MANILA – Veteran actress Nora Aunor, or Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in real life, passed away on Wednesday night. She was 71.
Aunor’s death was confirmed by her son, actor Ian De Leon.
“She was the heart of our family — a source of unconditional love, strength, and warmth. Her kindness, wisdom, and beautiful spirit touched everyone who knew her. She will be missed beyond words and remembered forever,” De Leon wrote on Facebook.
De Leon said details of her mother’s wake would be “announced tomorrow (April 17)”.
Born on May 21, 1953, Aunor, known as the “Superstar” of Philippine cinema, starred in 170 films and was a recipient of various awards and citations by local and international organizations.
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Aunor bagged her first Best Actress awards at the Gawad Urian and the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) for her performance in the film “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos”.
Aunor was elevated to the FAMAS Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Lifetime Achievement Award the following year.
She was also known for her iconic roles in the films “Bona” (1980), “Himala” (1982), “Bulaklak sa City Jail” (1984) and “The Flor Contemplacion Story” (1995).
In 2022, she was named National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts under Proclamation 1390 signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Aunor last starred in the horror movie “Mananambal”, which hit cinemas in February.
She was set to run as second nominee of the People’s Champ Guardians Party-list in the May 2025 midterm polls but later withdrew her candidacy. (PNA)
