Palace awards Presidential Medal of Merit to 4 late Filipina icons

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Gloria Romero, Margarita Fores, Nora Aunor, and Pilita Corrales posthumously receive their awards for their work that came from 'the core of them being Filipinos'

MANILA, Philippines – In a ceremony on Sunday, May 4, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. posthumously awarded Nora Aunor, Gloria Romero, Pilita Corrales, and Margarita Fores with Presidential Medals of Merit.

The 4 late icons brought pride to Filipinos through their excellence in their respective fields.

Aunor was dubbed the Philippines’ “Superstar,” and was National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts with over 170 acting credits to her name. She died on April 16 at 71 years old.

Touted as the “Queen of Philippine Cinema,” Romero’s decades-long career saw her star in over 250 films, including Dalagang Ilocana, Sino Ang May Sala, Paru-Parong Bukid, and Magnifico, among many others. She died on January 25 at 91.

Corrales, “Asia’s Queen of Songs,” was an actress and a legend in the OPM industry. She was the voice behind the iconic songs “Rosas Pandan,” “Usahay,” “A Million Thanks to You,” “Matud Nila,” and “Kapantay ay Langit,” among others. She passed away on April 12 at 87.

Lastly, Fores — who was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2016 — was a giant in the world of culinary, founding restaurants like CIBO, Grace Park, and Lusso. She died on February 11 at 65.

“To Gloria, to Margarita, to Pilita, to Nora — it seem very little but the best we can do, maraming, maraming salamat po (Thank you very, very much). You live on in every artist who takes the risk, in every child who has fond dreams, and every citizen who wishes to let the world know what it means to be a Filipino,” the President said.

“They are undeniably icons. But more importantly, we can see that the true quality of their art, of their performances came from the core of them being Filipinos. They are women who spent their lives sharing their gifts and deepening how we understand ourselves through their respective disciplines,” he added.

Aunor, Romero, Corrales, and Fores’ respective families were present at the ceremony to receive their awards on their behalf.

“These women, they illuminated our consciousness. They taught us who we are and who we could become. So the families of the awardees: Thank you for sharing them with us. What they contributed to the country cannot even, even be realized, and certainly cannot be paid back. But we will remember and we will pass it on,” the president said.

“Sa ating mga kababayan, nawa’y ipaalala sa atin ng gabing ito na ang sining at kultura ay hindi lamang bahagi ng ating mga nakaraan. Hinuhubog din [nito] ang ating pagkakakilanlan at nagbibigay inspirasyon sa atin patungo sa mas maunlad na kinabukasan,” he added.

(To our countrymen, may this night serve as a reminder for us that arts and culture are not just parts of our past. They also shape our identity and give us inspiration towards a better future.)

The Presidential Merit Award is among the highest honors individuals can receive from the president of the Philippines. It is awarded to those whose work has greatly contributed to “nation-building.” – Rappler.com