Charito Mertz was born in Cebu, Philippines to father, Nolito Jarina, a civil engineer and mother, Marcela Jarina, a bank teller. She became a world traveler before entering the first grade, living in places like Australia and Nauru before heading to the United States. Charito then hopped around states like Chicago, Las Vegas and California before settling in Virginia.Growing up singing and dancing hula, Charito knew she would be an entertainer. As a teen she moved to New York to pursue modeling, where she booked national print jobs for companies like Target, Bank of America and has even graced the NASDAQ sign in midtown New York. She then moved west to Los Angeles with her husband Luke Mertz, where she found her true passion, acting. Charito now works consistently in print and commercials and continues to accumulate credits in the independent film world. Charito's love for film and television continues to grow and has added writing, producing and directing to her resume.In her free time Charito enjoys playing the ukulele, hot yoga, baking healthy treats, learning Tagalog and reading to children.