President Marcos posthumously honored four extraordinary Filipinos whose lasting contributions have significantly shaped Philippine culture, particularly in cinema, the arts, music, and the culinary landscape.
Marcos honors cultural icons with Presidential Medal of Merit
Published May 5, 2025 07:33 am
At A Glance
- President Marcos posthumously conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit to Gloria Romero, Margarita Forés, Pilita Corrales, and Nora Aunor, whose crafts have made "national consciousness more visible and felt worldwide."
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Facebook)
In a ceremony in Malacañang, President Marcos posthumously conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit to Gloria Romero, Margarita Forés, Pilita Corrales, and Nora Aunor, whose crafts have made "national consciousness more visible and felt worldwide."
"To Gloria, to Margarita, to Pilita, to Nora—it seems very little but the best we can do, maraming, maraming salamat po (Thank you very much)," he said on Sunday, May 4.
"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," he added.
The Presidential Medal of Merit, created under Executive Order No. 236 in 2003, recognizes individuals for their valuable input and excellence in the service of nation-building.
Though the four icons have already passed, Marcos said they continue to shape Filipino art, cinema, music, and culinary landscape.
"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," he said.
"They are women who spent their lives sharing their gifts and deepening how we understand ourselves through their respective disciplines," he added.
Romero, dubbed the "Queen of Philippine Cinema," was remembered for a career that spanned an entire era. She won seven FAMAS Awards, three Gawad Urian Awards, and four Luna Awards. Among her impactful films are Dalagang Ilocana, Palibhasa Lalake, and Tanging Yaman. Romero passed away on Jan. 25, 2025.
Forés, meanwhile, has “reimagined Italian cuisine by giving it a Filipino heart.” In 2016, she was named Asia’s Best Female Chef and received the 2025 Woodford Reserve Icon Award. Forés died on Feb. 11.
Corrales, known as Asia’s Queen of Songs, cradled people across continents. She won Best Performer at the Tokyo Music Festival and received a FAMAS and Lifetime Achievement Award. Corrales passed away on April 12.
Ultimately, Aunor was inducted into the FAMAS Hall of Fame and named a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts. Her works have embodied the Filipino spirit. She won multiple local and international awards. Among her famous films are Himala and Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos. Aunor passed away on April 16.
The President thanked the awardees' families for sharing their loved ones to enrich the country's culture.
"Ang kanilang sining at likha ay hindi lamang naging aliwan ng ating mga kababayan, bagkus naging salamin ng kasaysayan ng bansa, ng bawat Pilipino (Their art not only entertained our people, they were a reflection of our country and of every Filipino)," he said.