MANILA, Philippines — “She was 14. I was almost 12. Like her, I was a probinsyana. didn’t know yet what I wanted in life, but I knew I was a diehard Noranian.”
In a heartfelt tribute during the necrological services for National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor on Tuesday, April 22, fellow actress and former president and CEO of ABS-CBN Charo Santos-Concio reminisced on her decades-long admiration for the late Superstar as a fan, colleague, and friend.
“Walang himala, pero may nag-iisang Nora Aunor. Ang kanyang tunay na buhay ay patunay na walang imposible — kahit para sa isang batang nagtitinda ng tubig at mani sa riles ng tren,” Santos-Concio said, noting that her life was reflected by the characters she’s played — Elsa, Corazon, Delia, Flor Contemplacion, and many more.
(There may be no miracles, but there is only one Nora Aunor. Her life is proof that nothing is impossible, even for a young girl selling water and peanuts by the railway tracks.”)
But Nora Aunor was more than all her roles, Santos-Concio said. “Higit pa sa mga karakter na kanyang binigyang-buhay, binigyan niya ng buhay ang pangarap ng milyong-milyong Pilipino. Kahit saan ka mang probinsya galing, gaano man kahirap ang buhay mo, si Nora ang nagbigay ng pinakamahalagang regalo sa marami: pag-asa,” she added.
(Beyond the characters she brought to life, she gave life to the dreams of millions of Filipinos. Wherever you came from, however difficult your life was, Nora gave the greatest gift of many: hope.)
“Kung kaya ni Ate Guy, kaya ko rin.”
(If Ate Guy can, I can too.)
The childhood idol of many
Santos-Concio shared that at a young age, she was one of the many Filipinos who saw themselves in Nora, having first seen her on Tawag ng Tanghalan.
“Even then, I was captivated by her voice, her presence, and her beauty. She wasn’t called a phenomenon yet, but to me, she wasn’t just a star. She was our superstar,” she said in Filipino and English.
Santos-Concio detailed her childhood experiences as a diehard Noranian; she and her sister Malu kept a thick scrapbook of Aunor’s photos. They’d save their allowance just to buy comics, magazines, and Nora pictures sold on the streets of Avenida Rizal; they never missed an issue.
Sometimes their parents would get mad, Santos-Concio shared — comics weren’t allowed at home, so they hid them under their bed, and when everyone was asleep, they’d take them out and read by flashlight.
Whenever Nora had a movie, the sisters would line up as early as 8 am, even if it was crowded.
“Invested kami sa kanya, kinikilig kami sa love life niya, naiiyak sa mga pinagdadaanan niya. Nagagalit kapag may naninira sa kanya. Minsan sa eskwelahan, mayroon akong kaklase na sinabing hindi daw bagay mag-artista si Nora dahil siya daw ay maitim,” she shared.
(We were invested. We swooned over her love life, cried through her struggles, got angry when people insulted her. Once, a classmate said Nora didn’t deserve to be an actress because she was dark-skinned.)
“Alam niyo na ang nangyari. Ginera ko ang kaklase ko. Walang poise-poise. Bawal magsabi ng hindi maganda sa aking Superstar,” she added.
(“You can guess what happened. I fought that classmate. No poise. You do not insult my Superstar.”)
And there were millions of other devoted fans. Whenever she appeared on TV or in public, they’d flock to see her — starstruck and tearful just to see her smile and wave, Santos-Concio said in Filipino.
“May mga fans na umaakyat ng bakod, hinihimatay, nag-aalay ng kwintas na sampagita hanggang wala nang makita sa leeg ni Nora Aunor. We were called the bakya crowd. And we were proud of it. Dahil may superstar kami na isa sa amin,” she said.
(Fans would climb fences, faint, and offer garlands of sampaguita until you could no longer see her neck. They called us the tacky crowd. And we were proud, because our superstar was one of us.)
“Philippine showbiz has never seen that level of adulation until Nora came, and never again after Nora.”
‘She became, she transformed’
Despite her many accolades, Ate Guy remained simple, grounded, and humble. With no attachment to glamour, fame, or wealth, the only thing that mattered to her was her dedication to her craft.
“… Dahil yun ang kanyang sukli sa pagmamahal ng kanyang mga tagahanga. Napapanood natin siya hindi bilang isang artista, kundi isang tunay na tao sa mundo ng kanyang karakter na ginagampanan. Hindi siya takot magpakita ng kahinaan. Hindi siya takot pumangit. Maaari rin hindi takot sa sasabihin ng mga kritiko o detractors. Binibigay niya ang lahat,” Santos-Concio said.
(“…That was her way of giving back to her fans’ love. We didn’t just see an actress — we saw a real person within every character. She wasn’t afraid to look weak or ugly. She wasn’t afraid of critics. She gave her all.”)
Aunor was said to invent mata-mata acting, where one look from her could kill. When filming Himala, Santos-Concio was the producer, and Aunor played Elsa. It was her first time working with the actress, and she saw firsthand how Aunor’s “silence was louder than any scream” — no camera tricks, no heavy discussion.
“But she is full. There is something about her that cannot be explained by technique alone. She is real. She is authentic. She doesn’t act. She becomes. She transforms,” she added. She wasn’t just an actress — she was a true artist with depth, courage, and heart.
“It was part of her process, her magic, her madness. Alam mong may pinaghuhugutan, may lungkot, may apoy, may madness. But within that madness, there was genius.” (You know she drew from something deep, there’s sorrow, there’s fire.)
“When she is in her element, when the camera starts rolling, she is unstoppable,” Santos-Concio added.
A true National Artist
Santos-Concio praised Himala for being one of the rare, handpicked projects of the Marcos Sr. administration’s Experimental Cinema of the Philippines then. It is also the first restored classic film of ABS-CBN.
But more than her award-winning roles, Aunor bridged worlds — those filled with drama, hurt, and shame. But through it all, she showed strength and love, fighting and rising again.
“Sa kanyang paglalakbay, wala siyang iniwang bakas ng yabang. Sa maikli niyang buhay, napakarami niyang binuhay na pangarap; para sa mga walang pambili ng sapatos, sa nag-aaral sa ilalim ng ilaw ng gasera, sa mga naglalako sa palengke o naglalako ng tubig,” she said.
(“In her journey, she left no trace of arrogance. In her short life, she brought dreams to the hearts of everyday people; those without shoes, those studying under a lamp, those selling in markets or hawking water.”)
Her career and personhood were dedicated to her fellow workers in film. She showed how important it was to love her fans, and to treat others with humanity.
As Santos-Concio ended her speech, she shared how hard it is to say goodbye to someone etched in your heart.
“Makakahanap lamang tayo ng ginhawa sa katotohanan na ang kanyang alaala ay walang kamatayan,” she said.
(“The only comfort is knowing her memory is eternal.”)
“Nora Aunor means so much more to so many. She is an empowered woman, a person, a genius, a National Artist. But to us, her solid Noranians, Nora will always be Ate Guy. Our one and only Superstar,” Santos-Concio said.
“She was a legend while she lived. And she will be immortal now that she’s gone.”
Nora Aunor was laid to rest after being honored with a state funeral on Tuesday, April 22 at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City. – Rappler.com
Content shared from www.rappler.com.