Celia Diaz-Laurel’s progeny share her love for the arts

Celia Diaz-Laurel (left), daughter Iwi and granddaughter Denise

As Denise Laurel’s performing career continues to prosper, it’s instructive to recall that she comes from a distinguished clan of artists.

Her grandmother, Celia Diaz-Laurel, was a stellar member of the UP Dramatic Guild, as well as a founder of Repertory Philippines, where she not only acted, but also took care of set and costume design.

Similarly, Celia’s son Victor, or Cocoy, became a theater and film star, as well as a gifted visual artist like his mother (and soul-mate).

He topbilled a number of movies, in which his leading ladies included Nora Aunor and Margie Moran, and went on to play the lead role of The Engineer in the hit “Miss Saigon” musical in London.

Celia’s other children have also shared her seminal love for the arts and a daughter, Iwi, has made a name for herself as a singer, visual artist and actress.

When Iwi emerged on the arts and show biz scenes, not a few people took note of how much she looked like her mother, Celia.

Now, as her niece, Denise, is making her own mark as an all-around performer, the similarity of her facial features to her lola is also strikingly notable.

The fact that Celia’s beauty has ethereally transcended the wages and rages of time through three generations now with Denise’s ascendancy (see photos) is a remarkable phenomenon that deserves to be singled out for special mention!

Even better, the quality of Celia’s legacy, as well as the high standards she has set for herself and her progeny, constitutes an abiding promise that even younger Laurels will continue to serve and enhance the country’s arts and show biz scene.

Indeed, among the “next-gen” Laurels, we can now also cite Patty, Franco, Rajo and Nicole Laurel-Asensio, lead singer of the General Luna band!

‘Walang Iwanan’

We caught the first telecast of ABS-CBN’s latest soap, “Walang Iwanan” recently, and found it a relatively eventful viewing experience.

Let’s hope that the new series keeps the upbeat tempo throughout its storytelling, and doesn’t get itself into distracting and dramatically unproductive detours, like many teleseryes.

“Walang Iwanan’s” first telecast focused on the hardworking daughter (Roxanne Guinoo) of an unhappy drunkard (Irma Adlawan), who was given new hope by two kind sisters (Boots Anson-Roa and Ces Quesada) when they hired her to work for them in their mansion.

Alas, she fell in love with a faithless beau who got her in the family way (as usual—why are TV drama heroines so fertile?). She didn’t know what to do—until another young man (Jhong Hilario) she didn’t love but who adored her, offered to marry her. She was forced to agree, but she regretted her decision when she gave birth and her husband coldly rejected her child, who would grow up to be the series’ lead juvenile character.

Later, other children were born, and it was their “half-kuya” who helped take care of them, despite his being unloved by his stepfather.

We figure that the time will come when the kids will be left to their own resources, and the kuya will do his utmost to keep them together (“Walang Iwanan”).

So far, so relatively acceptable—but, everything depends on how good the series’ child stars turn out to be as sensitive and diverting young thespians.

Let’s hope that they are made to speak naturally, like the children they are, unlike past shows like “Nathaniel” and “Flor de Liza”—and more like what “Ningning” is doing. Important lessons must be learned!