The greats still among us

Death came in close succession for some of Philippine showbiz’s beloved icons: Eternal movie empress Gloria Romero, 1950s box-office queen Delia Razon, Asia’s Queen of Song Pilita Corrales, superstar and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor and OPM legend Hajji Alejandro.

Female comic Matutina — Evelyn Bontogon-Guerrero in real life — also passed away last 14 February, followed by producer Tony Gloria on 24 March. And just last week, Romy Romulo also died. Romulo was a veteran stuntman and villain in action movies.

Have all the icons gone? Thankfully, we still have about a dozen or so left. That figure is small — given the hundreds if not thousands of stars that graced the local entertainment’s firmament from the time show business was introduced in the country. Below is a list of the remaining onscreen showbiz icons in the Philippines:

Vilma Santos. It can be said that Vilma was pulled out of Nora Aunor’s ribs. In the late 1960s, Nora was in an onscreen love triangle with Tirso Cruz III and Edgar Mortiz. Since Nora and Tirso fell in love with each other in real life, Edgar was left out in the cold. To the rescue came talent manager Cornelia “Angge” Lee who decided to pair Edgar with emerging teen star Vilma Santos, a former child actress.

As any showbiz observer knows, Nora and Vilma became chief rivals. With Nora sadly gone, there went the hottest rivalry ever witnessed by local show business. And now that Vilma has returned to politics, there’s a chance she won’t be making a movie in a long time.

Joseph Estrada. He may have been ousted as President of the country, but he will always be regarded as one of the greatest icons in Philippine cinema. He is not only a good actor, but is also exemplary as an industry leader (he created Mowelfund) and producer (he churned out movies with social significance).

President Estrada may have made it to Nora’s wake, but his health is no longer in tip-top shape. While he is not active in showbiz anymore, his contributions to the industry are much appreciated.

Tito, Vic & Joey. To have hosted a daily noontime show for 46 years straight (and still going) is a feat difficult to duplicate. That makes them true icons in show business.

Fides Cuyugan-Asensio. A National Artist for Music, Fides could have been a superstar on the global stage, except that she opted to get marred instead (to Dr. Manuel Asensio Jr.). That wasn’t exactly a bad decision for she was able to share her talent with the Filipino audience. She also taught music to students and mounted shows, mostly at the CCP.

On television, she starred in ABS-CBN’s Sunday, Sweet Sunday that became Zing! when it moved to Channel 9 after the closure of Channel 2 during Martial Law in 1972. Now 93 years old, her last public appearance must have been the time she accepted her National Artist Award in Malacanang in 2022.

Charo Santos-Concio. A former model and beauty queen, Charo received international recognition in her very first film: Asia’s best actress for Itim. But she didn’t stop at being an actress. She learned the ropes of line producing and eventually put up her own production outfit.

When she joined ABS-CBN in 1988, she was among the executives who brought Channel 2 back to its former glory. Charo was also instrumental in putting up Star Cinema, which became a major player in the local film industry. She also made history by becoming the first woman president of a broadcast network. Today, she is back hosting her equally iconic drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya, in the various platforms of ABS-CBN.

Christopher de Leon. The son of two acting giants, Gil de Leon and Lilia Dizon, Christopher surpassed the accomplishments of both parents. He is the country’s greatest leading man after Rogelio dela Rosa and Leopoldo Salcedo.

Rosa Rosal. She is one of the best actresses — if not the best — in Philippine cinema. Four of her films are considered classics: Anak-Dalita, Badjao, Biyaya ng Lupa and Sakada. She could have won best actress in the 1959 Asian Film Festival, but lost by one point.

Aside from being an actress, Rosa devoted 60 plus years of her life serving the Red Cross — without a salary. Sadly, she’s now in and out of the hospital.

Sharon Cuneta. Starting out as child recording star, she ended up being one of the most luminous stars of Philippine entertainment — conquering film, TV, recording and the concert stage. Sharon has devoted practically all her life to entertainment. She continued improving her craft until she became a grand-slam queen for the 1996 movie Madrasta. She is now back on TV as the star of Saving Grace.

Maricel Soriano. Her title Diamond Star truly befits her stature in the entertainment profession. Even as a child star, she already displayed brilliance in acting. Fortunately for her, she was handled by the country’s best directors. This enabled her to cement her position as one of the finest actresses on TV and on the big screen.

Lea Salonga. She may not be a National Artist yet, but someday she’ll be one. At the moment, she is regarded as a national treasure — and for good reason. All her accomplishments abroad made us proud to be Filipinos.

Kris Aquino. As seen in various social media posts, she seems very weak. Kris was still at the top of her game less than a decade ago. At her peak, she was the Queen of All Media. One of the most intelligent people to join show business, her biggest strength was hosting. You may love her or hate her (she has her share of detractors), but local entertainment will not be same without Kris Aquino.

Kuh Ledesma. Along with Pilita Corrales, Nora Aunor and Jacqui Magno, she has one of the best voices in the world of pop music. As an artist, Kuh is a perfectionist. She carefully studies her songs and even the way her concerts are mounted. She is truly a diva, but in a positive sense.

Basil Valdez. His singing voice is one of a kind. He was also fortunate to have recorded some of the greatest hits in the music business. It’s just sad that Basil had been inactive for the longest time. It is said that his habit of drinking cold drinks affected his vocal cords. His songs though are still enjoyed by today’s generation.

Gloria Diaz. The country’s top beauty icon should have been Gemma Cruz since she was the first Filipina to win an international title. But aside from hosting a talk show, Gemma was not really into showbiz.

And so, the crown was wrested away from her by Gloria Diaz. Well, she had every right to do so. Gloria actually started out badly in film. But in time, she became a respected actress – winning awards for Jose Rizal and Batang West Side. Now past 70, Gloria continues to be relevant and is revered by the public.

Jose Mari Chan. Can you imagine Christmas in the Philippines without Jose Mari Chan’s Yuletide songs? Of course, he has other memorable songs that are not Christmas-inspired. The list is long and cannot be accommodated here. But did you know that he is also an accomplished musical scorer for film? His best work is Stardoom (1971), which was directed by Lino Brocka and starred Walter Navarro. That’s how great a talent Jose Mari Chan is.

Marlene Dauden. Now that both Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis are gone, she is the only living drama empress in Philippine movies. Today’s viewers may not be familiar with her, but she was among the greatest in the dramatic field. Now 87, Marlene is based in San Francisco, California and is still of good health.

Coco Martin. Only 43 years old, Coco is the youngest in the list of Philippine showbiz icons. Starting out as an indie actor who also doubled as a clapper, his rise to fame wasn’t exactly meteoric. But when ABS-CBN developed him for primetime television, there was no stopping him. He is as iconic as his TV shows Ang Probinsiyano and Batang Quiapo.