Proficient in English and Tagalog, Donita truly embodies the perfect marriage of Western and Asian cultures. It's the balance between her two cultures that makes her so appealing in her native Philippines and all across Asia.
         Don't be misled by Donita Rose's demure exteriors into thinking that she's just a genteel, mild-mannered VJ that we've all come to love. There's also a side of her that harbors a natural attraction to thrills.

You were born in Utah?

Donita : That's right. My mother is Filipino -- she was a teacher -- while my father is an American working for the U.S. military. They met in Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Shortly after they got married, they moved back to America, to Utah where my father was stationed. I was born in the air force base there. We stayed in Utah for about five years before moving back to the Philippines. But I was still living in the U.S. bases -- that's why I have an American accent. When my father retired, my mother decided we should stay on in the Philippines and I ended up living there for about 14 years.

Did you grow up in a traditional Filipino family?

Donita : Yes. In my family, I'm the eldest of four children. I'm 24 now, my brother is 22, my sister is 21, and we have a 15-year-old younger brother. But we also have a very large extended family, and in the Philippines, it's not uncommon to live with all your relatives. We had two houses side by side, and we would just have a feast everyday. Altogether, there were about 30 people living together -- my aunts and uncles, household help, and so on.

How did you end up joining MTV as a VJ?

Donita : Well, I had been doing movies and television in Manila for about nine years. When I heard that there was this MTV VJ search going on, I told my manager that I really wanted to join MTV. So she called some people that she knew, and they set up an interview for me. But it just so happened that, at about the same time, the person who discovered me had asked me to do a Tele movie with my then-boyfriend, and in the end I couldn't join the VJ hunt.
           I was very disappointed about that, because I had already done three screen auditions and had to miss out on the actual finals. Fortunately, MTV heard of my interest in becoming a VJ, and called me about six months after the contest had happened. They ask me to come to Singapore for a week to try out and I just gave it all my best. It was in July 1998 that they officially asked me to join the channel.

Now that you are in Singapore, has it been difficult to adjust?

Donita : Every day, I thank God for bringing me here, for just giving me the chance to be on my own and to be independent. But the bad side to it is that I really miss my family. In a sense, this is like the first time I am living by myself and yes, it's peaceful... and I can be a little selfish and just think of myself.

How much of your decision to become a VJ can be attributed to your love for music?

Donita : Well, I've always wanted to be a VJ! I've always loved MTV, and I've always loved music... and I love dancing too. We've always had MTV while we were growing up, as we used to live in the U.S. bases.
     My mother was the director of school plays and had often encouraged us to make our own videos -- my siblings and I, and all our cousins... My dad would always be the one in charge of the video camera and my mum would be the judge, giving out prizes for the best performances.

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