Arnaldo Arevalo Ignacio (born March 17, 1964), known professionally as Arnell Ignacio, is a
Filipino television personality, actor, singer-songwriter, and public official.
Television career
Ignacio has hosted several shows, like ''Chibugan Na!'', ''
Kwarta o Kahon'', ''
GoBingo'', ''
Katok Mga Misis'', and ''
K! The 1 Million Peso Videoke Challenge'', and occasional hosts for ''
ASAP'' and ''
Wil Time Bigtime
''Wil Time Bigtime'' (formerly known as ''Willing Willie'') was a Philippine television variety show broadcast by TV5. The show was hosted by Willie Revillame. It aired from October 23, 2010 to January 5, 2013, replacing ''5 Max Movies'' and ...
''. He also guest judged for ''
Kakaibang Idol'', a special edition of ''
Philippine Idol'' which was held for contestants with the most notable auditions.
Politics and government
In 2004, he declined offers to run as the running mate of former Mayor
Mel Mathay,
but later vied for a
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
seat in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
's 4th district.

In 2016, he was appointed by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
as Assistant Vice President for Community Relation and Services Department of the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established in 1977 through the Presidential Decree No. 1869. PAGCOR is the Philippines' largest contributor of revenue to the government a ...
(PAGCOR). He served in PAGCOR until January 2018 when he was transferred to the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to serve as a deputy executive director and deputy administrator. He resigned from his post in February 2019 reportedly for personal reasons.
In 2022, Ignacio was appointed by President
Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
as the new administrator of OWWA. But in May 2025, he was dismissed from the same position due to loss of trust and confidence following his involvement in a P1.4-billion land acquisition deal intended for the accommodation of
Overseas Filipino Workers that was allegedly acquired without the required legal approval and authorization of OWWA's Board of Trustees.
Filmography
Television
Film
Radio
* Si Susan Na, si Arnell Pa! (
DZBB) (with
Susan Enriquez)
* No More Lonely Nights with Arnell (
DZIQ)
* PATOL: Republika ni Arnelli (
Radyo5 92.3 News FM, with simulcast on
AksyonTV)
* Manila sa Umaga! (Radyo5 92.3 News FM, with simulcast on AksyonTV)
* LOL: Labor of Love (
DZMM) (with Rica Lazo)
* OMJ: Oh My Job! (DZBB) (with Tuesday Sagun-Niu and
Bea Binene)
Awards
*Winner, Best Game Show Host – PMPC Star Awards for Television (1997 & 2006)
**Go Bingo (GMA Network)
**Now Na! (QTV 11)
*Winner, Best Talent Show Hosts – PMPC Star Awards for Television (2008)
**Shall We Dance: The Celebrity Dance Challenge (with Lucy Torres-Gomez & Dominic Ochoa, ABC 5 "Now TV5")
Personal life
Ignacio had Frannie Ignacio, a businesswoman, as his live-in partner for 12 years. They got married on March 10, 2004,
but they separated in the same year. Since 2015, he had plans to have their marriage annulled. Together, they have a daughter.
Ignacio is openly gay. He got engaged to singer Ken El Psalmer in June 2015,
but broke up almost two months later.
References
External links
Arnel's Magnanimity
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ignacio, Arnell
1964 births
Living people
20th-century Filipino male singers
ABS-CBN people
Bongbong Marcos administration personnel
Duterte administration personnel
Filipino gay actors
Filipino LGBTQ musicians
Filipino LGBTQ politicians
Filipino LGBTQ songwriters
Filipino game show hosts
Filipino male comedians
Filipino male film actors
Filipino male television actors
Filipino radio personalities
Filipino songwriters
GMA Network (company) people
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation personalities
Notre Dame Educational Association alumni
People's Television Network people
Radio Philippines Network personalities
TV5 Network people