Prolonged grief with the passing of loved ones in showbiz

Angie Ferro (Photo Credit: Susan Claire Agbayani’s Facebook)

Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and Heherson Alvarez (Photo Credit: Cecile Alvarez’s Facebook)

It’s because Cecile considers Angie her Best Friend Forever (BFF). “My heart aches. I cannot control my tears,” confessed the former executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and founder of the pro-people Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).

“Angie defended me against malicious attacks. She would always take the cudgels for me,” Guidote-Alvarez informed.

Angie was also at Cecile’s beck and call in many of her business transactions. I remember I saw her at the office of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) one afternoon following up the advertising contract of Cecile for her “Radyo Balintataw” over DZRH.

Angie Ferro, Angelica Caballero Ferro in real life, died peacefully on August 17, 2023 in her house in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. “Bago mamatay si Ate, tinawag niya ‘yong kanyang pamangkin na si Leo. Hindi siya makapagsalita kaya iminuwestra lang niya ang sakit sa kanyang tiyan. Lumapit sa kanya si Leo, hinaplos ang sinabing masakit na parte ng katawan ni Ate. Pagkatapos, kinuha ni Ate ang kamay ni Leo. May salita si Ate na hindi na maintindihan, ngumiti naman siya nang bahagya. Pagkatapos, pumikit na lang siya. ‘Yon na (Before my older sister died, she called on her nephew Leo and gestured pain in her tummy. Leo came nearer and touched what ached in her body. Then, she reached for Leo’s hand. She uttered some inaudible sounds and smiled at him. Then she closed her eyes. That was it),” Emma, Angie’s younger sister recalled.

Cecile recalled she was lucky she got to bond with Angie weeks before she passed on. “I brought her groceries. It’s good we had moments together before she said goodbye,” quipped Cecile who herself was stricken with cancer but miraculously survived it.

Patriotism, said Cecile, was the most memorable trait of Angie. “I cannot forget her love for country,” she exclaimed.

Angie was the founder of Teatro Bonifacio in reference and tribute to the national hero who led the Philippine revolution against Spain. One of her actors was Joel Saracho, a cultural worker and social activist. Actresses Aurora Yumul and Marife Necesito also trained under her.

Oh! Angie was acting coach to such popular stars as Daniel Fernando, Robin Padilla, Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, among others.

“When I lost Angie, it seemed I lost a part of myself,” said Cecile.

Guidote-Alvarez said that before Ferro died, she went under knife for another ailment that she couldn’t see the actress some other time. She’s indeed a tough person.

Who could be braver than Cecile when she got to be firm and dauntless when she finally learned that her husband, the former senator Heherson Alvarez was already gone long after he succumbed to Covid-19 at the height of the pandemic in 2020?

At the time, she was also sick of COVID-19 as she was confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital in a separate Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from Sonny Alvarez.

“Until now, I miss Sonny very much. I always pray for him. My grief is prolonged because during that time I didn’t see his dead body and we didn’t have time to say our goodbyes. It’s painful until now,” divulged Cecile.

Sonny, as a private person and as a government leader, had always been proud of his wife, especially her arts and culture advocacies. Aside from PETA, Cecile also established the Earthsavers, a group of environmentally aware individuals, mostly Persons with Disabilities (PWD) who promote arts and culture through theater, music and dance. She was also the key person at the International Theater Institute (ITI) Executive Council as the first Filipina to represent the group to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Another important person whom Cecile cried over was the passing of prizewinning actor Robert Arevalo. According to Cecile, Robert was the first one to portray a role at PETA when it was still housed at the ruins of Fort Santiago. “I cannot also forget the patriotism of Robert. He was an influential person at PETA in our early days,” she informed.

Robert Arevalo (Photo Credit: Robert Ylagan’s Facebook)

Arevalo died of body complications from his various illnesses after staying long in the hospital, according to Mowelfund President and actor Rez Cortez.

In memory of Angie, Sonny and Robert, Cecile staged a homage for them at her Radyo Balintataw last Sunday by telling stories about them, playing their favorite music and enumerating their contributions not only to arts and culture but to Philippine society in general.

Shorts:

Aljur Abrenica

Kylie Padilla requested netizens to spare her from social media stories about her ex-husband Aljur Abrenica and his girlfriend AJ Raval who in turn denied that she was the root cause of the breakup between Kylie and Aljur. AJ said she came into Abrenica’s life when he was already separated from Padilla.

AJ Raval

It has been a successful married life for Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa as they have endured the many years of their togetherness which is basically anchored on love and trust. It’s no wonder their son, the famous Donny Pangilinan has inherited the virtue and value of compassion and honesty to make it to show business.

Imelda Papin’s first movie production, namely, “Loyalista” recently wrapped up during a location shoot at Camp Aguinaldo where the scene when she went back from Hawaii with the Marcoses was shot. Among the stars who acted in the last shooting day as guests to the event were Marissa Delgado, Lynn Madrigal, Divina Valencia and Janice Jurado who are openly supportive of Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

Lovi Poe is set to marry her British fiancé Monty Blencowe so her participation in “Batang Quiapo” is affected and her role has to be adjusted.

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