Confessions of a strong Noranian

Oh my, Ate Man!

I’m an avid fan of Nora Aunor. As a younger woman within the Seventies dwelling in Dumaguete Metropolis, Negros Oriental, I used to be so loopy over her that I’d nick cash from my Papa’s alkansya in order that I may purchase magazines along with her on the quilt and which carried articles about her. I’ve lengthy since paid for my sins, and Papa who’s now in heaven has forgiven me. However to at the present time, my siblings would tease me about my youthful folly.

As a strong “Noranian,” I’d lovingly minimize out Nora’s footage from the pages of the numerous leisure magazines I had purchased, then I’d paste them onto bond papers to supply a number of photograph albums devoted to her. The albums even had the “autograph” of Nora courtesy of my fellow Noranian buddy, Dolores. She was so good at copying Nora’s signature, you wouldn’t assume it was cast. These photograph albums that I painstakingly put collectively have lengthy been eaten by termites, however my nice love for Nora stays.

I’d save my meager faculty allowance so I may watch Nora’s motion pictures. I watched all her movies in the course of the top of her profession which spanned a long time. I used to be so enamored with Filipino cinema due to my obsession with Nora, leading to my proficiency in talking what was then nonetheless referred to as Tagalog. I grew to become fairly good at it that I at all times obtained an A in my Filipino courses the place I managed to show each class mission right into a drama presentation with my groupmates. I wished to be an actress as glorious as Nora.

Of her love groups, my most favourite was Tirso “Pip” Cruz III. I carefully adopted their love story, which included “Maria Leonora Teresa (MLT),” a doll, which Pip gifted to Ate Man. I believed each story spun by showbiz writers on Man and Pip and MLT. I adopted their love story till they broke up. And when Christopher de Leon got here into Nora’s life, my loyalty shifted to him as her new on-screen accomplice. It was lucky that Christopher de Leon was (and nonetheless is) such a great actor, so I didn’t really feel responsible about redirecting my loyalty from Pip to him. In any case these years, I’m nonetheless an enormous fan of Nora.

By my decades-long skilled stint on the College of the Philippines division of speech communication and theater arts, I met extra of Nora’s largest followers similar to Dr. Sergio Gerry Santos Cao (former chancellor of UP Diliman; now president of Manila Tytana Faculties), Dr. Patrick Flores (famend curator, artwork critic, and scholar who wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on Nora), the late professor Nieves Epistola (a well-respected English professor on campus), professor Bienvendio Lumbera (poet, librettist, scholar, and in addition a Nationwide Artist for Literature) and lots of others. We have been all certain by the identical deep admiration for Ate Man.

After which it occurred—I lastly met the Celebrity herself up shut and private when she obtained an award from the Cultural Middle of the Philippines (CCP), the Gawad Sining 2015, earlier than she was declared as a Nationwide Artist. I attended the awarding ceremony upon the invitation of the late theater director and Nationwide Artist in Theater, Tony Mabesa. Actress Janine Gutierrez accompanied her grandmother to this event. Regardless of her petite body, Nora was mesmerizing in individual that one couldn’t assist however get drawn to her.

The awarding ceremony on the CCP was adopted by a reception. That’s after I actually obtained to method my idol. I went to congratulate and inform her that I used to be a fan. She responded with that attribute humility and diffidence, “Salamat po, salamat po.” As I used to be leaving the CCP that night time, I had one other shut(r) encounter with Nora on the elevator. She was being escorted by Ricky Lee. As we reached the bottom ground, I provided to assist her down the steps of the CCP exit and held her hand. So, there we have been—Ricky Lee on one facet and me on the opposite, with the Celebrity herself between us. She once more mentioned “Salamat po” as we parted.

Nora has departed from the world of the dwelling nonetheless fairly younger at 71. She will likely be missed by her hundreds of thousands of followers who even right now are fiercely loyal to her. Nora Aunor will at all times stay in our hearts.

Relaxation in peace now, Ate Man. No extra struggling. You might be and can ceaselessly be our one and solely Celebrity. There is just one Nora Aunor.

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Belen Divinagracia Calingacion, is 66 years outdated and a retired professor on the College of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). She was the previous chair of the division of speech communication and theater arts of the UPD. She is retired however not drained and has returned to her province in Negros Oriental and her hometown Dumaguete Metropolis. She loves theater and flicks and has been a diehard Noranian since she was 14 years outdated. At 66, she remains to be an enormous fan.