MANILA, Philippines - Family and friends bade the Philippines’ King of Comedy, Rodolfo “Dolphy” Vera Quizon, goodbye as he was laid to rest at the Heritage Park in Taguig City yesterday.
The country’s top actors as well as politicians attended the afternoon funeral for the popular comedian.
Dolphy’s partner of 23 years, singer Zsa Zsa Padilla, smiled as she said, “I love you, lovey ko (I love you, my love). Until we meet again.”
“Thank you for joining us in taking Dolphy to his final resting place,” she told the crowd.
Many of the country’s top entertainers who had worked with Dolphy openly wept despite exhortations from Fr. Larry Faraon, who officiated a necrological Mass, that the late comedian wanted everyone to smile at his funeral.
Dolphy, whose career spanned nearly seven decades, brought cheer to the Philippines even in its most turbulent and darkest moments.
His remains were encased in a glass-topped golden metal casket that he himself bought in the 1970s for a little over P40,000.
Emily Aberri of Heritage Park said Dolphy’s casket was placed inside a black stone crypt made of material imported from Italy.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim gave a crisp salute in front of the casket while Padilla tightly clung to it before it was shut and placed inside the crypt.
Based on initial plans, Dolphy's coffin was supposed to be drawn by a horse from the memorial chapel but the horse died days before the burial. It was later pulled by a black Ford F-150 truck to Heritage Drive.
Dolphy's loved ones were all donned in white, except for Zsa Zsa who wore a black dress.
Fr. Faraon celebrated a private necrological Mass for Dolphy at the park's chapel at 11 a.m. before his remains were brought to his final resting place.
After the Mass, Ronnie Quizon, one of Dolphy's sons, reminisced about his father's generosity.
Martin Quizon, 29, the comedian's grandson, said his uncle mourned not only the loss of a great father but also the family's Santa Claus.
"Even if his children and grandchildren live in different houses, my grandfather would always make it a point to visit them during the Christmas season to personally give them their gifts," Martin said.
MVP paid hospital bills
On Saturday, Padilla thanked businessman Manuel Pangilinan for paying their hospital bills at the Makati Medical Center where Dolphy had been confined for a month before he died of multiple organ failure secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease last Tuesday. He was 83.
Epi Quizon, another son of Dolphy, thanked Vice President Jejomar Binay for providing transport and security when Dolphy's remains were transferred from the hospital to the Heritage Park.
Binay's late daughter-in-law Kennley Ann Lacia played the role of Dolphy's granddaughter in his sitcom "Home Along Da Riles." Lacia was the wife of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
The elder Binay is the godfather of Vandolph during his wedding.
President Aquino on Thursday declared July 13 a national day of remembrance to honor the movie icon.
Posthumous National Artist award
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano Sr. urged President Aquino yesterday to confer a National Artist award posthumously on Dolphy.
He said Aquino should make the conferment in fairness to Dolphy and in response to strong clamor from millions of the comedian's fans.
"There is no doubt that the well-loved Dolphy deserves the National Artist title, given his numerous and extraordinary achievements and contributions to the film industry, and his philanthropic examples to industry members," he said.
For her part, Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the party-list group Bagong Henerasyon urged the House of Representatives to confer on Dolphy the Congressional Medal of Distinction, the same award it has given Sarangani congressman and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
She said the late comedian should be given the medal "for his outstanding achievements as a stage, television and movie actor over a span of six decades, earning for himself the title 'comedy king' of Philippine show business.
"Mang Dolphy may not have reached international fame like our very own Congressman Pacquiao, but he left an indelible mark in the hearts of Filipinos whom he gifted with joy and laughter in the face of economic and political adversities in the past several decades," she said.
In proposing the National Artist award for Dolphy, Albano said under the rules of the National Commission for Culture (NCCA) and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the National Artist award shall not be conferred more frequently than once every three years.
The rules provide that the President shall confer the award on June 11 or any appropriate date in fitting ceremonies to be organized by the National Artist award secretariat, he added.
He said the last conferment was done in 2009, which means the next awarding is due this year.
"Let us recognize Dolphy's achievements and the happiness he brought to millions of Filipinos during his lifetime by giving him the award," Albano said.
Earlier, the NCCA said Dolphy would be included in the screening process for nominees for National Artist this year.
The Office of the Solicitor General has said the late actor-comedian could be considered since the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court in 2009 covered only the seven National Artist awardees for that year for film and broadcast, literature, visual arts, painting, sculpture and mixed media, theater, visual arts and film, architecture, and fashion design.
Under the NCCA-CCP guidelines, a posthumous award can be given to the honoree's family or legal heirs, together with the P75,000 cash component.
Meanwhile, Sen. Edgardo Angara said Dolphy deserves more than a national artist award.
A member of the NCCA, Angara regarded Dolphy as a "living legend" whose unique talent brought smiles to the his fans and the nation.
"I believe, Dolphy is more than deserving of the national artist award. He is a living legend," Angara said over dzBB radio yesterday.
Angara said he would have conferred Dolphy the award when he was still alive so that he could have appreciated it. Nonetheless, the national artist award can still be given to the late actor. -With Jess Diaz, Christina Mendez,AP
source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=827926&publicationSubCategoryId=63
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