Dannyka Manangan

Donita Rose looks back on her years as ‘Umagang Kay Ganda’ host: ‘Every day was more than just work’

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>Veteran TV host and actress Donita Rose looked back on her years as a former host of the Kapamilya morning show<em> Umagang Kay Ganda</em>, revisiting memories that shaped her daily routine and marked a significant chapter in her career. </p><p>In an Instagram post shared on February 18, Donita posted a video showing her walking past what used to be the <em>Umagang Kay Ganda</em> studio at ABS-CBN. Her husband, Felson Palad, was behind the camera as she reminisced about her time in the morning show.  </p><p>“I just realized this was the studio for <em>Umagang Kay Ganda </em>before. Ay nalungkot ako...It looks smaller now, I don’t know why. Sad. Na-miss ko lahat,” Donita said as she walked by. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/2/19/donita-rose-s-husband-felson-palad-joins-tawag-ng-tanghalan-moves-on-to-regional-finals-1510"><strong>READ: Donita Rose’s husband Felson Palad joins Tawag ng Tanghalan; moves on to Regional Finals</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>She went on to recall how deeply the show was woven into her everyday life. “That was four and a half years of my life rin. Every single day, Monday to Friday. I would wake up at 2:45 every morning. If we were in location in the province, it’s like midnight. Parang call center agent ‘yung lifestyle ko noon eh,” she said. </p><p>Donita also remembered the people she worked closely with during her hosting stint, recalling her former co-hosts Pinky Webb, Edu Manzano, Winnie Cordero, Bernadette Sembrano, Rica Peralejo, Kim Atienza, and Ginger Conejero, with whom she spent years sharing the early hours of the day. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU5qYJWksvu/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A139515%2C%22ls%22%3A32498.299999999814%2C%22le%22%3A32837.60000000056%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>In the caption of her post, Donita expressed how emotional the visit was for her. </p><p>“Yesterday at @abscbn I couldn’t help but feel a mix of nostalgia and sadness reflecting on the many changes that have unfolded since the pandemic,” she wrote. </p><p>She also looked back on how former ABS-CBN head of News and Current Affairs Maria Ressa fought for her to return to the Philippines from Singapore to become one of the hosts of the show. According to Donita, being part of <em>Umagang Kay Ganda </em>and working alongside her co-hosts was a “dream come true,” as they welcomed Filipino viewers every morning in the late 2000s. </p><p>“Every day was more than just work. It was an adventure filled with endless bonding creativity and joy. Back then, the halls echoed with the hustle of passionate employees and excited fans from near and far all eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities,” she continued. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-5" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DU5INpZEoBj/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A5%2C%22os%22%3A507411.2999999998%2C%22ls%22%3A32498.299999999814%2C%22le%22%3A32837.60000000056%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="923" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-5" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Despite acknowledging the changes in the industry, Donita said live television still holds a special place in her heart.  </p><p>“I recognize that the entertainment landscape is evolving but the magic of television, particularly live broadcasting, holds a special place in my heart. My prayer is for the Philippine Entertainment industry to continue thriving and to flourish for everyone involved,” she added. </p><p>She ended her message with gratitude, writing, “Thank you @abscbnnews for the countless unforgettable memories and experiences throughout the past 36 years of my life. I cherish every moment and had the best time reminiscing with @felsonpalad about how incredibly kind you’ve been to me. Here’s to more beautiful moments ahead.” </p><p>A day later, Donita made a surprise appearance on<em> </em><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/itsshowtime"><em><strong>It&#x27;s Showtime</strong></em></a> on February 19 to support her husband as he competed in <em>Tawag ng Tanghalan</em>. Watching from the audience, she cheered as Felson performed “One Hundred Ways”, a hit by James Ingram, earning a score of 90.3 from the judges. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1800525607310575%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>After the performance, Vice Ganda and the other hosts asked the couple, who had been married for three and a half years, about their love story and how they met.  </p><p>When asked if she had any hesitation about her husband joining one of the country’s biggest singing competitions, Donita said she was fully supportive.  </p><p>“Go kaagad, kasi alam ko na this is a top singing competition dito sa Pilipinas and I know you guys are my friends and I know that judgment will be different based on him alone, but I just feel confident that what matters most is pangarap niya ito at nandito ako para sumuporta,” she explained. </p><p>Felson later competed in the Regional Finals on February 21 but fell short of advancing to the next round, posting an average score of 91.3 compared to Will De Sosa, who earned 93.7.</p>

<p>Veteran TV host and actress Donita Rose looked back on her years as a former host of the Kapamilya morning show 'Umagang Kay Ganda', revisiting the place that once defined her mornings and reflecting on the years she spent to bring news and stories to Filipinos. </p>

Veteran TV host and actress Donita Rose looked back on her years as a former host of the Kapamilya morning show 'Umagang Kay Ganda', revisiting the place that once defined her mornings and reflecting on the years she spent to bring news and stories to Filipinos.