Ara Mina

Mina entered the Philippine entertainment industry at just 14 years old through the youth-oriented program That’s Entertainment, hosted by the late German Moreno, also known as “Kuya Germs.” Her appearance on the show caught the attention of Viva Entertainment, which later signed her. Since then, she has built an impressive career, starring in approximately 40 television shows and 60 films while also releasing three recording albums. In 2002, she earned her first Best Actress award for Mano Po at the Metro Manila Film Festival. The following year, she won three more Best Actress awards from the Manila Film Festival, FAMAS, and Golden Screen Awards for her performance in Ang Huling Birhen sa Lupa. In 2004, she received the Golden Screen and Star Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Luna in Minsan Pa.

Beyond acting, Mina also pursued a music career. Her self-titled debut album under Star Music, featuring the hit song Ay, Ay, Ay, Pag-Ibig, achieved gold record status within months. This success led to the release of her second album, Heavenly, which included Oops Teka Lang, the theme song of the film of the same name starring Robin Padilla and Claudine Barretto. She also recorded a rendition of Kung Kailangan Mo Ako by Rey Valera, which became the theme song for ABS-CBN’s miniseries Sa Sandaling Kailangan Mo Ako. In 2008, she released her third album under Sony BMG, featuring acoustic covers of classics such as What Do We Mean to Each Other by Sergio Mendes, Somebody by Depeche Mode, and Very Special Love by Maureen McGovern.

Mina’s versatility was evident in her diverse television roles, ranging from sitcoms to intense dramas. In 1999, she took on her first sitcom, Super Klenk, where she portrayed a superheroine. She then became a regular on the comedy show Bubble Gang, which remained one of her longest-running TV engagements. One of her most notable roles was playing Vultra in the fantasy series Mulawin. In 2007, she became a freelance actress, moving to ABS-CBN for projects like Prinsesa ng Banyera and Ligaw na Bulaklak. She later returned to GMA Network, taking on multiple teleseryes over the next two years. From 2011 to 2016, she also appeared in TV5 productions but continued working with GMA through series like Teen Gen and Yesterday’s Bride. In 2011, she rejoined Viva Entertainment, which also manages her sister, Cristine Reyes.

On April 17, 2015, Mina appeared as one of the “Lucky Stars” on Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal and won ₱1,000,000, making her the second millionaire of the show’s fifth season.

Her more recent television projects included Pinulot Ka Lang sa Lupa on GMA and a role in the film My Ex and Whys alongside Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano. She made a teleserye comeback on ABS-CBN with Araw Gabi after appearing in various anthology series. From late 2019 until 2022, she gained recognition for her role as Ellen Padua in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.

Politics

On October 7, 2024, Ara Mina officially filed her certificate of candidacy to run for 2nd District Councilor of Pasig in the 2025 elections under the Lakas–CMD party. She joined the ticket of mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya, who is running under the Unyon ng mga Gabay ng Bayan (UGB).