Nora Aunor: A Nation Mourns the Loss of a Legendary Filipina Superstar!

At the age of 71, Filipino icon Nora Aunor passed away. Her children announced her death on Wednesday through social media posts, but the cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

In a heartfelt ode, Ian De Leon, Aunor's son, described her as "the heart of the family" and a source of "unconditional love, strength, and warmth."

She has nine siblings and was born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in Barrio San Francisco, Iriga, Camarines Sur. Her grandmother Theresa taught her to sing. Her aunt Belén Aunor gave her the screen name.

 

There were difficulties in Aunor's path to stardom. She inspired many with her journey from selling water and peanuts at train stations to becoming one of the biggest stars in the nation. After winning a radio singing competition, she began her singing career in the 1960s. She eventually transitioned into acting and rose to prominence in the field. Her collaborations with four National Artists for Film Awardees—Lino Brocka, Gerardo de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, and Ishmael Bernal—make her the only actress of her generation.

 

Films like Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976), Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979), Bona (1980), Bulaklak sa City Jail (1984), and Muling Umawit ang Puso (1995) are among the more over 200 productions that Aunor has worked on. Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina, her 1990 film? awarded her multiple national Best Actress honors. Her performance in Thy Womb earned her the Asian Film Awards' Best Actress prize in 2012.

 

She received the nation's highest honor for actresses in 2022 when she was recognized a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts. In the 2024 movie Mananambal, she made her final on-screen appearance. She also appeared in Lilet Matias, Attorney-at-Law, a courtroom drama.

 

Actor Christopher de Leon was Aunor's former spouse. The two of them have five children together: Ian, Lotlot, Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth. In 1996, they got divorced.