Who Is Carla Abellana's Husband? Actress Marries Reginald Santos After Tom Rodriguez Divorce

Sometimes the greatest love stories are not those that burn brightest from the beginning, but those that quietly reignite when the moment is finally right. Such is the case with Carla Abellana, the Kapuso actress whose romantic journey has captured the hearts of Philippine entertainment followers, and Dr. Reginald Santos, a man she knew long before he became the accomplished physician she married this week.

On Saturday, 27 December, news of their wedding broke across social media in a celebratory announcement from GMA News. 'Congratulations and best wishes, Carla Abellana and Dr. Reginald Santos,' the post declared, accompanied by photographs of the newlyweds.

What might have appeared to casual observers as a sudden union was, in fact, a carefully orchestrated reunion spanning decades, false starts, and ultimately, the kind of serendipitous timing that transforms life.

The story begins in a most unlikely place: the corridors of Operation Brotherhood Montessori Centre in Greenhills, where two teenagers sat beside one another in classrooms more than two decades ago. Carla and Reginald—known to those close to him as Reg—were high school sweethearts whose connection blossomed during their formative years.

Their romance continued for more than two years, a significant stretch of adolescent bonding before life, circumstance, and the inevitable passage of time pulled them in separate directions. Yet crucially, they remained friends. Their reunion, when it came, unfolded with the subtlety of a modern romance conducted partly online.

On 18 July 2025, Carla posted a photograph of a candlelit dinner featuring a partially visible man examining a menu. The image triggered immediate speculation amongst her followers—the first public hint that she had moved on from her previous marriage to fellow Kapuso star Tom Rodriguez, which had ended in divorce.

Carla Abellana's Marriage: The Reunion Nobody Saw Coming

In September, appearing on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Carla addressed the mystery directly. 'It was a date. Yes, I've been actually seeing him,' she confirmed. 'Kita niyo naman nakakadalawang post na po ako, di ba? Parang may pagka-soft launch po. Pero matagal ko na po iyan siyang kilala'—roughly, she had posted twice, and she had known this man for a long time.

She added that she had been open to dating and was simply enjoying where things were going, without immediately confirming his identity.

On 1 December, Carla elevated the revelation. She posted a photograph of her left hand, newly adorned with an engagement ring, clasped with her fiancé's hand. The image, accompanied by a biblical passage from Jeremiah 29:11—'For I know the plans I have for you... plans to give you a hope and a future'—suggested that the moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Within mere weeks, that engagement had transformed into marriage, with the announcement coming to the public just as the year drew towards its close.

The wedding announcement sparked celebrations across social media, with followers commending what many perceived as a choice grounded in genuine substance. 'Mas maganda doctor kesa actor... good choice,' one commenter noted, apparently approving the shift from her previous marriage to an accomplished medical professional.

Another simply offered: 'Congrats... u deserved to be happy at least Doc pa ang napangasawa mo at totoong lalaki'—a good man. For those who had followed Carla's romantic narrative, this represented not merely a new chapter, but a redemptive one.

Who Is Dr. Reginald Santos? The Medical Director with an Artistic Soul

Yet who exactly is the man who won Carla's heart? Dr. Reginald Kristian Carlos Santos, born in 1986, is now thirty-nine years old and a respected figure within Manila's medical establishment, though he has maintained a notably private online presence throughout his career.

What public information exists about him has been pieced together by enterprising observers from his professional profiles and institutional records. He hails from Quezon City, where he has built both his medical career and, more recently, his creative ventures.

Santos's educational trajectory reveals a focused, disciplined approach to professional development. After graduating from Operation Brotherhood Montessori Centre in Greenhills with the high school class of 2004—the same institution where he would later reconnect with Carla—he pursued medical training at Far Eastern University's Dr Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation in Quezon City.

He completed his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2012 and successfully passed the Physician Licensure Examination in August 2013, launching what would become an impressive medical career spanning twelve years to date.

His professional trajectory has been tied closely to Diliman Doctors Hospital in Quezon City, where he has progressively assumed greater responsibility. He initially served as head of the hospital's Emergency Department before transitioning into administrative leadership.

In October 2022, he was appointed Assistant Administrative Officer. By September 2024, his responsibilities expanded significantly when he became Head of Patient Safety whilst simultaneously maintaining his administrative duties.

Most recently, in November 2024, he was elevated to the position of Chief Medical Officer—a key executive role overseeing medical standards, healthcare quality, and institutional policies across the entire hospital system.

What sets Santos apart from many conventional medical administrators, however, is his unabashed commitment to the creative arts. His Instagram biography contains a single, deliberate link: to Badass Art Gallery, a contemporary art space he co-founded with architect AJ Pelayre and professional artist-designer-photographer Tamerlane Urao.

The gallery's website describes the trio as 'a motley crew of professionals, art lovers, and badass big-bike riders,' united by a shared passion for creative expression and artistic advancement.

The gallery's biography of Santos reveals the deeper narrative behind his dual life: 'Dr. Reginald Santos is a medical director with a secret passion for the arts. He wanted to go to art school but decided to be a good son and fulfil his parents' hopes for him to become a doctor—and he did good. But the dream has never faded despite his successes in the medical field. This gallery is his personal journey, the pursuit of a dream deferred.'

It is a poignant testament to a man who achieved conventional success whilst never abandoning the creative yearnings that defined his younger self.

For Carla Abellana, marrying a man of such depth—one who balanced rigorous professional achievement with genuine artistic passion—represents something increasingly rare in an entertainment industry often defined by surface gloss rather than substance.