Chito Sarmiento Roño (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈɾɔɲo]; born April 26, 1954), also known as Sixto Kayko and Chito S. Roño, is a Filipino writer, producer, and director. He is known for his expansive vision and special-effects-heavy films. He came to prominence in the Philippine film industry as a director with films like Private Show (1986), and Itanong Mo Sa Buwan (The Moonchild; 1988) with the latter earning accolades from the Gawad Urian Awards.[2] He also won the Metro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Director for the films Nasaan ang Puso (Where is the Heart; 1997), and Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure (2001).[3] In the 1990s, he was instrumental in the formation of the Pinoy rock band Rivermaya as well as the dance group Streetboys.[4][5] He also directed the family drama Signal Rock (2018) which was the Philippines' entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 91st Academy Awards.[6]

Chito S. Roño
Born
Chito Sarmiento Roño

(1954-04-26) April 26, 1954 (age 70)
Calbayog, Samar, Philippines
Other namesSixto Kayko[1]
Occupations
  • Writer
  • producer
  • director
  • talent manager
Years active1986–present

He also directed television shows like Spirits (2004), Magkano ang Iyong Dangal? (How Much Is Your Dignity?; 2010), Imortal (2010), and Maria Mercedes (2013). He is also Vhong Navarro's manager.

Early life

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Chito Sarmiento Roño was born on April 26, 1954, in Calbayog, Samar, in the Philippines to Jose Alvarez Roño (1923–2002),[7] a politician who later became governor of Samar and Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, and Carol Dominado Sarmiento. He is the eldest among six siblings. He is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication. During his college days at the university, he was active in Dulaang UP with Tony Mabesa as an actor, stage manager, props man, and director.[1] Chito Roño, with Lizza Nakpil, also founded Rivermaya and Streetboys in 1993, the latter of which included future actors Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario[8][9]

He is also related to most of the Veloso Clan, a political family from Calbayog.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film director

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Television director

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Year Title Network
1997 Wansapanataym (Episode: "Kapirasong Langit") ABS-CBN
2004 Spirits
2007 Mars Ravelo's Lastikman
2010 Magkano ang Iyong Dangal?
2010 Imortal
2013 Maria Mercedes
2022 Mars Ravelo's Darna Kapamilya Channel

Writer

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Film producer

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  • Hula (2011)

Film editor

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  • Itanong Mo sa Buwan (1988)

Awards

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Year Award-Giving Body Category Work Result
1997 Metro Manila Film Festival Best Director Nasaan ang Puso? Won
2001 Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure Won
Best Original Story (with Roselle Monteverde-Teo and Roy Iglesias) Won
Best Screenplay (with Roy Iglesias) Won

References

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  1. ^ a b "'Rebel director'". Manila Standard. April 10, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Carballo, Bibsy M. (August 27, 2016). "Chito: (Not only) Master of the Macabre". philstar.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Capino, Jose B. (November 10, 2010). Dream Factories of a Former Colony: American Fantasies, Philippine Cinema. U of Minnesota Press. pp. 89–. ISBN 978-0-8166-6972-1. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Caruncho, Eric S. (October 24, 2004). "Rico Blanco: Geek God". Sunday Inquirer Magazine. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. Q2. Retrieved February 13, 2024. It turned out to be the auditions for an as-yet unnamed new band that managers Lizza Nakpil and Chito Roño were putting together...
  5. ^ Valle, Jocelyn (June 22, 2002). "Danilo Barrios learns to forgive and forget". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. D2. Retrieved February 13, 2024. When film director Chito Roño was looking for new members for the Streetboys, the dance group that he helped found and now manages...
  6. ^ Dimaculangan, Jocelyn (September 26, 2018). "Signal Rock is Philippine Foreign Language Film entry to Oscars 2019". PEP.ph. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Lo, Ricky (December 21, 2002). "The spirit is with them". Philstar.com. Philstar Global Corp. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Who does Rivermaya belong to?". The Philippine Star.
  9. ^ "THROWBACK: Streetboys started 24 years ago". ABS-CBN Corporation. April 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022.
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