Being in the industry for more than two decades already, “Rainbow Rumble” host Luis Manzano is indeed able to step out of the shadows of his prominent parents Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos-Recto and make his own mark in the entertainment industry through his own talents and efforts.

Through the years, he’s able to showcase different facets of himself as an artist, but it was in the field of hosting in which he really shone the brightest. Those who are able to follow his career ever since he started in the early 2000s have certainly witnessed him host talent searches, reality competitions, game shows, variety programs, and even showbiz-oriented talk shows.

And as he marks his 23rd anniversary in showbiz this 2024, he enthusiastically went on a trip down memory lane in one of his most recent vlogs as he reminisced about his hosting gigs and gave ratings to each according to how much he had enjoyed doing the program or how it has become special to him.

Luis commenced the enumeration with his stint as one of the video jocks or VJs of the iconic music channel MYX, where everything started for him. His schedule then might have gone hectic, yet he refused to leave the channel until his 10th year in 2012 since he was tapped to be the new host of “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal.”

“Nag-iba na ‘yong image ko dahil sa ‘Deal or No Deal’ kasi mature talaga ‘yong atake ko sa ‘Deal or No Deal.’ Kaya, kumbaga, nalampasan ko na ‘yong demographic ng MYX. Pero very special mention talaga sa akin ang MYX,” he explainedss.

He then tackled his stint in “ASAP” (now “ASAP Natin ‘To”), which is his first mainstream hosting job under ABS-CBN. It may already be decades ago, yet he could still vividly remember how he was introduced as the newest addition to its ever growing ensemble. He delightfully imparted how that stint taught him a lot about hosting, allowed him to showcase his flair as a performer and a comedian, and brought him tons of unforgettable memories and solid and lasting friendships among his fellow artists.

Just in case you already forgot, he also used to briefly host the noontime variety show “Wowowee” for three months after its original host had to take a rest. According to him, that experience made him fall in love with game shows and realize how much he enjoys doing one.

“Doon ko na-realize na ang dream ko bilang isang host o game show host ay magkaroon ng noontime show o ‘di kaya gameshow na sariling amin,” he remarked.

Ardent fans of the reality talent search “Star Circle Quest” could definitely remember him as one of its hosts opposite Jodi Sta. Maria.

Prior to becoming one of his leading men in “Kampanerang Kuba,” Luis also had the chance to work with his best friend Anne Curtis in the dating show-slash-loveteam search “QPids: The Search for the Next Loveteam.” Not a lot of people may remember it, but it was one of the shows that he truly enjoyed doing.

Another hosting gig of his that may be unbeknown to many was “Pinoy Big Brother,” which he did for a few seasons and he even experienced being a houseguest for less than 24 hours. Similarly with the showbiz-oriented talk show “Entertainment Live” (or E-Live), which he regarded as one of the most challenging for him, especially since he had to interview personalities who are way older than him and delve into their lives.

He also looked back to “Panahon Ko 'to!: Ang Game Show ng Buhay Ko,” which he co-hosted with Billy Crawford and he described as “a game show that’s ahead of its time” since he believes that it can surely be a hit if it would be done at present.

Another show he did with Billy was the long-running talent program “Pilipinas Got Talent,” which he found really exhausting for every one part of it. But, at the same time, it’s definitely one for the books for him as it brought them to different parts of the country and allowed them to meet and help people from various walks of life.

Luis then almost forgot about the comedy and prank show “Laugh Out Loud,” which he co-hosted with “Queen of Philippine Cosplay” Alodia Gosiengfiao in 2011. A year after that, he was tapped to be the new host of “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” following the departure of Kris Aquino from the show. He considers it as the first biggest game show that ABS-CBN entrusted to him and the one that tremendously changed his image since he was always cladded in suit and ties.

Just in case you missed it or already forgotten about it, but he actually hosted “Sarah G, Live!” in 2012, which, as we all know, was the evening musical show dedicated by ABS-CBN for the one and only Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo. He imparted how really tired he was that time since he had to stay in the network complex until night after his hosting gig in “ASAP.” But he’s thankful that it paved the way for him and Sarah to become friends.

Of course, who would forget the game show “Minute To Win It,” which many of us arguably enjoyed watching. For Luis, it’s one of the most special projects that he did as he considers it as a highlight of his hosting career and he firmly believes that it was the one that further turned him into a household name. Among the many variations of the program, his top favorite and the most successful was those seasons when he was joined by the dynamic duo of comedians Long Mejia and Negi, to whom he was very thankful for their unparalleled contributions to the show.

“The Voice of the Philippines” was another hosting gig that got him really exhausted yet fulfilled since he and his other co-hosts had to stand for long hours at the family area of the program since they had to accompany and interview the loved ones of the contestants.

Meanwhile, if there’s a game show that he wishes to be revived, it’s definitely “Celebrity Playtime” (2015-2016), which he facilitated after its original host Billy Crawford had to leave for “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”

Luis wasn’t able to contain his delight as he looked back on hosting “Family Feud,” which he loved so much since he’s also a fan of it. What he liked the most about it was how every answer of the players was a potential punchline and how there’s no wrong or correct responses since they were based on the opinions of the 100 people they had surveyed.

He then reminisced about his few appearances on “It’s Showtime” as a guest co-host, through which he once again felt the “kiliti” of noontime shows. “May magic para sa akin ang noontime dahil siguro kinalakihan ko ‘yan, ‘yong noontime shows. Basta kapag nagsho-‘Showtime’ ako, nararamdaman ko talaga ‘yong energy ng madlang people.”

In 2019, he was chosen to host the reality dance competition “World of Dance Philippines” alongside Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. He even had the chance to experience being a contestant as he pranked and confused the judges by performing onstage as the “Masked Rider.” It was also that same year when he did ABS-CBN’s very own talent competition “Your Moment” with Vhong Navarro as his co-host. He confessed that he almost quit due to the extreme exhaustion that he experienced since he had to go to the ABS-CBN Soundstage in Bulacan where it was shot.

The award-winning and sought-after host was among the celebrities who took the risk of accepting projects amid the pandemic as he agreed to take over “Your Face Sounds Familiar.” Of course, his experience wouldn’t be complete without him transforming as well to another artist, which was veteran rapper Andrew E for him.

Another hosting gig that he truly loved was “I Can See Your Voice,” which ran for many seasons since it was launched in 2017. Aside from the camaraderie of their group, Luis highly believes that one of the most significant aspects of the show is comedian Bayani Agbayani, who unbeknown to viewers was not a part of original lineup of “seen-vestigators.” But seeing the response of the people to his presence, not to mention his now-iconic “aswang” joke, Luis fought for Bayani to stay on the show and even offered to pay for his talent fee.

And in 2023, who would forget when he spearheaded the hosting of ABS-CBN’s temporary noontime show “It’s Your Lucky Day,” which only ran for 12 days? He related that it got him really emotional because aside from the fact that they poured everything they could to this program, it was also the fulfillment of his longtime dream to have a noontime show with an all-original concept. Thus, he’s one of the many people whose fingers are crossed for its much-awaited return.

Last, but definitely not the least is his newest game show “Rainbow Rumble,” which already premiered last July 20 and July 21. It was inspired by the trivia shows we used to love over the years. An original concept by creative director Willy Cuevas, he allows him and other people behind the camera to pitch in new ideas, which makes it more enjoyable for him to do it.

In the end, Luis gave all the abovementioned titles a 10/10 rating since each one of them contributed to who he has become at present. He also went on to express his gratitude to everyone who has been part of his two-decade journey in the industry for all the things that they’d done for him.

“Masayang balikan kasi kahit papaano, mukha namang may naiambag ako sa industriya. At one point, looking back, ito ‘yong ginawa ko for 20+ years. Did I make an impact sa audience? Did I make an impact sa co-actors [o] co-hosts ko?” he stated.

Then he continued, “But then, ang showbiz gulong lang ‘yan. Darating ang time na hindi na ako hahanapin, darating ang time na hindi na ako ang pinaka-visible or in-demand. But the next generation, sila na ‘yong mga mas lalampas pa sa mga nagawa naming past generations of hosts.”