National Artist and Superstar Nora Aunor was laid to rest after a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on April 22, as family, friends, and supporters gathered to bid their final farewells.
Nora, 71, died of acute respiratory failure on April 16, according to her son Ian De Leon.
In addition to Ian, Nora’s adopted children, Lotlot, Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth De Leon, were among those in attendance. Actress Janine Gutierrez, her brother Diego, Imelda Papin, and daughter Maffi Careon also mourned alongside the family.
Nora’s coffin received its final blessing before her children officially closed the casket. A crowd of fans and supporters joined Nora’s family as her casket was lowered into the grave shortly after 12:30 p.m., following a three-gun salute.
Ian received the Philippine flag as a keepsake for the next-of-kin after it was used during the funeral service.
Prior to the state funeral, celebrities remembered Nora’s life during a necrological service at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
At 11 a.m., Nora’s coffin was being taken to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, where fans waited and braved the scorching heat to attend the funeral of the movie star.
As fans awaited Nora’s remains, many were already in tears. However, one fan began playing “Pearly Shells,” and soon they all joined in singing and dancing to the song.
Honor guards carried Nora’s flag-draped casket, followed by her children Ian, Lotlot, Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth. A brief arrival ceremony was held at 8:30 a.m. Fans and onlookers gathered along the side of the theater to pay their final respects to her.
At 9 a.m., the necrological service began with the National Anthem, sung by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. This was followed by a short mass and homily delivered by Fr. Carmelo Caluag.
Eulogies were given by fellow National Artist Ricky Lee, actor-director Joel Lamangan, and Charo Santos-Concio.
“Rebelde si Guy. Sa loob ng pitong dekada ay nilabanan niya ang status quo. Binago niya ang kolonyal na pagtingin na nagsasabi na mapuputi lang at matatangkad ang maganda sa puting-tabing. Ginampanan niya ang papel ng babae na palaban at makatotohanan. (Guy was a rebel. For seven decades, she fought against the status quo. She changed the colonial view that only tall and fair-skinned women were beautiful on screen. She played the role of a woman who was both feisty and realistic),” said Ricky.
“Bago siya maging national artist maraming siyang pinagdaanan, hindi importante sa kanya ang kayamanan at pera. Ang pera ay pinamimigay niya sa mga taong nangangailangan at saksi ako dyan. Hindi ko man lang nasabi kay Ate Guy na isa siya sa mga pinaka importanteng tao sa buhay ko. (Before she became a national artist, she went through a lot, and wealth and money are not important to her. She gives money to people in need. I am a witness to that. I didn’t even tell Ate Guy that she is one of the most important people in my life),” director Joel shared.
“Nora Aunor was even bigger than all her roles, higit pa sa mga karakter na kanyang binigyan ng buhay, binigyan niya ng pangarap ang milyong-milyong pilipino. Kahit saang probinsya ka man galing, anong hirap mo, Nora gave millions of Filipinos the most important gift: hope. (Nora Aunor was even bigger than all her roles, more than the characters she gave life to; she gave dreams to millions of Filipinos. No matter what province you come from, no matter how hard it is, Nora gave millions of Filipinos the most important gift: hope),” Charo mentioned.
Other national artists, including Ryan Cayabyab, Alice Reyes, and Ramon Santos, were present at the venue to show their respect for Nora.
Aicelle Santos performed “Walang Himala” while Angeline Quinto and Jed Medela sang “Ang Superstar ng Buhay Ko.”
Nora, whose true name is Nora Villamayor, was born on May 21, 1953, in Iriga, Camarines Sur. She rose to fame when she won the grand finals during the Tawag Ng Tanghalan in 1967.
She starred in critically acclaimed movies like “Himala,” “Bona,” “The Flor Contemplacion Story,” “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” “And God Smiled At Me,” “Bulaklak Sa City Jail,” “Thy Womb,” and more.
With her commitment to her art, Nora became a successful recording artist and one of the most celebrated actresses in Philippine cinema.
Ian thanked the fans and friends who supported his mom all these years.
“Bilang kanyang mga anak, kami po ay naging saksi sa kanyang walang kapantay na dedikasyon at pagmamahal sa kanyang sinning. Nasaksihan namin kung paano siya lumaban hindi lang para sa kanyang karera, kundi para sa mga kwentong nais niyang bigyang buhay. Naging national artist siya dahil sa inyong lahat. Maraming salamat. (As her children, we witnessed her unparalleled dedication and love for his work. We witnessed how she fought not only for her career, but for the stories she wanted to bring to life. She became a national artist because of you. Thank you),” he said.