Pia Guanio thought she was headed for early retirement after her ‘Eat Bulaga’ exit

Pia Guanio admitted that she thought her broadcasting career had come to an end after she was no longer able to return to “Eat Bulaga!” during the pandemic.

Guanio made the revelation during her contract signing with an aesthetic and wellness brand in Quezon City on Thursday, July 2, where she reflected on her career journey.

“As a matter of fact, this gig at Kada Umaga took me by surprise,” Guanio told reporters. “A long time ago, I already resigned from Channel 7 as Chika Minute anchor. And that was because of my first child. I really wanted to spend more time with her.”

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“So, ang natira sa akin ay Eat Bulaga. But when the pandemic hit, parang naging home-based sila. Tapos n’ung hindi na ako nakabalik, I thought that was it. Retirement na ’to. I’ll just enjoy my children,” she said.

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READ: Ryzza Mae Dizon recalls nearly losing her spot on ‘Eat Bulaga’ to younger host

Guanio, however, said an unexpected opportunity came when Net25 offered her the chance to host its morning program “Kada Umaga.”

“But then, ‘yun na nga. The offer from Net25 came to host Kada Umaga, a morning show from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Sabi ko parang may mission pa si God sa akin. So, I took it on,” she expressed.

In 2015, Guanio left “24 Oras” after serving as the “Chika Minute” anchor for 11 years. She was succeeded by Iya Villania. In 2021, she also exited “Eat Bulaga!” for personal reasons before joining Net25 later that year as one of the hosts of “Kada Umaga.”

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Asked if she still misses “Eat Bulaga!,” Guanio said she is content with where she is now, citing her new network’s work environment and schedule, which allow her to prioritize family life.

“I’m very happy where I am right now eh. Kasi the vibe of Net25 suits me. It’s very family-oriented, it’s very wholesome. Tapos, pati ‘yung work schedule. It’s really 10 a.m. to 12 noon. I can spend the rest of the day with my fitness programs, with my children who are still very young,” she explained.

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“So, ‘yun ‘yung mga hindi ko pwedeng i-trade off for more time at work. Kasi napaka-critical ng mga edad nila ngayon. So, kailangan talaga silang gabayan. Kung hindi, baka maging sakit ng ulo sila in the future,” she added.

The veteran TV host also clarified that she harbors no ill feelings toward her former noontime show.

“Yeah, Luane Dy is with us in Kada Umaga. I used to work with her also in Eat Bulaga. Diana Meneses also came from Eat Bulaga. And then for a while, Tito, Vic and Joey were in Net25. So no bad feelings, no grudges with Eat Bulaga. I’ll always be thankful, siyempre, sa Eat Bulaga because those were also very fun times,” she said.

Guanio, Luane Dy, and Diana Meneses were all originally from “Eat Bulaga!” and they now serve as hosts of “Kada Umaga.”

Meanwhile, Guanio also shared that taking care of herself through fitness has helped her become a better mother.

“For me, when I work out, even if it takes some time away from my children, sila rin naman yung nagre-reap ng benefits kasi I’m happier, I’m more energetic. So, I have more energy to attend to mga whims nila, ‘yung mga utos nila, ‘yung mga kailangan nila sa buhay,” she said.

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“So for me, it’s very important that I maintain a level of fitness, a level of health para na rin sa happiness ng pamilya ko at siyempre sa happiness ko rin. Kasi hindi ko masyadong mabibigay ang happiness kung ako mismo, miserable,” she added. /ra