Ala Paredes
Encyclopedia
Angela "Ala" Paredes is an Australia
-based Filipino
environmental activist, commercial model and writer, who at various times in her career was also a TV host, vj, advice columnist, and vocalist for Filipino alternative
band Hiraya. Since moving to Australia, she has become one of the correspondents covering Australia for the Philippines' ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs
.
(SHSQC), a private, all-girls Roman Catholic school in Quezon City
. She then moved on to the Ateneo de Manila University
, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2004.
She first ventured into modeling in her junior year in college, doing a commercial for a facial wash, and soon endorsing a clothing line. Initially Ala was perceived to have the advantage of a familiar family name: she is the second daughter of singer Jim Paredes
of the Apo Hiking Society
. But she soon became popular in her own right, taking up social causes just as her father, well known for his advocacies, did before her.
took note of her unusual success and said:
At around the same time, Paredes began blogging regularly, with her blog soon becoming popular and earning her a reputation as a celebrity blogger - a role she would later use to promote environmental issues.
's music channel MYX
, and then later the host of IslaMusik, a television show on ABC 5 featuring a musicians from all over the Philippines. She also often served as a presentor at numerous events. As a writer, she also became an advice columnist for Pink magazine.
band Hiraya when the original vocalist left. Guitarist Mark Verzo, bassist Marco Cuneta on bass, and drummer Paulo Tomas recruited her to become the replacement vocalist. The band had already released an EP, with their previous vocalist, when Ala took over. She stayed with the band until a short time before she moved to Australia with her family in 2006.
- a decision which Jim Paredes explained was related to a desire for greater personal development. The move generated some controversy when a copyeditor for a prominent Philippine newspaper wrote a headline that said Mr. Paredes, known for his activism, was "giving up on the Philippines." Both Jim and Ala Paredes protested that this was a miscategorization of their family's motives for moving. The paper eventually apologized to the Paredes family for the original, inaccurate headline of the article. Mr Paredes later said that he "felt bad not so much that people misread me as a person (that's hurtful, yes) but more so that they may slip deeper into despair by such a false story. That's the last thing we need," and Ala expressed similar sentiments.
Paredes later decided to take up an illustration
course from the Sydney Design Institute, graduating in December 2009.
, the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre
. Paredes had gone on vacation in the Philippines to spend the holidays with relatives, when a friend of hers who worked at the Supreme Court of the Philippines
called about an open position for a courtroom sketch artist at the Ampatuan trial. Courtroom sketch
es were needed because media coverage at the trial was restricted.
Describing the moment, she said that she “immediately called my friend back 10 seconds after receiving her message and accepted the offer. We did not talk about the (pay).” Noting the importance of the case, she said that “At a time when the nation is still grieving, I feel like this is my way of getting involved,” and “I thought this is my own way of giving public service, especially when media can’t be there.”
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-based Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
environmental activist, commercial model and writer, who at various times in her career was also a TV host, vj, advice columnist, and vocalist for Filipino alternative
Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
band Hiraya. Since moving to Australia, she has become one of the correspondents covering Australia for the Philippines' ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs
ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs
ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs is the news division of Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. The organization is responsible for the daily news and information gathering of its news programs...
.
Education and Early Career
Paredes graduated from high school in 2000 at the School of the Holy SpiritSchool of the Holy Spirit
School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City or SHSQC is a private all-girls Catholic school located in BF Homes, Quezon City, Philippines. The school is run by the Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit, a congregation established by German saint, Arnold Janssen.-History:German diocesan...
(SHSQC), a private, all-girls Roman Catholic school in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
. She then moved on to the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2004.
She first ventured into modeling in her junior year in college, doing a commercial for a facial wash, and soon endorsing a clothing line. Initially Ala was perceived to have the advantage of a familiar family name: she is the second daughter of singer Jim Paredes
Jim Paredes
Jaime Ramon "Jim" Paredes is a Filipino musician, producer, educator, writer, television personality, workshop facilitator, and activist best known for being one-third of the APO Hiking Society, along with Danny Javier and Boboy Garrovillo.-Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo:Paredes' most prominent solo...
of the Apo Hiking Society
APO Hiking Society
The Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, later popularly known as Apo Hiking Society or, simply, Apo, was a Filipino musical group. The group had its fledgling beginnings in 1969 at the Ateneo de Manila high school, with thirteen members: Lito de Joya, Sonny Santiago, Gus Cosio, Renato Garcia, Chito...
. But she soon became popular in her own right, taking up social causes just as her father, well known for his advocacies, did before her.
"Unconventional Beauty"
In her first forays as a television personality, doing television ads, she quickly became a recognizable figure, distinguished by her morena (malay brown) complexion and curly hair, a sharp contrast to the traditional look of models at the time. The Philippine Center for Investigative JournalismPhilippine Center for Investigative Journalism
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit media organization specializing in investigative journalism. It is based in Quezon City, Philippines. Established in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists, the organization funds investigative projects for both the print and broadcast...
took note of her unusual success and said:
- Model Ala Paredes has curly hair in a country where long, straight hair is considered the epitome of female beauty.... In an industry that prizes fair skin and straight hair, her morena skin color and loose, voluptuous curls are considered unconventional.
At around the same time, Paredes began blogging regularly, with her blog soon becoming popular and earning her a reputation as a celebrity blogger - a role she would later use to promote environmental issues.
Media work in the Philippines
Paredes' modeling career soon burgeoned into a television career. She continued modelling occasionally but became a regular VJ for ABS-CBNABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
's music channel MYX
Myx
myx or MYX is the music channel of ABS-CBN brand and the #1 music channel in the Philippines. It is also a part of Studio 23's program line-up. In 2007, MYX North America was launched in the United States....
, and then later the host of IslaMusik, a television show on ABC 5 featuring a musicians from all over the Philippines. She also often served as a presentor at numerous events. As a writer, she also became an advice columnist for Pink magazine.
Hiraya vocalist
In 2005, Paredes became the frontwoman of a Pinoy rockPinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
band Hiraya when the original vocalist left. Guitarist Mark Verzo, bassist Marco Cuneta on bass, and drummer Paulo Tomas recruited her to become the replacement vocalist. The band had already released an EP, with their previous vocalist, when Ala took over. She stayed with the band until a short time before she moved to Australia with her family in 2006.
Move to Australia
In 2006, the Paredes family decided to migrate to AustraliaImmigration to Australia
Immigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...
- a decision which Jim Paredes explained was related to a desire for greater personal development. The move generated some controversy when a copyeditor for a prominent Philippine newspaper wrote a headline that said Mr. Paredes, known for his activism, was "giving up on the Philippines." Both Jim and Ala Paredes protested that this was a miscategorization of their family's motives for moving. The paper eventually apologized to the Paredes family for the original, inaccurate headline of the article. Mr Paredes later said that he "felt bad not so much that people misread me as a person (that's hurtful, yes) but more so that they may slip deeper into despair by such a false story. That's the last thing we need," and Ala expressed similar sentiments.
Media work and studies
Even after migrating to a new country, however, Ala Paredes continued to be deeply involved in things Filipino - this time, specifically the Filipino community in Australia. In the same year that the Paredeses moved to Australia, she was recruited by ABS-CBN Global, the international multi-platform media company of Filipino media giant ABS-CBN, to be a correspondent for Balitang Australia, a weekly news and feature program catering specifically to Filipino Australians.Paredes later decided to take up an illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
course from the Sydney Design Institute, graduating in December 2009.
Ampatuan trial sketch artist
Paredes had barely graduated three weeks when she was given the high-profile job as the official courtroom sketch artist at the trial of Andal Ampatuan, Jr.Andal Ampatuan, Jr.
Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is the former mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. He is the son of patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his family continues to represent a powerful force in Mindanao politics...
, the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre
Maguindanao massacre
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre after the town where the mass graves were found, occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines...
. Paredes had gone on vacation in the Philippines to spend the holidays with relatives, when a friend of hers who worked at the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
called about an open position for a courtroom sketch artist at the Ampatuan trial. Courtroom sketch
Courtroom sketch
A courtroom sketch is an artistic depiction of the proceedings in a court of law. To prevent distractions and preserve the privacy of those participating in court proceedings, cameras are not allowed in courtrooms in many jurisdictions...
es were needed because media coverage at the trial was restricted.
Describing the moment, she said that she “immediately called my friend back 10 seconds after receiving her message and accepted the offer. We did not talk about the (pay).” Noting the importance of the case, she said that “At a time when the nation is still grieving, I feel like this is my way of getting involved,” and “I thought this is my own way of giving public service, especially when media can’t be there.”