VETERAN film director and writer Emmanuel “Maning” Borlaza has passed away due to heart attack. He was 81.
According to his nephew Roy Ramirez, Borlaza suffered heart attack at 4 a.m. yesterday. The popular director would have been 82 on Nov. 5.
His remains will lie at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Sucat, Parañaque City.
Borlaza has directed more than 20 films which starred Governor Vilma Santos, including “Dyesebel,” “Darna and the Giants,” “Lipad, Darna, Lipad!”
He also helmed the movies of megastar Sharon Cuneta namely “Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala,” “Bituing Walang Ningning,” and “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?”
Borlaza directed “Eva Fonda 16” starring Alma Moreno and Snooky Serna’s “Blusang Itim.” He was also the director of “Dyesebel” starring Charlene Gonzales in 1996.
Aside from being vice chairman of the Movie and Television Rating and Classification Board, Borlaza also became chairperson of the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines, Inc.
Borlaza’s last directorial stint was for the movie “To Saudi With Love” starring Dawn Zulueta, Alice Dixon, and Tonton Gutierrez in 1997.
After that, he became busy with screenplay for other less popular movies toward early 2000.
