VANDOLPH has one, too.
It’s not like the King of Comedy to make us cry. But last July 10, when he passed away, he made us weep even if he didn’t want to. So in honor of Tito Dolphy, let’s wipe our tears and send him off with smiles as big as those he left us with.
Bravo, Tito Dolphy! Take a bow for a life well-lived and for being well-loved. We cannot thank you enough for devoting more than half of your life bringing sunshine into our hearts. You touched each and every Pinoy in ways that only you could do.
Dolphy stories
Here are some heartwarming Dolphy stories. In his presence, we laughed much. In his absence, the joy he spread around will stay.
VANDOLPH: “The last time my dad spoke to me was when he woke up at the ICU. He kept asking, ‘Okay ka lang?’ I told him not to worry about me. Even if he was in pain, kami pa ring magkakapatid ang inalala niya (his children were still his concern). I cannot single out one memorable moment with my dad. Every time we were together was special and priceless.”
SALLY QUIZON: “One of my dad’s wishes was to walk me and my sisters down the aisle. Too bad not one of us got married. So during his wake, the three of us stood by his casket and whispered to him, Dad ikaw ng bahalang humanap ng Mr. Right para sa amin (you be the one to look for Mr. Right for us). We smiled at the thought na kung buhay pa si Daddy (if Daddy were still alive), for sure he would tell us in jest: ‘Maghunis-dili kayo! Ang aalembong niyo (You flirts!)’”
CES DRILON: “When he granted me an interview for ‘Pipol’ 11 years ago, Mang Dolphy laughingly told me a joke he used to tell his children: ‘Wala naman akong anak sa loob, puro sa labas. Pero sabi ko, dahil hindi pa ako nakakasal, ako ang illegitimate father hindi kayo ang illegitimate.’ Prior to his tell-all book with Bibeth Orteza, we sought out some of his children and discussed his many relationships. I think he wasn’t too happy when it aired. But he was always gracious to me whenever we bumped into each other at ABS-CBN. He was an elegant man. After talking to his daughters at his wake, it was so heartening to learn from them that all have made peace and his days at the ICU cemented their relationships with each other. They told me that this made him very happy and at peace.”
BOY 2 Quizon shows off his Lolo Dolphy tattoo.
MR. FU: “I was a young news reporter when I first saw the Comedy King in an event. I was so shy to interview him but when I approached him, he accommodated me with a big smile. It did not matter to him that I was a newbie. He answered my questions with enthusiasm. Sayang lang, sana nakahingi ako ng puruntung niya with autograph!”
VICKY MORALES: “I will never forget how game Tito Dolphy was, in granting an old colleague’s wish to personally meet him, even if he was struggling with health issues at that time. Our ‘Wish Ko Lang’ team went to his home but we wanted to make the shoot as painless as possible for him so we packed up as soon as we were done. But Tito Dolphy didn’t allow us to leave without serving us merienda. He ordered pizza para ’di daw kami magutom pauwi (so we wouldn’t go hungry on our way home). I would often see him lighting candles at the Sanctuario de San Antonio Church (in Forbes Park, Makati), deep in prayer. He was always low-key and never showy; that made him even ‘bigger’ than we all know him to be.”
Dolphy tattoos
I would like to believe that it’s more than a coincidence that the favorite song of Tito Dolphy and Michael Jackson happen to be the same one, “Smile” (by Charlie Chaplin). Mang Pidol and MJ truly had a lot in common. They were both destined to be “kings” and they remain unequalled in their respective fields even now that they’re already gone. Their legacy will never ever die.