ATE GUY was a rebel.
Thus declared veteran writer Ricky Lee during the state necrological service for the late Nora Aunor held at the Metropolitan Theater on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Both were declared National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022.
“Rebelde si Guy. Sa loob ng pitong dekada ay nilabanan niya ang status quo. Binago niya ang kolonyal na pagtingin na nagsasabing mapuputi lang at matatangkad ang maganda sa puting tabing. Ginampanan niya ang papel ng mga babaeng palaban at makatotohanan,” Lee said.
Born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor on May 21, 1953, Aunor died on April 16. 2025 of acute respiratory failure after a medical procedure at the age of 71.
“Marami siyang binasag at binagong paniniwala. Ipinakita niya na mahalaga ang mga nararamdaman ng mga taong nasa gilid ng lipunan. May mga boses na kailangang pakinggan. Pinili niyang huwag lang maging ‘Superstar’ kung hindi maging isang tunay na artista ng bayan,” Lee added.
With a darker skin tone compared to the half-Caucasian actors that dominated local cinema at the time, Aunor starred in 170 films and got her first break in 1967 for “All Over the World”.
She rose to prominence after winning the 1967 Tawag ng Tanghalan.
She is the most nominated actress for the leading role in the long history of FAMAS Awards, having been nominated 17 times since 1973.
Since its inception, a line from the 1982 film “Himala” has been inextricably linked to Aunor and Lee: “Waláng himalâ! Ang himalâ ay nasa pusò ng tao, nasa pusò nating lahat! Tayo ang gumagawâ ng mga himalâ! Tayo ang gumagawâ ng mga sumpâ at ng mga diyos!”
Written by Lee and directed by Ishmael Bernal, the film follows the folks of provincial town Cupang, at the center of which is Elsa who one day as the town witnesses a total eclipse, declares that the Virgin Mary has revealed herself to her and bestowed upon her the gift of healing. Her miraculous claims stir both fervent devotion and intense controversy.
Blind faith and fanaticism plagued the poor town of Cupang, which represents a microcosm of a society that is so desperate to cling on to something that will give them hope in this world full of hopelessness.
The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), where it won Best Film and Best Actress for Aunor, among other awards. I first watched it as part of my Humanities class at the University of the Philippines.
“Himala” was regarded as one of the greatest Filipino films that turned Lee, Bernal, and Aunor into icons.
“Nilagyan niya ng hugis ang ating mga damdamin. Binigyan niya ng direksyon ang ating mga aspirasyon. Binigyan din niya tayo ng pag-asa at tinuruang puwede tayong lumaban upang matupad ang ating mga pangarap. Ipinakita niya sa atin ang kapangyarihang hindi natin akalaing meron pala ang ordinaryong tao. Ginawa niyang totoo ang ibig sabihin ng ‘sining’,” Lee said.
The last time I saw Ate Guy was last August 2024 during the Cinemalaya special screening of the 1980 film “Bona” directed by Lino Brocka. She was on a wheelchair.
Despite being made in 1981, “Bona” has contemporary relevance as it probes the phenomenon of fandom that tells the story of a young girl infatuated with a bit actor.
It was also in Cinemalaya that I got to meet her personally through two of her film entries, “Hustisya” (2014) and “Tuos” (2016).
“Hustisya” is a Filipino political thriller-drama film written by Lee and directed by Joel Lamangan about a woman working for a human trafficking agency. Aunor won as Best Actress.
“Tuos” tells the story of an old binukot – a kept maiden of the Panay Bukidnon tribe in Panay Island – who needs to choose between keeping the age-old tradition alive by passing her position to her granddaughter or letting the young lady to decide for her own life.
With her famous line, “My brother is not a pig!”, I first saw Ate Guy in person in 1991 when I watched her first appearance as a theater actor in the stage adaptation of her film “Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo” by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). The film depicts the lives of two families affected by the American military presence in the Philippines.
We also grew up watching her weekend variety show “Superstar” that aired from 1970 to October 1, 1989.
In 2014, former President Benigno Aquino III dropped Aunor from the list of honorees for National Artists citing issues linking her to illegal drug possession in Los Angeles in 2007. She was shortlisted anew for the title in 2018, but, yet again, didn’t make the final cut.
In 2022, Aunor was finally given the award along with Lee and Marilou Diaz-Abaya.
“Magiging kalansay na tayo lahat pero ang sining na ating ginawa ay mabubuhay nang matagal na matagal sa mahabang panahon,” a statement from Aunor as quoted by director Joel Lamangan during the necro service: “Ang katotohanan ay hindi dapat pagtakpan, ang katotohanan ay dapat sabihin, ang katotohanan ay dapat ipagtanggol.”
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“Peyups” is the moniker of the University of the Philippines.
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Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho is the Junior Partner of the Sapal Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09088665786./PN
