Daily TribuneThe news of Yan’s passing on 29 March 2002 sent shock waves as the nation observed Good Friday. He was on vacation in a beach resort in Palawan when he succumbed, at age 27, to hemorrhagic pancreatitis, a most known cause of bangungot (sudden death in sleep)
Claudine Barretto honored her ex-boyfriend and love team partner Rico Yan 22 years after the matinee idol's death.
On Instagram, Barretto shared on Good Friday a reel by Instagram user @rycb.memories, which featured photos and videos of the once famous couple, on and offscreen.
"March 29 my My Heart stopped #alwaysandforever," Barretto captioned her post.
The reel featured the actress' past interview with Karen Davila, in which she asked fans to always remember the late actor in their hearts as Yan was a "big part" of her life.
"Isa lang pinakiusap ko sa mga fans namin ni Rico, na huwag kalimutan siya (I only have one request for our fans, which is for them not to forget him), and I'm just so thankful and grateful na talagang (that truly) up to this day talaga, they honor him, they celebrate him, and that's all," Barretto said.
"In your life sabi nila (they say), you just have one great love, right? So parang ako 'yung (I'm like the) 'once upon a time.' Once upon a time lang talaga (just truly that)," she added.
Barretto and Yan's love team was among the most popular in the past two decades. They starred in romantic films, such as Radio Romance (1996), Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita (1997) and Mula sa Puso: The Movie (1999).
Yan's last film, also with Barretto, Got 2 Believe, was released in February 2002, or a month before his death. The film was a box office success and later on considered as one of the greatest Filipino romantic movies of all time. It showcased the love team's electrifying chemistry along with the film's captivating storyline, soundtrack and cinematography.
The news of Yan's passing on 29 March 2002 sent shock waves as the nation observed Good Friday. He was on vacation in a beach resort in Palawan when he succumbed, at age 27, to hemorrhagic pancreatitis, a most known cause of bangungot (sudden death in sleep). At that time, he had broken up with Barretto.
Years later, when Barretto had separated from her husband Raymart Santiago, the actress started expressing her admiration and love for Yan on social media, posting about the late actor numerous times and visiting his grave on special occasions.
