Riza Raquel Santos is the Vice President of the tech company Argyle Fox Inc., an actress, television host, and the first Canadian to earn the “Canada’s Triple Crown” in beauty pageants, along with numerous other titles, writes calgarynka.
Childhood and Youth
Riza was born on August 31, 1986, in Calgary (some sources suggest in a rural area near Calgary). She has Filipino heritage. After graduating from high school, she worked with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), advocating for environmental protection.
As a teenager, she served for two years in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves with the 15th Field Ambulance. During this time, she completed basic military qualification and soldier training. She learned military drills, field survival, military law, and gained proficiency with service weapons such as the C7 rifle, C9 and C6 machine guns, and the SRAAW.
Riza later studied engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. She earned multiple scholarships, including the Chinese Entrepreneurs Society of Canada Scholarship and the University of Calgary Academic Achievement Award. She also attended the Rocky Mountain Bible Church.
Beauty Pageants
In 2013, Riza competed in the Miss Universe Canada pageant held in Toronto, initially placing first. However, it was later revealed that she had won due to an error in the rankings and was officially placed third. A week later, she was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2013 in her hometown of Calgary.
Riza became the first Canadian to win the national Canada’s Triple Crown, participating in three of the Big Four international beauty pageants: Miss Earth Canada 2006, Miss World Canada 2011, and Miss Universe Canada 2013. She earned the title Miss Photogenic at Miss Earth 2006, was a finalist in Miss Earth Talent 2006, and received five special awards. At Miss World 2011, she ranked 30th out of 120 contestants and placed fourth in the Sports Talent category.
Volunteer Work
From a young age, Riza showed a strong interest in promoting environmental awareness. She worked with the Canadian International Development Agency and later became a goodwill ambassador for the Philippine Department of Tourism.
Riza volunteered with several organizations, including coaching track and field for the Special Olympics Canada through the Lions Club. She also volunteered in the emergency department and injury prevention programs related to alcohol risk at Foothills Hospital and participated in a youth program there. Additionally, she represented the children’s charity Variety and played a significant role in re-establishing its Alberta chapter.
Television and Acting Career
Riza joined the television program Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2 to raise funds for a charity supporting disadvantaged and at-risk children. This marked her television debut, after which she appeared in various TV shows and films. She trained in acting through workshops with Canadian Casting and The Actors Foundry.
While living in the Philippines, Riza gained fame as an actress with the ABS-CBN television network. She is best known for her lead role in the blockbuster film Dobol Trobol. This role allowed her to work alongside legendary Filipino actors and earned her a nomination for Best Actress from the Philippine Academy of Cinema.
Riza also hosted the Asian Poker Tour, with tournaments held in Manila and Macau, broadcast on CS 9-Sports Channel and Solar Sports.