Gina Alajar Biography: Husband, Ethnicity, Awards, Net Worth, Movies, Age, Height, Children

Regina Alatiit, known professionally as Gina Alajar, is a multi-awarded Filipino actress and one of the country’s most respected television and film directors.

From child star to daring dramatic actress in the 1970s–80s, and later a groundbreaking female director, she has won nearly every major acting and directing award in the Philippines, including multiple FAMAS, Gawad Urian, and PMPC Star Awards.

Profile

• Full Name: Regina Alatiit
• Stage Name: Gina Alajar
• Born: 28, June 1959
• Age: 68 years old
• Birthplace: Tondo, Manila, Philippines
• Nationality: Filipino
• Occupation: Actress, Film and Television Director, Producer
• Height: 1.60 m
• Parents: Bernardino Alatiit and Angelica Liguid
• Siblings: 11
• Spouse: Michael de Mesa (m. 1978–2006)
• Partner: Vincent Magbanua
• Children: Ryan Eigenmann, AJ Eigenmann, Geoff Eigenmann
• Relationship: Dating
• Net Worth: $10 million

Early Life and Education

Regina Alatiit was born on June 28, 1959, in the tough district of Tondo, Manila, as the eldest of twelve children of Bernardino Alatiit, a jeepney driver, and Angelica Liguid, a seamstress. She began acting at age six to help support the family, appearing in radio dramas and later in Sampaguita Pictures films.

She finished elementary school at Tondo’s General Gregorio del Pilar Elementary School and attended high school at St. Theresa’s College, Quezon City, but left to focus on her acting career. She is of pure Filipino descent and raised Roman Catholic.

Career

Gina Alajar started as a child actress in the late 1960s, but it was her bold teenage and young-adult roles in the 1970s and 1980s that made her a star.

She gained critical acclaim for performances in Lino Brocka’s classics Insiang (1976), Jaguar (1979), and Moral (1982), earning her first Gawad Urian Best Actress at age 20. She became one of the most awarded actresses of her generation with powerful roles in films like City After Dark (1980), Salome (1981), Sister Stella L. (1984), and Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1985). In the 1990s she transitioned into television, starring in landmark series such as Anna Luna and Mula sa Puso.

In the 2000s, Gina shifted focus to directing, becoming one of the most prolific and respected female directors in Philippine television. She helmed hit teleseryes such as Encantadia (2005), Lupin, Bakekang, Sine Novela presentations, and the acclaimed series The Half Sisters (2014–2016).

She also directed award-winning indie films like Mga Anino ng Kahapon (2013). In recent years she has continued acting in supporting roles in series such as Onanay (2018), Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit (2020), and Widows’ Web (2022), while mentoring younger directors at GMA Network.

Gina Alajar’s legacy spans five decades as both an iconic actress and a trailblazing director. She has received lifetime achievement awards from FAMAS, Gawad Urian, Cinemalaya, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and is widely regarded as a pillar of Philippine entertainment.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @ginaalajar
• Facebook Handle: Gina Alajar

Personal Life

Gina Alajar married actor Michael de Mesa in 1978 at age 18. The couple had three sons—Ryan, AJ, and Geoff Eigenmann—all of whom became actors. They separated in the early 2000s and had their marriage annulled in 2006.

Since 2010 she has been in a long-term relationship with businessman Vincent Magbanua. Gina is a proud grandmother to Rocio Catrice and maintains a close relationship with her sons and grandchildren. Known for her strong personality and devotion to family, she divides her time between Quezon City and a rest house in Batangas.

Filmography

• Insiang (1976)
• Jaguar (1979)
• City After Dark (1980)
• Salome (1981)
• Moral (1982)
• Sister Stella L. (1984)
• Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1985)
• Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina? (1990)
• Mga Anino ng Kahapon (2013)
• Widows’ Web (2022, TV series)
• Encantadia (2005–2006)
• Lupin (2007)
• Bakekang (2006–2007)
• Sine Novela: Una Kang Naging Akin (2008)
• The Half Sisters (2014–2016)
• Ika-6 na Utos (2016–2018)

Net Worth

Gina Alajar has an estimated net worth of $10 million, built from decades of top-billed acting projects, directing fees from long-running GMA teleseryes, residuals from classic films, real-estate investments in Metro Manila and Batangas, and income from her production work.