BY NEIL RAMOS
Mila del Sol has passed away. She was 97.
The news was confirmed by her grandchild former Parañaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share that my beloved grandmother, Ms. Mila del Sol, our Lulay, ang Reyna ng Pinilakang-Tabing, passed away this morning at 1:10am,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “She passed away in the home of her eldest son and my father, Sonny Tambunting.”
“Being the link of the pre-war and the post-war era, Lola’s contributions to laying down the foundations of Philippine cinema has allowed her to be recognized as a true cornerstone of the industry,” Tambunting added. “Before her passing, she was the only living movie star from the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema in the 1930s and 1940s.”
Real name Clarita Villarba Rivera, del Sol, appeared in more than 40 feature films including the classic “Ibong Adarna” (1949).
In 2013, the critics’ group Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino chose del Sol as the recipient of the Natatanging Gawad Urian.
She was blessed with six children, 17 grandchildren, and more than 30 great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.
She is survived by her children Sonny Tambunting, former TV host Jeanne Young, Ancel Romero, and Leo Romero.
