The ‘Queen of Philippine Movies’ is fondly remembered by her friends and co-stars for her talent, kindness, and heart
MANILA, Philippines – Local celebrities, friends, and co-stars took to social media to pay tribute to veteran actress Susan Roces, who died on Friday, May 20, remembering her for her legacy in Philippine cinema and her kindness.
Actress Bela Padilla, Roces’ co-star on Ang Probinsyano, shared a fond memory of her and the “Queen of Philippine Movies” enjoying a piece of cake together, writing: “I will keep you close to my heart and remember you fondly forever, Tita Sue.”
Kim Chiu also honored Roces for teaching everyone to be kind. “Isa sa pinakamabuting artista na nakatrabaho ko. (One of the kindest artists I’ve ever worked with). Rest in peace tita Susan. Heaven gained a mama angel,” Chiu wrote.
Ogie Alcasid paid his condolences to Senator Grace Poe, the adopted daughter of Roces and late husband Fernando Poe Jr., and to her whole family.
Other Ang Probinsyano stars like John Arcilla shared a video of him and other male actors serenading a beaming Roces on stage.
“Goodnight to the Queen of the Philippine Movies. We will all miss you Tita Sue,” Arcilla wrote, with heartbroken emojis.
Lorna Tolentino also paid tribute to Tita Susan, thanking her for her love.
“I will hold you in my heart. We will miss you. Our love and prayers,” she said, posting a sepia-toned photo of Roces and FPJ back in the day.
Shaina Magdayao, who plays Major Roxanne Opeña on the show, posted a black-and-white portrait of Lola Flora, “Our Queen of Philippine Movies”, on her Instagram stories. “Rest peacefully in Heaven,” she said.
John Prats shared a photo of him and Roces together, as well as a group photo with fellow Ang Probinsyano cast members.
“Mamimiss ka po naming lahat. Lalo na po ang pag aalaga at pag papakain nyo sa amin sa set. Mamimiss ko yung mga kwento nyo sa amin. Mahal na mahal ka po naming lahat Lola Flora,” he wrote. (We will all miss you, especially how you always took care of us and fed us on set. We will miss all your stories. We all love you so much Lola Flora).
“Maraming salamat po sa mga naituro nyo sa amin. Napakaswerte ko at nakatrabaho at nakasama ko kayo. Rest in Peace po,” Prats added. (Thank you so much for everything you taught us. I feel so lucky to have been and worked with you. Rest in peace).
Ara Mina posted a photo of her and Tita Susan on Instagram stories.
Alex Gonzaga-Morada also tweeted about the sadness she felt having to say goodbye to such a good person.
“Nakakalungkot naman. Isang napakabuting tao ang nagpaalam. Hinding hindi ko makakalimutan ang kabaitan mo sa amin mga nakatrabaho mo. RIP Susan Roces,” (How sad. A really good person had to say goodbye. I will never ever forget how kind you were to everyone you worked with), the YouTube vlogger wrote.
Bea Alonzo also paid tribute to Tita Susan and said that the entire industry is grieving, and she will be missed. She also thanked “our queen” for her wisdom, humility, and generosity.
Lovi Poe also honored Roces’ memory with a beautiful portrait of the star.
“I write this post with a heavy heart. We’ve truly lost a gem and one of the beloved pillars in the industry. My love and prayers to Ate Grace and the whole family,” Poe wrote.
Roces, whose real name is Jesusa Sonora Poe, was born on July 28, 1941.
She made her film debut in 1952, starring in the movie Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan. As her acting career picked up in the ’50s, she earned the nickname “Queen of Philippine Movies,” and continued to make iconic films through the decades, such as Ang Daigdig Ko’y Ikaw, Gumising Ka Maruja, Patayin Mo sa Sindak si Barbara, and Mano Po.
Until her death, she played the role of Lola Flora in the long-running ABS-CBN series Ang Probinsyano. – Rappler.com