SO MANY showbiz denizens bid the world goodbye. The biggest name was Comedy King Dolphy who had a long illness and finally said farewell on July 10. Three top directors who went to the great beyond were Marilou Diaz Abaya after a long fight with the big C, Mario O’Hara after a shot bout with leukemia and Celso Ad. Castillo due to a heart attack. Other celebs who passed include 1950’s actress Linda Estrella (mother of child actress Tessie Agana), actor Luis Gonzales, rocker Karl Roy, songwriter Bodgie Dasig, theatre director Tony Espejo, director-writer Anthony Taylor (real name: Freddie Gargantilla), newscaster Angelo Castro, beauty queen-activist Maita Gomez, Joey Stevens (husband of Amalia Fuentes), LVN Pictures actress Nita Javier, actor Mario Taguiwalo, scriptwriter-novelist Edgardo M. Reyes (best known for “Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag”), Bruce Garcia (grandson of Marissa Delgado), actress Estrella Kuenzler, editor-director Ike Jarlego Jr. and actor Chiqui Xeres Burgos. The nation also mourned the passing of well loved DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo in a plane crash.
But the stork was also busy. Those who gave birth this year include Pia Guanio (baby girl), Priscilla Mereilles (baby boy), Katrina Halili (baby girl), Precious Lara Quigaman (baby boy) and Angelica Jones (baby boy).
