Michele Theresa Imperial Gumabao (; born September 2, 1992) is a Filipino

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

player and beauty pageant titleholder. She is currently signed to the

Creamline Cool Smashers The Creamline Cool Smashers is a professional women's volleyball team playing in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL). The team is owned by the Republic Biscuit Corporation and named after its Creamline Dairy brand. History The team debuted du ...

of the

Premier Volleyball League The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is a women's professional volleyball league in the Philippines organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. The league began in 2004 as the Shakey's V-League, a women's collegiate league. Since 2011, the ...

(PVL), and has previously played for teams in the

Philippine Super Liga The Philippine Super Liga (PSL; alternatively spelled as Philippine Superliga) was a non-professional corporate club women's volleyball league in the Philippines. It was first organized by SportsCore Event Management and Consultancy, Inc. and ...

(PSL). She was named "Best Opposite Spiker" five times in her professional career and was the Finals in the 2016 Shakey's V-League Reinforced Conference. She played collegiate volleyball for the

De La Salle Lady Spikers The De La Salle University Lady Spikers is the official women's volleyball team of De La Salle University. History The Lady Spikers were the first NCAA women's champions in volleyball when the tournament was introduced in NCAA Season 51 (1975 ...

, winning the UAAP title three consecutive times. She was named "Best Blocker" twice and as co-captain of the team, she was named Finals MVP in her last season. She has appeared on television as a

sports analyst A sports analyst is a person looking through technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological performance metrics /sup> working with the sports coach and sports science team to improve athlete performance. They will often use Video motion an ...

, and was a celebrity housemate in '' Pinoy Big Brother: All In'' (2014), where she lasted for 57 days. She also ventured into beauty pageants. She was crowned

Binibining Pilipinas Globe Binibining Pilipinas (abbreviated as Bb. Pilipinas; ) is a national beauty pageant in the Philippines that selects Filipina representatives to compete in one of the Big Four international beauty pageants: Miss International and selects two ot ...

in 2018, and represented the Philippines at

Miss Globe Miss Globe is a global beauty pageant group that holds annual events. Currently, Miss Globe is produced simultaneously by three various organizations claiming to be the ''official'' organizers. The Miss Globe was first known to public in 1925. In ...

later that year, placing in the top 15. In 2020, she was the second runner-up in the

first edition The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type, including all minor typographical variants. First edition According to the definition of ''edition'' above, a b ...

Miss Universe Philippines Miss Universe Philippines is a beauty pageant and organization that selects the Philippines' official representative to the Miss Universe pageant. The reigning Miss Universe Philippines is Celeste Cortesi of Pasay who was crowned on April ...

. Actor-politician

Dennis Roldan Mitchell Yap Gumabao Sr. (; born 8 December 1956), better known as Dennis Roldan, is a Filipino former actor, College basketball, basketball player, businessman, and congressman. Career Basketball Before entering show business, he was a basketb ...

(Mitchell Gumabao) is her father, while actor

Marco Gumabao Marco Imperial Gumabao (; born August 14, 1994) is a Filipino actor, model, athlete, and entrepreneur. He is the face—and body—of Philippine-based international clothing brand BENCH's underwear and swimwear collection for men, under BENC ...

is her brother.

Personal life

Michele Theresa Imperial Gumabao was born in

San Mateo, California San Mateo ( ; ) is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. About 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco, the city borders Burlingame to the north, Hillsborough to the west, San Francisco Bay and Foster C ...

, on September 2, 1992. She studied in School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City before going to

De La Salle University De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...

, where she was a consistent

Dean's List A dean's list is an academic award, or distinction, used to recognize the highest level scholarship demonstrated by students in a college or university. This system is most often used in North America, though institutions in Europe, Asia, and Aust ...

er. In October 2013, Gumabao graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in marketing management. She is the daughter of former PBA player and actor

and the sister of actor

and cousin of TV anchor

Gretchen Fullido Gretchen Marie Gumabao Fullido (; born June 4, 1984) is a Filipina anchor and model. She rose to prominence after hosting and having guest appearances on several talk shows, televised competitions and sports events. Fullido is the current anch ...

Volleyball career

Gumabao was a member of the women's volleyball team of De La Salle University for four years (2010-2013), during which the team won three consecutive championship titles in the UAAP. She was two-time Best Blocker in seasons 73 and 74 and the Finals

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

in season 75. Gumabao did not play in her final year of eligibility in the UAAP after her graduation. In 2013, she played in the

for the PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo Puffins. In 2014, she joined the

AirAsia Flying Spikers The AirAsia Flying Spikers were a professional women's volleyball team that played in the 2014 All-Filipino Conference of the Philippine Super Liga (PSL). The team was owned by AirAsia Philippines and disbanded after the tournament. For the foll ...

for the 2014 All-Filipino Conference. Gumabao did not play at the start of the tournament because she joined the

Pinoy Big Brother ''Pinoy Big Brother'', more popularly known by its abbreviated title ''PBB'', is the Philippine version of the '' Big Brother'' reality game show franchise. The word '' Pinoy'' in the title is a colloquial term for the Filipino people. Is a Phi ...

show. After her eviction from Pinoy Big Brother: All-In on June 22, 2014, Gumabao resumed playing for AirAsia, helping the team to a fourth-place finish in the tournament. In the 2014 Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix Conference, she played for the

Generika Lifesavers The Generika Ayala Lifesavers are a professional women's volleyball team owned by Actimed, Inc. (Generika Drugstore) in partnership with Ayala Corporation. History Generika Drugstore first became involved in the Philippine Superliga (PSL) when i ...

, which took over the AirAsia team. For the 2015 Philippine Super Liga season, she joined the

Philips Gold Lady Slammers The Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors were a professional women's volleyball team that played in the Premier Volleyball League. The team was owned by Federated Distributors, Inc., exclusive distributors of Pocari Sweat in the Philippines. History The ...

(later known as the

Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors The Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors were a professional women's volleyball team that played in the Premier Volleyball League. The team was owned by Federated Distributors, Inc., exclusive distributors of Pocari Sweat in the Philippines. History The ...

), where she was named team captain. On January 11, 2017, Gumabao announced her departure from the Pocari Sweat franchise following her decision not to renew her contract due to a falling out with the team management. A week later, she joined the new volleyball team

United VC The United VC was a professional women's volleyball team in the Philippine Superliga (PSL). Established in 2017, the club debuted under the sponsorship of United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation (COCOLIFE) and played as the COCOLIFE As ...

for their participation in the 2017 season of the PSL. Gumabao joined

in March 2018 for the

along with

Alyssa Valdez Alyssa Caymo Valdez (; born June 29, 1993) is a Filipino volleyball player who currently plays for the Creamline Cool Smashers. She was a member of the collegiate varsity women's volleyball team of Ateneo de Manila University in both indoor and ...

Jia Morado Julia Melissa "Jia" Morado-De Guzman (born May 10, 1995) is a Filipino volleyball player. She was a member of the Ateneo Lady Eagles and was team's captain in the UAAP Season 79 Women's Volleyball tournament. In 2018 Jia was also a member of t ...

and her former college teammate, Mel Gohing. In July 2018, the team won its first PVL championship in the Reinforced Conference and in December, the team won the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference. In January 2022, she announced that she is taking an indefinite leave from playing to focus on the 2022 elections.

Coaching

In January 2016, Gumabao joined the Adamson University Lady Falcons as an assistant coach for

UAAP Season 78 UAAP Season 78 was the 2015–2016 athletic year of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). It opened on September 5, 2015, almost two months after the usual July opening of the league during previous seasons, due to the shi ...

. In June 2017, she became the camp director of the

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Volleyball Powercamp in Baguio City.

Clubs

* PCSO Bingo Milyonaryo Puffins (2013) *

(2014) *

(2015–2016) *

(2016) *

COCOLIFE Asset Managers The United VC was a professional women's volleyball team in the Philippine Superliga (PSL). Established in 2017, the club debuted under the sponsorship of United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation (COCOLIFE) and played as the COCOLIFE As ...

(2017) *

(2018–present; on leave since 2022)

Awards

Individuals

* UAAP Season 73 "Best Blocker" * UAAP Season 74 "Best Blocker" * UAAP Season 75 "Finals Most Valuable Player" * 2015 Philippine Super Liga All-Filipino "Best Opposite Spiker" * 2015 Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix "1st Best Opposite Spiker" * Shakey's V-League 13th Season Open Conference "Best Opposite Spiker" * Shakey's V-League 13th Season Reinforced Conference "Best Opposite Spiker" * Shakey's V-League 13th Season Reinforced Conference "Finals Most Valuable Player" * 2018 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference "Best Opposite Spiker"

Television

Gumabao plans on pursuing a career in marketing or television hosting. In 2013, she served as a

Shakey's V-League The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is a women's professional volleyball league in the Philippines organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. The league began in 2004 as the Shakey's V-League, a women's collegiate league. Since 2011, the ...

analyst. On March 17, 2013, she appeared on ABS-CBN's

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

, ''

Gandang Gabi Vice ''Gandang Gabi, Vice!'' () is a Philippine late-night comedy talk show broadcast by ABS-CBN, hosted by Vice Ganda. The program premiered from May 22, 2011, and aired every Sunday from 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM, on the network's ''Yes Weekend!'' block. ...

'' with her teammate, Mika Reyes and two members of their rival school's team, the Lady Eagles,

Fille Cainglet Fille Saint Merced Nombres Cainglet-Cayetano (born January 30, 1990) is a Filipina volleyball player of the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL). Fille also played for the Petron Blaze Spikers in the Philippine Super ...

and

Gretchen Ho Gretchen Ong Ho (; born April 19, 1990) is a Filipino television presenter and former volleyball player. She played collegiate volleyball for the Ateneo Lady Eagles from 2008 to 2013, where she was a member of the "fab five" who brought Ateneo ...

. On March 20, 2013, she also appeared in the segment "Ihaw Na!" on ABS-CBN's gag show, ''

Banana Nite ''Banana Sundae'' (formerly ''Banana Split'') is a Philippine comedy Sketch comedy, gag show broadcast by ABS-CBN. The show aired from October 11, 2008, to April 5, 2020, replacing ''That's My Doc''. The program aired every Sunday from 2:30 PM ...

''. She participated in ABS-CBN's Kapamilya All-Star Volleyball Game, which was held on October 6, 2013. The event is part of the network's 60th anniversary celebration. In 2014, she became a

Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is the Talent agency, talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines t ...

talent. In January 2016, Gumabao joined

ABS-CBN Sports+Action ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under L ...

as a game analyst for NCAA Season 91 volleyball.

''Pinoy Big Brother: All In''

On April 27, 2014, Gumabao entered the ''

'' house as one of the celebrity housemates along with

Jane Oineza Elizabeth Jane Urbano Oineza (born July 22, 1996), better known as Jane Oineza, is a Filipino actress, commercial model and singer. A former child star of ''Goin' Bulilit'', she gained local relativity on ''Pinoy Big Brother: All In''. Oineza a ...

Alex Gonzaga Catherine Cruz Gonzaga-Morada (; born Catherine Cruz Gonzaga; January 16, 1988), professionally known as Alex Gonzaga, is a Filipino media personality, comedienne, businesswoman, host, singer and actress. Her self-titled YouTube channel is one ...

and

Daniel Matsunaga Daniel Kenji Silva Matsunaga (born November 28, 1988) is a Brazilian model, actor, professional footballer, host and businessman. He became known in the Philippines by appearing in ''Cosmopolitan Philippines''’ September 2009 "Cosmo Men" supp ...

in its 11th season which features adults, teens and celebrities. She was evicted on Day 57 on June 22, 2014.

Pageantry

Binibining Pilipinas 2018

On January 16, 2018, it was confirmed that Gumabao will be competing at the

Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Binibining Pilipinas 2018 was the 55th edition of Binibining Pilipinas. It took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on March 18, 2018. At the end of the event, Rachel Peters crowned Catriona Gray as Mi ...

pageant. On March 18, she was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2018.

Miss Globe 2018

She represented the Philippines in the Miss Globe 2018 beauty pageant. Gumabao won the Miss Social Media and Dream Girl awards while finishing at the top 15.

Miss Universe Philippines 2020

Gumabao represented

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

at the

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Miss Universe Philippines 2020 was the first edition of the Miss Universe Philippines competition under its new organization. Previously, the Philippine franchise for Miss Universe was under Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. The coronation ...

pageant, the first edition of

. During the preliminaries, she was the recipient of a special sponsor award, Miss MG Philippines. In the finale, she finished second runner-up behind titleholder

Rabiya Mateo Rabiya Occeña Mateo (; born November 14, 1996) is a Filipino model, host, actress, entrepreneur and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and finished as ...

Iloilo City Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of t ...

and first runner-up Ysabella Ysmael of

Parañaque Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to t ...

Endorsements

She has endorsed the sanitary napkin brand, Modess and she also endorses Toby's Sports, one the Philippines’ top sports retail establishments, along with basketball player

James Yap James Carlos Agravante Yap Sr. (born February 15, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known by his nickname Big Game James, he had played for ...

and Azkals goalkeeper,

Neil Etheridge Neil Leonard Dula Etheridge (born 7 February 1990) is a Filipino-English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Birmingham City. Born in England, he captains the Philippines national team. He joined the Fulham Academy af ...

. In January 2016, Gumabao became a brand ambassador of Akari lighting products.

Politics

Gumabao is a convenor of the women's group ''Magdalena Mission: Alagang Ate'' ("Care of an Older Sister"). Magdalena, partnered with the

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a task force organized by the government of the Philippines to respond and raise awareness to the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines. Background The Na ...

(NTF-ELCAC), aims to empower young women and guide them away from communist recruitment. Gumabao is the group's advocate for women's psychosocial empowerment and mental health. As of 2020 and 2021, she is an ambassadress for the

Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...

's ''Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo'' () program. On October 8, 2021, she filed her candidacy for the 2022 elections as the second nominee of Mothers for Change (MOCHA) party-list.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

Volleyverse profile

Michele Gumabao wins two Miss Globe 2018 special awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gumabao, Michele 1992 births Living people Binibining Pilipinas winners Star Magic Filipina gravure idols Filipino YouTubers De La Salle University alumni Miss Universe Philippines winners Pinoy Big Brother contestants People from San Mateo, California Opposite hitters University Athletic Association of the Philippines volleyball players Philippines women's international volleyball players Filipino women's volleyball players Sportspeople from California