MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actress Mila del Sol died in the early hours of Tuesday at the age of 97, her grandson, former Parañaque Representative Gus Tambunting confirmed.
In a Facebook post, Gus said that del Sol passed away at 1:10 a.m. at the home of his father, Sonny, who is the eldest son of the veteran actress.
Gus, however, did not disclose del Sol’s cause of death.
“Though we mourn her passing, we are comforted in knowing that the one who called her from this life, our Lord, loves her more than we could ever love her. She has returned home,” Gus said in his post about the veteran actress.
Born Clarita Villarba Rivera in real life, del Sol appeared in over 40 films. She starred in the 1939 film “Giliw Ko”, the first production of legendary Filipino film studio LVN Pictures.
She was also part of LVN’s adaptation of the Filipino epic poem “Ibong Adarna” released in 1941, opposite Fred Cortes, Ester Magalona and Manuel Conde.
In 2013, the critics’ group Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino chose del Sol to be the recipient of the Natatanging Gawad Urian (lifetime achievement award).
Aside from being an actress, del Sol was a mother to six children (of which two had already passed before her), 17 grandchildren, and more than 30 great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
Del Sol is survived by her four children — Sonny, former TV host Jeanne Young, Ancel Romero and Leo Romero, Gus further said in his Facebook post.