artist in the OPM music scene, having earned platinum and gold certifications for her first four albums. After releasing music that mostly had themes about love, Cruz released the holiday record '' Merry Christmas Donna'' which included the single "Muling Sumapit ang Pasko," written by Cruz's longtime collaborator Vehnee Saturno. The album was certified platinum, and became the biggest-selling Christmas album during that year.

1997–1998: ''Pure Donna'' and career milestones

In 1997, Cruz starred in ''Dahil Tanging Ikaw'' alongside Ian de Leon and Jao Mapa. Her album '' Pure Donna'' was also released and garnered platinum status in just a week after it was issued in record outlets. Cruz also starred and hosted her musical special ''Pure Donna,'' which was broadcast on GMA 7 on her twentieth birthday. The special won the ''Best Musical Special'' in the 1997

Aliw Awards The Aliw Awards by the Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. was established by the renowned Philippine journalistbr>Alice H. Reyes to recognize achievements in the live entertainment industry in the Philippines. It was founded in 1975 by the National Press ...

. Later that year, Cruz reunited with Jason Everly to star in the romantic-comedy film, ''Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot'', which is her latest film to date. Also that same year, she joined ''

Eat Bulaga ''Eat Bulaga!'' (), formerly ''Eat... Bulaga!'', is a noontime Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Produced by TAPE Inc., it is the longest running variety show in the Philippines with over 13,000 episodes. Originall ...

!'' as a co-host and performer. She was also part of '' SOP'', a Sunday musical variety show. A ''Villa Quintana: The Movie'' starring Cruz and Keempee de Leon was also planned but was scrapped by Viva Films at the last minute. Before the year ended, Cruz was officially the highest-paid female celebrity in the 1990s, with annual earnings worth ₱77 million in 1997 alone, according to Viva Entertainment. In 1998, she was supposed to film ''Putikang Anghel'' a movie which will depict Cruz in a daring role, with

Onemig Bondoc Juan Miguel Rivera Bondoc (born May 12, 1977), professionally known as Onemig Bondoc, is a Filipino actor and television host. He was known for his roles in shows like '' T.G.I.S.'' and its spin-off '' Growing Up'' shown on GMA Network. He la ...

and

Jake Roxas Jake Roxas (born July 13, 1977) is a Filipino actor. He is mostly known for his role in Imortal as Magnus Imperial. He was a contract actor of ABS-CBN. Career Roxas started his showbiz career in the GMA Network. He was a cast member of the te ...

, but production was halted after Vic del Rosario Jr., owner of Viva Entertainment, Inc. rejected the script. Cruz's final project before her marriage in September 1998 was in '' Growing Up'' in which she voluntarily decided to play a supporting role to actress

instead of starring co-lead. Cruz eventually dropped out of the show and married ophthalmologist Potenciano Larrazabal III and relocated to

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...

permanently. A compilation named '' The Best of Donna'' was released to commemorate Cruz's ten year catalog with Viva Entertainment from 1989–1998.

1999–2004: ''Hulog Ng Langit'' and career hiatus

Cruz released her final album under

in 1999, entitled " Hulog ng Langit", which focused on love songs and lullabies. At age 22, she gave birth to a daughter named Isabella Adriana. After giving birth, she released "Ikaw Pala 'Yon" her final single under her then-current contract with Viva Entertainment Group. Viva Records released '' Donna Cruz Sings Her Greatest Hits'' in 2001. After finishing her contract with Viva, she was able to graduate with degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Cebu Doctors University. In 2003, she gave birth to a son named Potenciano IV. Cruz made a special guest appearance in ''

Bahay Mo Ba 'To? ''Bahay Mo Ba 'To?'' () is a situational comedy series broadcast by GMA Network. Starring Wendell Ramos, it premiered on September 14, 2004, on the network's KiliTV line up replacing '' All Together Now''. The series concluded on July 10, 2007, ...

'' as Lynnette, reprising her role in '' Villa Quintana'' in 2004.

2005–2014: Television appearances and guestings

Cruz returned to the spotlight in mid-2005, after appearing with her two children, Belle and Cian, for a

Jollibee Jollibee is a Filipino chain of fast food restaurants owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC). As of December 2021, JFC had a total of about 1,500 Jollibee outlets worldwide, with restaurants in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, East Asia ...

commercial. In that same year, Cruz sang the Pampers Christmas Advertisement jingle "Payapang Daigdig". In 2008, Cruz spearheaded Lactum's 100% Panatag Ako campaign by singing "Kailanma'y Panatag", a song written by Ogie Alcasid and Nicole Tolentino, and performed the song in '' ASAP''. In 2010, Cruz appeared as a celebrity contestant in

Wowowee ''Wowowee'' () is a Philippine noontime variety show that was broadcast by ABS-CBN from 2005 to 2010. The show premiered on February 5, 2005, and aired live on weekdays and Saturdays. The show was also broadcast worldwide through ABS-CBN's The ...

, and performed "I Can" with fellow celebrity contestants

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Bonifacio Romana-Ahmee (born November 13, 1976) or better known as Dimples Romana is a Filipino actress. Career Romana finished at International Hospitality Management Major in Culinary Arts at Enderun College after she finished h ...

and

Nikki Valdez Maria Alinica "Nikki" Valdez-Garcia (born January 25, 1979) is a Filipina actress and singer. Career In the Philippine music scene she was known for a ballad titled "Meron Ba?", composed for the soundtrack of ''G-Mik the Movie'' and ''Trip t ...

. A year later, Cruz appeared in the sitcom '' Daldalita'' with Ogie Alcasid and Manilyn Reynes where she played the role of Daldalita's mother. This marked Cruz's first acting role in a television show since 1998's '' Growing Up''. In that same year, Cruz performed on stage in GMA 7's '' Party Pilipinas'' singing her hit single, "Rain".

2015–present: ''Now and Forever'' and return to the entertainment industry

In 2015, Cruz sang the Similac Gain School theme song, "Wonderful World". Months later, Cruz returned to the music scene signing her comeback album under

in January 2016. She appeared on '' Tonight with Boy Abunda'', '' Kris TV'' and ''

ASAP Natin 'To ''All-Star Sunday Afternoon Party'' (''ASAP''; ), currently branded as ''ASAP Natin 'To'' (), is a Philippine television variety show produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment. Originally hosted by Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Ariel Rivera and Day ...

'' to promote her latest album, '' Now and Forever''.

Personal life

Donna Cruz Yrastorza was born on February 14, 1977 to parents Renato Yrastorza and Yolly Cruz. She has an older brother named Jomar. In February 1998, Cruz became engaged to Potenciano "Yong" Larrazabal III, an

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a med ...

from

. She married Larrazabal on September 19, 1998 in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

before moving to

permanently. She and Larrazabal have three children named Isabella Adriana nicknamed "Belle" (born October 27, 1999), Potenciano IV nicknamed "Cian" (born August 3, 2003) and Iñigo Renato nicknamed "Gio" (born May 25, 2007).

Discography

Cruz has released eight studio albums, two soundtrack albums and three compilation albums. Cruz has sold over 2,500,000 units of her albums from 1989-2000 under

, making her the biggest-selling female artist of OPM music in the nineties. In 2016, she was officially signed as a recording artist under

, marking her comeback in the OPM music scene.

Studio albums

*''

'' (Cassette 1989, CD 1991) *''

'' (1993) *'' Langit Na Naman'' (1994) *'' Habang May Buhay'' (1995) *'' Merry Christmas Donna'' (1996) *'' Pure Donna'' (1997) *'' Hulog ng Langit'' (1999) *'' Now and Forever'' (2016)

Soundtrack albums

*''Campus Girls: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1995) *''Love Notes - The Movie: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1995) *''Muling Umawit Ang Puso: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1995) *'' DoReMi: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1996)