Jessica Soho

Soho was born in La Union province, Philippines. Soho's parents are Abelardo Soho, a government employee, and Maura Aspiras, an agriculturist.[1]

Soho's grandmothers, Sixta "Apo Ittang" Aspiras and Concepcion "Cion" Soho influenced her in telling stories.[1] At the UP College of Mass Communications, Soho met the journalist Luis Beltran, who inspired Soho to finish Mass Communications.

Soho joined GMA News in January 1985.[1] Soho's first voice-over report was a feature story on the inauguration of the Manila Line 1 from Baclaran to Monumento. Soho was later assigned to the defense and military beat.

Soho is the first Filipino to win in the New York Film Festival for Coverage of a Breaking Story for her account of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley. She also received the Ka Doroy Valencia Award given by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. In 1994, she received the Grand Prize from the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union for her coverage of a breaking news story. Soho is included in the list of 100 Filipino Women of Distinction chosen during the centennial celebration of the Philippines.

Soho helped conceptualize the one-hour documentary television program I-Witness[5] The documentaries "Kidneys for Sale" and "Kamao" made her the first Filipino reporter, with GMA Network as the first Filipino network, to win the George Foster Peabody Award in 1999.[4]

Soho was also recognized by the New York Film and Television Festival Award for her coverage of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley, and the Asian Television Award for Best News and Current Affairs Special for "Saksi Sa Kasaysayan".[4]

Soho's GMA news programs Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and State of the Nation with Jessica Soho were recognized by the Peabody Awards in 2014 for their coverage on Super Typhoon Yolanda. State of the Nation also earned Soho consecutive wins for Most Trusted News Presenter by Reader's Digest Asia.[6][7]

In 2015, Soho was given an honorary doctorate in humanities by the University of Northeastern Philippines during its 67th Commencement Exercises on April.[8]

In May 2013, a controversy sparked involving Soho and comedian Vice Ganda, involving a joke directed at the anchor during Vice's I Vice Ganda Mo Ako Sa Araneta concert held on May 17.[9] Vice mentioned Soho, among several other personalities, in a stand-up skit involving celebrities starring in a pornographic film, adding that Soho would be gang raped if she were cast, as well as making several jokes ridiculing her weight.

Vice Ganda later issued a public apology during his regular appearances in It's Showtime!, admitting to his wrongdoing and that he offended Soho and several others with his jokes. Jessica Soho later acknowledged Vice's apology but she denied any intent to close any further discussion with the comedian.[10]

• Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa–University of Northeastern Philippines’ 67th Commencement Exercises (2015)