Nora Aunor, superstar of Philippine cinema, passes away

Nora Aunor poses during the photocall of "Sinapupunan (Thy Womb)" during the 69th Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2012 at Venice Lido. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File

MANILA (UPDATED) -- Film icon Nora Aunor, the "Superstar" of Philippine cinema, has passed away. She was 71.

Aunor's death was confirmed by her son Ian on social media on Wednesday night.

"We love you Ma," Ian said on Facebook. "Alam ng Diyos kung gano ka namin ka mahal.. Pahinga ka na po Ma.. Nandito ka lang sa puso at isipan namin.."

Her daughter, Matet, had a simple but moving tribute on Instagram: "I love you mommy."

Proclaimed a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022, Aunor was hailed for her extensive filmography that is "exceeded only by the number of awards and  citations she has received from local and  international organizations," according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in Iriga City, Camarines Sur, Aunor burst onto the entertainment scene in the 1960s as a singer with a powerful, soulful voice.

She also starred in movies where her petite, dusky looks broke stereotypes of fair-skinned leading ladies patterned after Hollywood.

She went on to play unforgettable characters in several iconic films, including "Himala" in 1982, "Bulaklak sa City Jail" in 1984 and "The Flor Contemplacion Story" in 1995. 

In 1976, she won Best Actress honors at the Gawad Urian and FAMAS for the first time for her work in "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos." 

She would score a "grand slam" of trophies in 1990 for her performance in Gil Portes' "Andrea, Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina?", with the Gawad Urian, FAMAS, Film Academy of the Philippines, Metro Manila Film Festival and the Philippine Movie Press Club all recognizing her as Best Actress.

In 2013, she took home the "Best Actress" trophy at the annual Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for her powerful portrayal of a midwife in the locally produced "Thy Womb".

In February 2023, Aunor recounted that she "died" for three minutes after suffering from low oxygen levels, which prompted her to ask to be rushed to a hospital.

"Ang nangyari, hindi ko alam, walang tumulong. Hindi minadali na lagyan ako ng oxygen," she said in an interview with Boy Abunda. "Humiga ako [tapos] hindi ko na alam kung anong nangyari. 'Pag gising ko nando'n na ako sa ICU."

According to the Superstar, it was not her first near-death experience as she figured in a car accident in 1982, while filming "Himala." 

READ: Nora Aunor on health scare: 'Namatay na ako ng three minutes'

More recently, Aunor made a cameo in the MMFF movie-musical "Isang Himala," a retelling of the iconic film. She also starred in the horror movie "Mananambal," which hit cinemas on February 19.

Aunor was married to actor Christopher de Leon in January 1975; they have one biological child, Ian de Leon, and four adopted children -- Lotlot, Matet, Kiko, and Kenneth. Their marriage was annulled in 1996. -- with Agence France-Presse