Chanda Romero
Maria Chanda Josefa Valenzuela Obsum Romero-Alejandrino is a Filipino actress. She started in 1967, and is still active today.
She first started in 1972 in the film Kundoktora with Vilma Santos, which was shown on the exact date of the declaration of Martial Law. During the 1970s, she became known as a sexy actress. Her prolific work in sexy films and dramas caught the attention of many directors, and in the 1980s, she showed her serious work as an actress in Ishmael Bernal's Working Girls and Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin? Both were released in 1984.
Biography
Chanda Romero is the daughter of Enrique Romero, son of Francisco Romero Jr. and Gloria Baena Villanueva of Negros Oriental, and Remedios Valenzuela, daughter of Ramiro Valenzuela and Josefina de la Victoria of Cebu.Her father Enrique, also known as Bobby, was the paternal grandson of Francisco Domingo Romero Sr., presidente municipal of Tanjay, Negros Oriental from 1909 to 1916 and later a member of the Provincial Board of Negros Oriental, and Josefa Muñoz, daughter of Tanjay presidente municipal Don José Muñoz Teves and Alejandra Ines Calumpang. Her father was also the maternal grandson of Enrique Cayetano Villanueva, Sr., governor of Negros Oriental from 1916 to 1925 and later representative of the 2nd district of Negros Oriental from 1925 to 1931, and Francisca Baena Gómez, Negros Oriental Carnival Queen in 1905.
Other relations include her mother's sister Milagros Valenzuela de Urgello, Cebu Carnival Queen in 1937; her grandfather's brother José María Emeterio Romero, the first Philippine ambassador to the Court of St. James's and later Secretary of Education; Eddie Romero, National Artist for Film; Jose Romero, Jr., former Philippine ambassador to Italy; Hector R.R. Villanueva, Press Secretary of former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos and later Postmaster-General of the Philippines during the Arroyo administration; among others.
Career
In the 1970s and the 1980s, she had a staple of films in which she starred with award-winning actresses such as Elizabeth Oropesa, Hilda Koronel, Gloria Diaz and Daria Ramirez. As a result, she caught the attention of directors Celso Ad Castillo, Ishmael Bernal, Danny Zialcita and Lino Brocka. Her leading men include Philip Salvador, Eddie Garcia, Christopher de Leon, Dindo Fernando, Joel Torre, etc. In the 1990s, her work in television also brought her success. Shows such as Villa Quintana. She was also praised for her role in the 1997 movie Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin which was directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. Romero is a freelancer but does more projects in GMA Network. She has starred in ABS-CBN projects as well like the religious-centered drama series Kapalaran and the role of Vida Mojica in the Vietnamese-Filipino teleserye starring Maricel Soriano and John Estrada, Vietnam Rose. During 2012, she transferred to TV5 for the first time and became part of Kidlat as Minerva Megaton. In 2025, Romero became part of ABS-CBN's hit primetime action series FPJ's Batang Quiapo as the scheming politician Olivia Guerrero-Torres.Personal life
She married Jose Mari "Mayi" Alejandrino on October 25, 2013. On May 17, 2014, Chanda and Mayi professed their vows in a commitment ceremony at the Tierra de Maria Chapel in Tagaytay.Her mother died on July 6, 2020, as one of the casualties of COVID-19 in Cebu City.