Toni Rose Gayda is a Filipina actress, TV personality and host. She came from an Egyptian, French, Polish, and American descent. Her mother is Rosa Rosal, a known philanthropist, a previous Philippine National Red Cross governor and had been a public servant. Rosa Rosal was also a veteran actress in the Philippine entertainment in the 1940’s up to 1950’s. Her mother was against Toni’s joining the showbiz industry yet she continued her ambition to join work in front of the camera. Toni’s first exposure was in Camay soap commercial and she was in the league of Camay girls. She had also appeared in several films in the 1970’s but it was on TV hosting that she excelled.
Toni Rose Gayda was also a co-host in “Lunch Date,” a defunct noontime show at GMA. She was considered one of the Philippine’s respected and well-loved TV hosts. Her presence endeared her to the viewers because of her comic and lightheartedness nature of hosting. Toni’s career in hosting has been visible also in other networks wherein she was hosted in TV programs such as “It’s A Real Deal,” at PTV4 and “Skin Deep,” at TV5. Toni Rose also joined Kasangbahay network of UNTV and was a co-host of A Song of Praise (ASOP), a show which highlights song writing competition. Richard Reynoso was Toni’s co-host and their tandem made the show more interesting and dynamic.
Although Toni is quite contented and happy with her life, the unexpected event struck her when her youngest son Edward James fell to his death from the veranda of their condo unit in Pinaccle Condominium in Wackwack, Mandaluyong. The condominium was actually built by Toni’s ex-husband, Moonie Lim. What hurt her most was when speculations came out that James committed suicide and actually jumped to his death because of depression. It was an accident, she says, because if it was a suicide, he should have gone to the highest floor and jumped from there to make sure he will be dead. But their condo is only on the second floor. James eyes were donated and Toni stated that someday soon, she hopes she can see the recipient and look into James eyes again. His body was cremated because Toni wants him to stay with her even in the ashes.
Toni Rose Gayda was quick to add that he misses her son so much that she sometimes cries in silence every time she sees something that reminds her of him. Apart from their physical similarities, he also inherited some of Toni’s traits such as walking. Like Toni, he can walk for a long period of hours, or can stay in his room the whole day and spend the time reading books.
She smiles proudly when she talks about James, who knows how to play the bass guitar and harmonica. Although Toni admitted that she is trying to move on, but there is always that lingering pain in her eyes and heart that can be easily be recognized. Today, he spends all her time and love with his other son John. She lives to be strong for him and her mom, and learns to let go.
