Actress and host Dimples Romana fondly looked back on her time as a UAAP courtside reporter during her college years at UST.
Before she became one of the country’s most respected actresses, Dimples Romana was a wide-eyed teenager navigating the sidelines of collegiate basketball.
The veteran actress recently took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as she recalled her days as a courtside reporter for the UAAP during Seasons 65 and 66—roughly between 2002 and 2004.
At the time, she was a BS Tourism student at the University of Santo Tomas, juggling academics and a budding career in media.
In an Instagram post on April 2, Romana shared a throwback video of herself reporting live from the court, clad in the signature UST yellow and black.
“I was a student of BS Tourism, College of Education in UST. I would’ve been 16 years old during this live game coverage. Time flew by so quickly, what a blessing to still be able to do what I do. God is good,” she wrote.
In Season 65, the Growling Tigers reached the Final Four before falling to the DLSU Green Archers. Season 66, however, saw UST fail to make the Final Four, finishing with a 5-9 record for sixth place.
Still, Romana will be remembered as one of the Growling Tigers' most memorable CSRs.
In the same post, Romana expressed gratitude to her friend, Leah Lao Arellano, for digging up the clip and reigniting fond memories. She also shared an inspiring message for dreamers.
“What a beautiful reminder it was for me today. That dreams do come true and if you work hard enough, value your work with integrity and respect, and remain good to the people around you, you can have a lasting career in hosting and in media,” Romana reflected.
“Always been my mantra—slowly but surely, steadily. 28 years in the business and still my heart wakes up full of gratitude like this was only from yesterday,” she added.
Now, Romana is busy with her hosting and acting career, notably with TV5’s Good Morning Kapatid.