A hero’s send-off for the ‘one and only’ Superstar
MANILA, Philippines —A resounding standing ovation erupted as artists, colleagues and fans bid farewell to National Artist Nora Aunor at the end of the state necrological service held in her honor Tuesday at the Metropolitan Theater. Fittingly, the “one and only superstar” was given a hero’s send-off for her life’s work that gave voice to the voiceless, championed the marginalized in society and embodied the soul of Philippine cinema.
Among those who delivered tributes were National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, acclaimed filmmaker Joel Lamangan and former ABS-CBN president and actress-producer Charo Santos-Concio. Their words painted a portrait of Nora not just as a star, but as a cultural force, a rebel, a giver — and ultimately, an artist of the people.
Ricky, who collaborated with Aunor in some of her most notable movies, including “Himala” (1982) and “Andrea: Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?” (1990), recalled how Nora connected with ordinary Filipinos.
In 1993, they toured the play “DH (Domestic Helper),” which he wrote and Nora topbilled, to different countries.
“Nagpunta kami sa Central Park sa Hong Kong. Daan-daang DH (domestic helpers) ang nandoon. Halos bawat isa ay niyayakap ni Guy, kinakausap, kinukumusta kung ano ang mga problema nila,” the screenwriter and playwright recalled.
As they were leaving, Ricky witnessed around 10 people in tears while chasing their van. “Naisip ko, bakit ganito ang epekto niya sa tao? Bakit sila umiiyak?”
But the answer was clear. “Dahil nakikita nila si Guy sa kanilang mga sarili. Dahil sila si Guy,” he said.
For him, it was this kind of connection — deep, authentic and even wordless — that defined Nora’s artistry. On the “Himala” set, despite many of the 3,000 extras not understanding at that time her monologue in the Ishmael Bernal film, they were moved by her delivery.
“Nasa puso ni Guy ang masa. May paraan siya ng pagkonekta sa kanila na hindi laging nangangailangan ng mga salita,” he said.
Rebel superstar
Nora was not just an actress. To him, she was also a rebel who challenged industry norms and what beauty and artistry looked like on screen.
“For seven decades, she fought against the status quo…. Binago niya ang kolonyal na pagtinging nagsasabing mga mapuputi lang at matatangkad ang maganda sa puting tabing,” he said, pointing out her astounding range of roles — from nun, prisoner, lesbian, NPA, OFW, mistress to servant, villain, Muslim, Igorot and one suffering from dementia.
During an era when the idea of a lead character dying in a film was taboo, she dared to subvert expectations via “Himala,” “Andrea,” as well as “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos” (1976), “Nakaw na Pag-ibig” (1980), “The Flor Contemplacion Story” (1995).”
She chose not just to be a superstar, but to be “a true artist of the people,” he added.
However, the high cost of stardom and contradictions came with Nora’s life.
“Simple pero komplikado. Laging nakangiti pero sa loob ay maraming takot. Sobrang mahiyain pero sentro ng atensyon,” he said of the late actress who started out in the business as a “Tawag ng Tanghalan” teen singing champ.
Despite her stature, she remained easy to reach. “Isang taong ordinaryo, na ekstraordinaryo,” said Ricky.
One time, he asked Nora why her eyes, which became a signature of her craft, always seemed filled with sadness.
“Sinabi niyang ipinaglihi daw kasi siya ng ina niya sa Mater Dolorosa — iyong may pitong punyal sa puso,” he said. “Kaya siguro kahit na nakatawa siya, sa mga mata niya ay may lungkot pa rin.”
She gave everything to her audience, but she was often left with very little, according to the writer. Even in her final years, he added, she dreamed of building a foundation to help fans.
“That’s why, in the midst of our mourning right now,” Ricky continued, “we want to say to her, Guy... accept our eternal gratitude.”
Political beliefs
Direk Joel made audiences laugh with anecdotes from working with Nora. But he turned emotional as he lamented the words he never got to say while she was alive.
He said Nora was one of the most important people in his life, making a huge influence on his political beliefs, even as her politics was “constantly changing.”
“Dahil sa kanya nabuo ang paniniwala ko na ang pulitika ay dapat talagang sumasanib, umuugnay, nakikinabang ang mga ordinaryong tao.”
He recalled a conversation with her during a difficult time in the country. When he asked where she stood, she responded: “Kung saan lalago, kung saan makikinabang ang ordinaryong tao, doon ako.”
He also described how Nora’s acting was rooted in truth, how her emotional depth exposed socio-political realities that others might have ignored. “'Ang katotohanan ay hindi dapat pagtakpan, ang katotohanan ay dapat sabihin,' yan ang sinasabi ni Nora Aunor, lalo na sa pulitika ng ating bayan.”
Nora became the lead star in many of direk Joel’s films, such as “Muling Umawit ang Puso” (1995), “Bakit May Kahapon Pa” (1996), “Sidhi” (1999) and “Flor Contemplacion,” which won her Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival in Egypt.
When there came a time when people no longer saw the box-office value of casting her, direk Joel said she was undeterred. “I told her, 'Ate Guy, let them be. We’ll make something.’ And she did. She would make indies and help independent films.”
He said Nora would become the “queen of indies” as a reaction to what was being produced by mainstream cinema.
With that, direk Joel hailed her as a true symbol of Philippine cinema, with her life and legacy serving as a reminder that cinema is not a trivial art; it is a powerful and deeply meaningful medium. “Mahal ni Nora Aunor ang pelikula. Kailangang mahalin din natin ang pelikula dahil… ito ay artistic expression ng bayan.”
Superstar for the fans
Charo, on the other hand, echoed the sentiments of the fans as a “die-hard Noranian” herself.
“Walang himala. Pero mayroong nag-iisang Nora Aunor,” the producer-actress said.
Charo reflected on how Nora’s real-life journey — from selling water and peanuts near the train tracks to becoming a National Artist — mirrored the very characters she portrayed in the more than 100 films she starred in. But even those roles couldn't capture the magnitude of who Nora Aunor was.
“She was even bigger than all her roles,” Charo said. “Binibigyan niya ng buhay ang pangarap ng milyun-milyong Pilipino.”
Her legacy, according to Charo, isn’t just found in awards and now-iconic performances, but in the way she made the fans feel seen, heard and represented.
“We were called the bakya crowd, and we were proud of it because we had a superstar who was one of us.”
Charo also recounted the first time she worked with Nora, on “Himala,” where the former served as producer.
It was then that she witnessed firsthand the power and artistry of a Nora Aunor performance.
“There’s something about her that cannot be explained by technique alone,” she noted.
“She is raw. She is real. She is authentic. She doesn’t act. She becomes. She transforms.”
But even amid the fame and adulation, Charo said that Nora remained the same simple probinsyana at heart, who wanted to honor fans with her body of work.
“Walang attachment sa glamour, fame or wealth,” said Charo.
“Ang naging mahalaga sa kanya ay ang kanyang dedikasyon sa kanyang craft dahil yun ang kanyang sukli sa pagmamahal ng kanyang mga tagahanga.”
After the necrological service led by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the remains of Nora who died on April 16 at the age of 71, were brought to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, where she was laid to rest with full military honors.
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