María Rosario Navarro "Charo" Santos-Concio (born October 27, 1955) is a Filipino actress and former media executive. She is the host of Maalaala Mo Kaya, a television drama anthology in Philippines. From 2012 to 2016, she was the chief executive officer of ABS-CBN Corporation, the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines. She is chief content officer and president of ABS-CBN University. Santos-Concio plays a role in TV and film production in the Philippines. On March 3, 2008, she was promoted as the fifth president of ABS-CBN Corporation and in charge of the company's total business portfolio, taking over from interim president Eugenio López III. She took over as CEO after López retired on December 31, 2015.

Early and personal life

Santos-Concio was born to Winifredo Santos, a physician and Nora Navarro-Santos, with children Millet, the wife of Edgar Mortiz, Suzanne Santos, Malou N. Santos, Joey Santos and Mae Santos. She grew up in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, where she was discovered by the 70s fashion design, Rikki Jimenez, who asked her to participate in fashion shows and was crowned Miss Calapan. She first met Cesar Concio Jr.'s (born 1931) when she was hired as print ad model of his company. He later married him amid 24 years age gap. The intimate ceremony was held at Pebble Beach, California on November 9, 1982. They had 2 children, Cesar Francis and Raphael Martin. Talia and Julia are the daughters of Francis and wife Carla. Julia, Talia and Basti are their grandchildren. Luca is the son of Martin Concio and his wife Ystacey. Concio Jr. got infected by COVID-19 and died on October 7, 2023, at age 91.

Career

Santos-Concio was first noticed by the media as Baron Travel Girl in 1976. She also worked as a production assistant with the pre-martial law in Radio Philippines Network. In the 1980s, Santos-Concio produced a number of films such as Oro, Plata, Mata and Himala under the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. She also was the creative force behind the productions of Vanguard Films and Vision Films before moving to Regal Films. She established herself as an award-winning dramatic actress early in her career, winning the trophy for her performance in Mike de Leon's Itim during the 1977 Asian Film Festival. She was critically acclaimed for her performance in Lino Brocka's 1990 film Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak which won several awards including a Best Director FAMAS for Brocka. Santos has also won four FAMAS Award nominations. She obtained two Best Actress nominations for Pag-Ibig na Walang Dangal (1980) and Kontrobersiyal (1981) and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak (1990) and Ms. Dolora X (1993). She also earned three Gawad Urian nominations for The Woman Who Left, Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak, and Itim. In 1987, while working for Regal Films, she was invited to join the new ABS-CBN, which had reopened on September 14, 1986. Santos-Concio was promoted from Production Manager, to Program Director to Executive Vice-President. She is credited in the production of several phenomenal television series of ABS-CBN including Esperanza, Mula Sa Puso, Pangako Sa 'Yo, and Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. Her film background played an important role in the creation of Star Cinema. She is also behind the longest-running Philippine TV drama anthology program Maalaala Mo Kaya, which she has hosted since it premiered in 1991. On December 26, 2007, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) awarded Santos-Concio with the Manuel de Leon Award for her work in the industry. On March 1, 2008, she was appointed as the 5th President of ABS-CBN, making her the first woman president of the media conglomerate and the Lopez Group of Companies. On January 1, 2016, Santos-Concio stepped down as President and CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation and was succeeded by Carlo Katigbak, the Chief Operating Officer of the company at that time. She's currently the Chief Content Officer of ABS-CBN Corporation and the President of ABS-CBN University. On May 30, 2024, the ABS-CBN's Board of Directors elected Santos-Concio as a Director, in place of Atty. Augusto Almeda-Lopez, who died.

Awards and recognitions

Filmography

Television

Film