#DecadesApart: Then-and-now photos of veteran Filipina celebrities
In celebration of this year's Women's Month, the Film Development Council of the Philippines released the then-and-now photos of veteran Filipina celebrities whom the agency called the "Matriarchs of Philippine Cinema."
Included in the list are 87-year-old actress Gloria Romero, 90-year-old Rustica Carpio, and the 89-year-old Queen of Visayan Movie Gloria Sevilla.
Also included in the list were the Queen of Philippine Cinema Susan Roces, Luz Valdez, the Original Female Fatale of Philippine Cinema Rosa Rosal, Celia Rodriguez, Queen of Philippine Costume Pictures Delia Razon, Perla Bautista, and the Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines, Barbara Perez.
Together, these women starred in hundreds, if not thousands, of Filipino films since the late 1940s.
Take a look back at the timeless beauties of the Queens of Philippine Cinema.
Gloria Romero
Born on December 16, 1993, 87-year-old actress Gloria Romero remains active on the show business since 1950s. Throughout her career, Ms. Gloria received numerous lifetime achievement awards from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS), Gawad Urian Award, and Luna Award. Last year, she received the Manay Ichu Vera-Perez Maceda Memorial Award at the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival awards night.
Luz Valdez
Born on September 9, 1940, 80-year-old actress Luz Valdez appeared once in a while on several television series before the pandemic. Through her career that spanned five decades, Ms. Luz has received numerous awards from prestigious award giving bodies. She last appeared on Alden Ricahrds-starrer 'The Gift.'
Rustica Carpio
Born on August 9, 1930, 90-year-old actress Rustica Carpio's career has transcend television and cinemas as she also became a scholar, and a UNESCO fellow in Dramatic Arts at the National School of Drama and Asian Theatre Institute in New Delhi, India. Ms. Rustica also has a doctorate degree in Literature from the University of Santo Tomas. Afterwards, she became the dean of Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Communication, and the College of Mass Communication of the Far Eastern University.
Gloria Sevilla
Born on January 31, 1932, 89-year-old Gloria Sevilla became known as the "Queen of Visayan Movies" for her contributions in Visayan-made Filipino movies in the 1950s and 1960s.
Celia Rodriguez
Born on June 21, 1938, 82-year-old Celia Rodriguez is still active on the show business, last appearing in the television remake of 'Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday.'
Delia Razon
Born on August 8, 1931, 89-year-old Delia Razon earned the monicker 'The Queen of Costume Pictures' in the 1950s because she starred in costume and period films produced by LVN Pictures. Despite retiring from acting, Delia's legacy continues on her granddaughter, Kapuso actress Carla Abellana.
Perla Bautista
Born on February 18, 1940, 81-year-old actress Perla Bautista is still active in the show business. Ms. Perla started her showbiz journey at the age of 17 when she joined LVN Pictures.
Barbara Perez
Born on January 4, 1938, 83-year-old actress Barbara Perez was dubbed as the 'Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines' because of her resemblance to the late Hollywood icon. Ms. Barbara did not only star in hundreds of Filipino filma because in 1962, she made the Hollywood film 'No Man Is an Island.'
Susan Roces
Born on July 28, 1941, 79-year-old Susan Roces is still active in the show business today. Dubbed as the 'Queen of Philippine Movies' in the 1960s and 1970s, she appeared in numerous blockbuster films such as the 1965 flick 'Daigdig Ko'y Ikaw' and 1987 movie 'No Retreat... No Surrender... Si Kumander' with late husband and King of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr.