MANILA, Philippines – The country mourns the loss of national treasure Nora Aunor, who was laid to rest on Tuesday, April 22, with a fitting state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

The late Superstar joins other National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts who were also honored and laid to rest at the Heroes’ Cemetery, which was built by the Philippine government to pay tribute “to the gallant Filipino men and women who brought honor to the country.”

First established in 1947 as a resting place for Philippine military personnel who served during World War II, the Libingan ng mga Bayani has since become designated as the official place of burial for deceased Filipino soldiers, statesmen, heroes, and patriots. Later, Executive Order No. 131, signed by President Ramos in 1993, would allow for the state funerals and burials of National Artists and Scientists.

A burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani signifies the highest honor and recognition. Being buried there marks the deceased as someone who has made a significant contribution to the nation and is meant to inspire the next generation of Filipinos.

Here we celebrate the five National Artists for Film and Broadcasting/Broadcast Arts who have been honored with a burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani since 1981.

Gerardo de León

Gerardo “Gerry” de Leon (1913–1981) was an award-winning film director and actor. His works that are now considered classics include Daigdig ng Mga Api, Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, Sisa, and Dyesebel. De Leon was conferred the National Artist award in 1982. His biggest pre-war hit was Ang Maestra, with its screenplay written by the then-unknown Eddie Romero.

De Leon produced many anti-American propaganda films during World War II. After the Japanese were defeated, he was arrested, charged with treason, and was almost executed by the Philippine government until evidence showed that De Leon secretly assisted the Filipino resistance throughout the war came to light.

De Leon is also known for the cult horror films he directed during the 1960s — Terror Is a Man, Brides of Blood, and Mad Doctor of Blood Island, among others. Some of these were co-directed with Eddie Romero and co-financed with American money.

Ishmael Bernal 

Ishmael Bernal (1938–1996) was a filmmaker, stage and television director, actor, and screenwriter. Hailed as a maestro and “the genius of Philippine cinema,” Bernal is best known as a director of films that serve as social commentaries that depict the struggle of the Filipino.

An activist since his days at the University of the Philippines, he protested film censorship as part of the Free the Artist movement and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines. His films — which include Nunal sa Tubig, City After Dark, and Himala — are best known for their moral and social realist themes.

Weaving together aesthetics and politics, Bernal sends a message of fighting the censors, freeing artists, and giving justice to the oppressed, creating cinema that both entertains and enlightens. Bernal was declared a National Artist in 2001.

Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Marilou Díaz-Abaya (1955–2012) was a film and television director and screenwriter. She began her career in the 1980s as part of the “second golden age of Philippine cinema.”

Her first collaboration with Ricky Lee was for Brutal. They’d then go on to collaborate for half of Díaz-Abaya’s body of work. Brutal became a box-office success and a critically acclaimed work, for which she received her first Best Director award from the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Díaz’s filmography largely reflects sociopolitical issues — with emphasis on the struggles of the Filipino poor, women, and children — and works towards social reform.

Díaz was the treasurer of the directors’ union under Lino Brocka for several years. In 1983, she joined the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, co-founded by Brocka. The Concerned Artists of the Philippines opposed film censorship by the Marcos regime and organized anti-government rallies.

Eddie Romero

Eddie Romero (1924–2013) was a screenwriter, film director, and producer. Romero’s body of work largely situates characters within specific historical contexts — from prehistoric Philippines (Kamakalawa, to the Spanish revolution, to American colonization (Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon?), to the politically turbulent late 1960s (Banta ng Kahapon), where Romero comments on corruption in politics.

When he was a teenager, Romero wrote screenplays for Gerardo de León. Romero was named National Artist in 2003.

Nora Aunor 

“Superstar” Nora Aunor (1953 – April 16, 2025) boasts an impressive filmography of 170 films. This number is exceeded only by the number of awards and citations she has received from award-giving bodies and organizations, both local and international.

In television, Aunor starred in her musical variety show that ran for over two decades, and in theater, she performed in two major productions of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). In 1999, she was one of the recipients of the Centennial Honors for the Arts, awarded to 100 Filipinos who have made significant contributions to culture and the arts in the 20th century. In 2012, she became the first Filipino actor to be inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Academy. She was awarded the National Artist title in 2022.

She is also the most awarded Best Actress in Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) history.

Within her extensive filmography are award-winning masterpieces of cinema, including Himala, Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo, Andrea, and Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina?. – Bea Gatmaytan/Rappler.com