Angela Nadine Mabanta Paredes (born April 17, 1983), professionally known as Ala Paredes, is an American-born, Australia-based Filipino environmental activist, artist and writer, who at various times in her career was also a TV host, VJ, commercial model, and vocalist for Filipino alternative band Hiraya.
She continued modelling occasionally but became a regular VJ for ABS-CBN's music channel Myx, and then later the host of IslaMusik, a television show on ABC 5 featuring a musicians from all over the Philippines.
[1] In 2005, Paredes became the frontwoman of a Pinoy rock band called Hiraya when the original vocalist left.
Guitarist Mark Verzo, bassist Marco Cuneta on bass, and drummer Paulo Tomas recruited her to become the replacement vocalist.
[15] Mr Paredes later said that he "felt bad not so much that people misread me as a person (that's hurtful, yes) but more so that they may slip deeper into despair by such a false story.
[14] In the same year that the Paredeses moved to Australia, she was recruited by ABS-CBN Global, the international multi-platform media company of Filipino media giant ABS-CBN, to be a correspondent for Balitang Australia, a weekly news and feature program catering specifically to Filipino Australians.
[19] Upon graduation, Paredes served as the official courtroom sketch artist at the trial of Andal Ampatuan Jr., the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre.
[20] Describing the moment, she said that she “immediately called my friend back 10 seconds after receiving her message and accepted the offer.
We did not talk about the (pay).” Noting the importance of the case, she said that “At a time when the nation is still grieving, I feel like this is my way of getting involved,” and “I thought this is my own way of giving public service, especially when media can’t be there.”[19] In 2013, Paredes opened her first solo exhibit.