Eugenio "Boy" Romerica Abunda Jr. (; born October 29, 1961) is a Filipino television presenter,

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for work or a project such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists wh ...

, and

talent manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager, or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of Entertainer, artists within the entertainment industry. The responsibility of a talent manager is to ove ...

. Known as the "King of Talk", Abunda has presented several

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

s centered on the Philippine entertainment industry. On GMA, he co-presented ''Show & Tell'' (1994–1995) and ''Startalk'' (1995–1999). After transferring to

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...

, he hosted ''The Buzz'' (1999–2015), '' Kontrobersyal'' (2003–2006), ''Homeboy'' (2005–2007), '' The Bottomline with Boy Abunda'' (2009–2020), and ''

Tonight with Boy Abunda ''Tonight with Boy Abunda'' is a Philippine television talk show broadcast by ABS-CBN. Hosted by Boy Abunda, it aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up from September 28, 2015 to May 4, 2020, replacing '' Aquino & Abunda Tonight'' and was ...

'' (2015–2020). He partnered with

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (; born February 14, 1971) is a Filipino retired television presenter, actress, talent manager and film producer. She notably appeared as Princess Intan in the acclaimed '' Crazy Rich Asians'' and is a rec ...

in hosting ''

Boy & Kris ''Boy & Kris'' is a Philippine television talk show broadcast by ABS-CBN. Hosted by Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino, it aired from July 2, 2007 to February 13, 2009, replacing '' Homeboy'' and was replaced by '' Ruffa & Ai''. Topics on the show range ...

'' (2007–2009), '' SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon'' (2009–2011), and '' Aquino & Abunda Tonight'' (2014–2015). After the

ABS-CBN shutdown The shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting arose from the lack of renewal of Philippine media network ABS-CBN's congressional broadcast franchise. The disputes between the administrations of Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte and th ...

, he returned to GMA to host ''

Fast Talk with Boy Abunda ''Fast Talk with Boy Abunda'' is a Philippine television talk show broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Rommel Gacho, it is hosted by Boy Abunda. It premiered on January 23, 2023 on the network's Afternoon Prime line up. The show is streaming ...

'' (2023–present). In the

PMPC Star Awards for Television PMPC Star Awards for Television is an annual award-giving body recognizing the outstanding programming produced by the several TV networks in the Philippines. It was founded by the Philippine Movie Press Club, an organization of tabloid report ...

, he has been inducted to the Hall of Fame for having won Best Celebrity Talk Show Host eleven times while ''Tonight with Boy Abunda'' was awarded Best Celebrity Talk Show four times. An openly gay celebrity, he advocates for

LGBT rights in the Philippines Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in the Philippines, Republic of the Philippines have faced many difficulties in their homeland, such as prejudice, violence, abuse, assault, harassment and other forms of anti-LG ...

. Politician

Maria Fe Abunda Maria Fe Romerica Abunda (; born November 8, 1957) is a Filipino politician. She is currently a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Eastern Samar's Lone District since 2019. She served as the mayor of Borongan fr ...

is his sister.

Early life and education

Abunda was born Eugenio Romerica Abunda Jr. In

Borongan Borongan, officially the City of Borongan (Waray-waray language, Waray: ''Siyudad han Borongan''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Eastern Sam ...

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

. He attended Ateneo de Manila University, where he took up Business Management. However, he did not finish that course because of his father's death. He left Ateneo and worked in odd jobs to support himself. He graduated from

Philippine Women's University Philippine Women's University (PWU) is a coeducational tertiary education school which has its main campus in Manila, Philippines. An all girls school, institution exclusive for girls from its inception until the 1970s, the PWU now admits both ...

with degrees Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts in 2009, Master of Arts in Communication Arts in 2011, and Doctor of Philosophy in Social Development in 2016.

Career

At the Metropolitan Theater, he worked as a stage actor and eventually as an assistant stage manager. Later, he became the assistant of the theater's administrator Conchita "Tita Conching" Sunico, who taught him

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

. In a couple of years, he starte
Backroom, Inc
managing singers and actresses and a public relations firm. He also worked as public relations consultant for

GMA Network GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...

. It was during Abunda's public relations work in GMA when one of its executives, Bobby Barreiro, suggested that he should try hosting a television show. Abunda became a

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

of ''

Show and Tell Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** ...

'', a late night

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

talk show with

Gretchen Barretto Gretchen Castelo Barretto (; born March 6, 1970) is a Filipino former actress and socialite. She was launched in Regal Films' ''14 Going on Steady'' as a singer-actress, with the release of her debut single "Going Steady", which served as the ...

, and '' Startalk'', an entertainment talk show. He subsequently moved to GMA's competitor

in 1999, where he has hosted the following shows: '' The Buzz'', ''Private Conversations'', '' Homeboy'', '' Kontrobersyal'', '' SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon'' and '' The Bottomline with Boy Abunda'', a talk show interview. He was dubbed "Asia's King of Talk" after ''The Bottomline'' was awarded Best Talk Show at the 16th

Asian Television Awards The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...

(2011). He is also a newscaster for entertainment of the late-night news program ''

Bandila ''Bandila'' () is a Philippine television news broadcasting show broadcast by ABS-CBN. Originally anchored by Korina Sanchez, Henry Omaga-Diaz and Ces Drilon, it aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up from July 3, 2006, to March 17, 2 ...

''. He also worked as a radio commentator for

DZAR DZAR (1026 AM) Sonshine Radio was a radio station owned and operated by Swara Sug Media Corporation in the Philippines. The station's studio was located at the 3rd Floor, ACQ Tower (formerly Jacinta Building I/NBC Tower), Santa Rita St. cor. ...

, during the Angel Radyo era. He is the founder and head of Asian Artists Agency, a talent management agency. He also produced an album titled ''Melodic Conversations''. After 23 years in ABS-CBN, Abunda broke the speculations as he returned to his home network, GMA on December 15, 2022, as part of its retrenchment program caused by the

from the Philippine Congress that junked the new legislative franchise to operate. He marked his free-to-air television comeback via ''

'' in 2023. However, GMA Network gave him permission to return to ABS-CBN for hosting the

Vilma Santos-Recto Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto (born November 3, 1953) is a Filipino actress and politician. In a career spanning over seven decades, she is recognized for her versatility in acting across various genres of film and television in the Philippine ...

's 60th anniversary special, ''Anim na Dekada… Nag iisang Vilma''.

'Bilang'

Abunda, in

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

with

Star Music Star Music (also known as Star Records and corporately as Star Recording, Inc.) is a Philippine record label owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corpora ...

composed his first

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

disco-pop Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes ...

'Bilang' for

Pride Month Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...

. He is credited with the

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...

and overall production of the six-

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

‘Say It Clear Say It Loud.’

Personal life

Abunda is openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

and has been in a relationship with partner Elmer "Bong" Quintana since 1983. Although Abunda is a practicing

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and Marian devotee, he is a supporter of

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...

and

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

, expressing disagreement with the Church's stand on homosexuality. He denounced the

2016 Orlando Nightclub Shooting On , 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States before Orlando Police officers fatally shot him after a three-hour standoff. In ...

, which has been recorded as the deadliest incident of

violence against LGBT people LGBTQ people frequently experience violence directed toward their human sexuality, sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. This violence may be enacted by the state, as in laws LGBTQ rights by country or territory, prescribing punishm ...

in the United States. On June 23, 2010, Abunda became a part-time professor at

, teaching radio and television to

Communication Arts ''Communication Arts'' (acronym: CA) is the largest international trade journal of visual communication. Founded in 1959 by Richard Coyne and Robert Blanchard, the magazine's coverage includes graphic design, advertising, photography, illustra ...

students. He currently resides 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 ...

. Abunda's sister,

, currently serves as a congresswoman for

Eastern Samar Eastern Samar ( Waray-Waray: ''Sinirangan Samar''; ), officially the Province of Eastern Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan, which is the most populous. Eastern Samar ...

. She had previously served as the mayor of

. In 2014, Abunda was hospitalised due to a liver problem.BOY ABUNDA SUFFERED FROM LIVER PROBLEM, NOW RECOVERING
/ref>

Filmography

Television and online

Film

Bibliography

* 2014: ''Make Your Nanay Proud'' (ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.) * 2017: ''It's Like This'' (ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.) * 2018: ''Nanay's Gay Boy: Two Speeches'' (ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.)

Accolades

*Celebrity Inductee Winner, Eastwood City Walk Of Fame Philippines in 2010 *3rd EdukCircle Awards - Most Influential Celebrity Endorser of Year (2013) *Winner, Best Showbiz Oriented Show Host - PMPC Star Awards for TV **''Startalk'' (1995–1999) **''The Buzz'' (1999–2008 and 2010) (tied with Paolo Bediones in 2005) **''SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon'' (2009) **Hall of Fame (2011) *Winner, Best Public Affairs Program Host - PMPC Star Awards for TV **''Private Conversations'' (2004) **''The Bottomline With Boy Abunda'' (2010–2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) *Winner, Best Magazine Show Host - PMPC Star Awards for TV **''Kontrobersyal'' (2004) *Winner, Best Celebrity Talk Show Host - PMPC Star Awards for TV **''Homeboy'' (2005–2007) **''Boy and Kris'' (2008) *Winner, Best Talk Show Host - UPLB Gandingan Awards **''Homeboy'' (2006) **''Boy and Kris'' (2007–2008)

References

External links

Boy Abunda , Facebook Page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abunda, Boy 1960 births Living people People from Borongan Filipino LGBTQ journalists Filipino television presenters Filipino television talk show hosts Filipino Roman Catholics Filipino LGBTQ entertainers LGBTQ Roman Catholics Filipino gay writers Filipino LGBTQ rights activists Philippine Women's University alumni Ateneo de Manila University alumni GMA Network (company) people ABS-CBN people ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs people The Philippine Star people 21st-century Filipino LGBTQ people Waray-language writers