‘[I]t is definitely her loving nature, humility and sincerity that will live on in the hearts of everyone she’s touched’
Tomorrow, April 22, 2025, the nation will say its final goodbye to Nora Cabaltera Villamayor, better known as Nora Aunor – singer, actress, producer, mother, icon, Superstar, National Artist and the Philippines’ greatest actor. The Superstar passed away on April 16, 2025 due to acute respiratory failure. Nora will be given a state funeral at the Metropolitan Theater on April 22 before she is laid to rest at the Libangan ng mga Bayani.
Her Cinderella story has been retold since 1967. How, as a young girl, she sold water at the train station in her hometown of Iriga, Camarines Sur and then became the grand champion of the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” singing competition.
From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Nora transformed from a teen singer/actress who defied the mestiza standard, to an acclaimed thespian with an incredible body of work in TV and film. Her extensive filmography of 170-plus movies included classics such as “Banaue,” “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos” and “Bona” that she produced herself. She received countless awards here and abroad, and, as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) cited, Nora holds “the distinction of being the most nominated and most awarded actress in several award-giving bodies in the Philippines.”
Over the past two decades, Nora remained active in mainstream soap operas and in independent films. In 2022, she was conferred the title National Artist for Film and the Broadcast Arts. The Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) said, “Nora Aunor stands unique in Philippine cinema. Her voice carried the soul of a nation, and her eyes told stories that words alone could not convey.”
The last projects Nora starred in were the GMA drama series “Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law” and the horror film “Mananambal,” both shown in 2024.
To the public and her fans, Nora was truly a Superstar whose personal life was just as storied as her finest works. To her family, close friends and those who knew her well, Nora was a woman whose kind heart and generosity exceeded her stellar accomplishments.
Film producer and talent manager Ferdy Lapuz, who worked with Nora on three movies, recounted on Facebook that the Superstar enjoyed the company of the film crew and treated them well. “Sa last shooting day ng ‘Dementia’ noong 2014 ginamit ni Ate Guy ang huling TF niya (several hundred thousand) para pambili ng premyo sa raffle at ipamigay sa mga staff at crew… Nang marinig niya ang isa sa makeup artists na kumakanta, nagpaulan siya ng pera mula sa balkonahe ng kanyang silid.”
Nora had always been kind even at the height of her stardom in the 1970s. Actress-screenwriter Bibeth Orteza shared on Facebook that, in 1971, Nora advanced her talent fee as writer for the program “Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora” so she and her family could move from a cramped basement dwelling to a proper three-story apartment. When Bibeth received her fee after a month, she returned the money in cash and left it in an envelope with Nora’s secretary. Later that day, the writer was surprised to receive from Nora a basket of fruits and the same envelope of cash.
“I rushed to her place on Valencia St.,” said Bibeth. “She had guests. Our eyes met. I waved the envelope at her. She put a finger to her mouth, shook her head, gave me a beer, while also putting the envelope back in my bag.”
Nora’s kindheartedness also extended to her fans. In an essay in the book “Si Nora Aunor sa Mga Noranian, Mga Paggunita at Pagtatapat” (2005, published by Milflores and edited by Nestor de Guzman), the late Albert Sunga, a former music executive at Ivory Music and a member of the Grand Alliance for Nora Aunor Philippines (GANAP), wrote how Nora gave him an envelope with cash when she found out from someone else that his mom met an accident. Nora had insisted that Albert drop by her home in Quezon City before going to the hospital in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, where his mother was confined.
Albert did not want to accept the money. “Tumanggi ako pero nagpumilit siya,” Albert said of Nora. He also recounted her saying, “Magagalit ako sa iyo kapag hindi mo tinanggap. Nariyan ang sasakyan. Ipapahatid kita sa Cabanatuan.”
Albert asked the driver to drop him off at the bus station instead.
Amidst his worry for his mother, Albert realized that Nora made him feel valued even though he was then a new member of GANAP. “Bumangon siya nang maaga,” Albert said of Nora. “Hindi ang halaga ng laman ng sobre, kundi ang pagpaparamdam niya sa akin na importante ako sa kaniya. Mahalaga ako sa aking idolo.”
These are just a few of countless tributes and tales of the Superstar’s big heart that have emerged everywhere. Her contributions to Philippine culture and world cinema will stand the test of time. Yet it is definitely her loving nature, humility and sincerity that will live on in the hearts of everyone she’s touched.
