The issue of the First Child Superstar in Philippine cinema might be debatable but there is a proof that one young precocious tot was indeed one of the earliest little princesses of the local movid industry.
Her name is Tessie Agana, a native of Majayjay, Laguna.
Tessie, Maria Theresa Rigotti Agana in real life, born on May 16, 1942, was the daughter of veteran actress Linda Estrella and Dr. Adriano Agana.
According to the contention of the digital group Memories of Old Manila, Tessie is remarkably the first major child superstar in the Philippines.
"The first major Filipino child superstar is widely considered to be Tessie Agana, known as the 'original child wonder'," stated MOM.
The group said that Agana was the precursor of the many contemporary stars who started out as child stars who eventually became big and award-winning actresses
"..(They) established a path for later syars like Vilma Santos, Snooky Serna, and Serena Dalrymple...," noted the group.
It added that these aforementioned former child stars were the successors of a legendary actress exponentially at the dawn of the local cinema at the turn of the twentieth century.
"...with Atang de la Rama often cited as the first overall star of Philippine cinema from the silent film era...," quoted from the MOM manifesto.
Agana was referred to as the savior of Sampaguita Pictures at the time it was suffering from bankruptcy.
It was Tessie "who saved Sampaguita Pictures with her massive hit 'Roberta' in the 1950s..."
Agana's rise to fame was a trailblazer. "Her breakout role in 'Roberta' was a massive box-office success, saving the studio Sampaguita Pictures from bankruptcy and making her a national sensation."
Tessie Agana's legacy, according to MOM:
"She paved the way for many child actors, becoming the first iconic Filipino child star."
Many residents of Majayjay are proud of Tessie Agana.
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