BY ANTOINETTE BUENO
Balita Media News Service
YOU see her every weekday on Channel 18, interviewing everyone from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to singer Lea Salonga. As the energetic host of LA18’s “Kababayan LA”, she seems impossibly upbeat, charmingly chatty and above all, is never at a loss for words. But just who is the woman behind what has turned out to be the longest running Filipino show outside of the Philippines? Who is the woman behind the interviews, working tirelessly to not only bring Fil-Ams the most up to date information but working to secure the stories most meaningful to us as a community, as Filipinos?
Just who is Jannelle So?
While the answer to that question can never be fully answered, at least a part of it lies in Jannelle’s upbringing – particularly her struggles and the hard work it took for her to make it here in the U.S., which has undoubtedly shaped who she is today. An honors scholar at Miriam College in the Philippines, she got her unexpected start covering the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for Vintage Sports when she was just a junior in college. The job came by chance, as Jannelle went to the Vintage Sports open audition being held at her school on a whim, merely accompanying her friends who were much more involved in sports than she herself was. But after getting the Vintage Sports gig, the jobs kept on coming, with Jannelle being chosen for a youth oriented program for then president Fidel Ramos amongst other high profile gigs.
But in 1999, her parents’ petition to come to the U.S. was approved, and her two younger siblings went to the U.S. to go to school, studying at the University of Southern California (USC). While Jannelle stayed behind for a year, her parents made the fateful decision to move the whole family to the U.S., a decision Jannelle clearly struggled with given her friends and a bright career that was already hers in the Philippines.
“My parents would bargain with me, saying that if I come to the U.S. and I didn’t like it then I could go back, but that I at least had to try,” Jannelle recalls.
Jannelle ended up going back to school in the U.S., enrolling in UCLA’s extension program in print journalism. She paid her tuition entirely by herself, paying even more than the average enrollee because she was a foreign student.
However, she has never regretted this decision for a minute.
“The program was really great and I think it’s what really brought out my love for writing,” Jannelle says.
But of course, like so many of her peers, adjusting to life in the U.S. wasn’t easy.
Initially based in Carson, Jannelle’s father would have to drive her to UCLA in the middle of rush hour traffic, taking almost three hours just to get to campus. He would then wait for her three hour class to finish, playing Game Boy and “hanging around the parking lot” waiting for his daughter. Such were the sacrifices and dedication necessary to make it in the U.S.
“While my dad would drive me, I would argue all the way there about wanting to go back to the Philippines,” Jannelle laughs.
“But he always had a sandwich and a soda waiting for me after I got out of class,” Jannelle remembers with obvious warmth.
“It was quite a culture shock coming her, even just getting use to the lifestyle.”
But one would never guess at Jannelle’s struggles, given her obvious success hosting the first and only locally produced daily talk show specifically for and about Filipinos in Southern California.
And in an interesting twist of fate, Jannelle’s big break came just as she was planning to move back to the Philippines, when she finally heard back from “Kababayan LA.” executive producer Eric Olander about an open casting call she went to over four months ago. Olander asked Jannelle to come to the studio to audition again, and it was her signature chatty style that led to her clinching the job.
“I remember Eric said to just start talking like it was my show and I didn’t know it but he went all the way up to the 8th floor to bring some people to look at me, and by the time I came back I was still talking!”, Jannelle laughs.
“I found out that they chose me because I can adlib.”
And just like that, Jannelle was back in the U.S.
“It was then that I realized all of my struggles were worth it,” she recalls.
“God was preparing me for LA18.”
Kababayan L.A.
Coming into the unprecedented show, Jannelle was both thrilled and excited about the possibilities from the get go. She is also producer of the show, meaning that she has creative control of the show’s topics.
“I felt like a robot sometimes in my former gigs because they would give me a script, and I would have to stick to it pretty much word for word.
So it’s great that I can plan my own topics and get feedback from the community.”
“Kababayan L.A.” turned out to be a hit for LA18 from the very start, so much so that the 15 minute show was extended to a half hour. The show has continued to be a major part of the community, given that it focuses not only on entertainment topics, but Filipinos’ lives here in the U.S.
“I’m really proud that we’ve becomes a public affairs show not just informing the Filipino community, but also empowering them,” Jannelle says proudly.
“We strive to give not only provide information, but the tools they really need to thrive here.”
“Kababayan LA” recently celebrated its four year anniversary, becoming the longest running Filipino show outside of the Philippines.
So just who in these four years has been Jannelle’s favorite interview?
“I really enjoyed talking with Loida Nicolas-Lewis, an amazingly successful entrepreneur [of Beatrice Foods]and lawyer based here in the U.S.,” Jannelle shares.
“She’s full of wisdom and she’s a simple, but very smart woman.
She really showed me that you can be both successful and down to earth.”
Fittingly, Jannelle herself is down to earth in her face to face persona, who much like the average woman confesses to a love of fashion and shopping during her down time.
She is also an avid reader, with a love for South American writers such as Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
“I love how descriptive their writing is, and how passionate they are,” she muses.
When asked how she views herself, Jannelle herself seems baffled at the question.
“I don’t know…I just see myself as a normal person who works hard,” she says rather bluntly.
“I’m simple.”
But above all, Jannelle is thankful to her viewers, who have helped “Kababayan LA” become the rousing success it is today.
“Thank you for all the support and keep emailing us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
!,” she says enthusiastically when asked to address her audience.
“I really do read all of the emails, even if I don’t always have time to answer.”
And because she herself knows a thing or two about hard work, she has this to say to her fellow Filipinos struggling to make it here in the U.S.
“You have to hustle,” Jannelle stresses.
“You have to work hard and learn everything there is to know about the field you want to get into, because when the opportunity comes, then you’ll be prepared.”
“…and good looks fade. At the end of the day, you have to know how to handle yourself correctly and be responsible.” ■
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BY ANTOINETTE BUENO
Unprecedented in the show’s history, three Filipinos are participating in the show’s ninth season
The designer’s runway presentation was overall, a stunning display of intricate detail and feminine, decadent designs. His showing at L.A. Fashion Week has also been well received, and marks an important step in the designer’s ever evolving career. It goes without saying that only a select few designers are chosen to show at L.A. Fashion Week, and Tolentino definitely didn’t disappoint.
As Tolentino’s very own Melrose Avenue boutique in the swanky part of West Hollywood continues to thrive since its opening in August, it’s exciting to anticipate what’s next for the laid back, humble designer. But whatever it is, Tolentino’s winning design aesthetic is sure to keep us interested along the way. (Luchie Allen - Balita Publisher) ■
