German Moreno passes away at 82

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 9:03 a.m.) — German Moreno, popularly known as Kuya Germs, is dead.

Kuya Germs died past 3 a.m. this morning due to cardiac arrest, according to a report in the GMA morning news program "Unang Hirit."

According to his nephew John Nite, Kuya Germs was hospitalized on Thursday after his condition got worse and had another stroke, reports said.

His remains will be open to the public at Mount Carmel in Aurora Boulevard. However, his family asks the public to give them enough time to grieve his death.

The last public event of the 82-year-old TV-radio host and talent manager was GMA's New Year's Day countdown.

He also attended the PMPC Star Awards for TV where he presented the German Moreno Power Tandem award to the love teams of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, and Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza.

January last year, Kuya Germs suffered from stroke and had to rest for months before he was able to return in June.

He was first back hosting his radio show before he returned to his late-night variety show "Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman."

Kuya Germs was known to be a talent builder, which started in the youth-oriented show "That's Entertainment."

He was behind the discovery of talented stars like Lea Salonga, Donna Cruz, Manilyn Reynes, Judy Ann Santos, Billy Crawford and Jake Vargas.