By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a solemn ceremony held at the Malacañan Palace on Sunday, May 5, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. posthumously conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit to Gloria Romero, Margarita Araneta Forés, Pilita Corrales, and Nora Aunor.
These women—undeniably icons in their respective fields—have significantly contributed in shaping Philippine culture and its various facets including cinema, the arts, music, and the culinary landscape.
“To Gloria, to Margarita, to Pilita, to Nora—it seems very little but the best we can do, maraming, maraming salamat po. 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,” President Marcos said.
“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. They are women who spent their lives sharing their gifts and deepening how we understand ourselves through their respective disciplines,” the President added.
Romero, dubbed as 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 January 25.
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. Araneta Forés passed away on February 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. She won multiple local and international awards. Among her famous films are Himala and Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos. Aunor passed away on April 16.
By virtue of Executive Order no. 236, s. 2003, the Presidential Medal of Merit is the highest award bestowed upon Filipinos who have shown outstanding excellence in their field/s of specialization, thus providing invaluable contributions to nation-building and representing the country in the international diaspora.
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