‘Da King’ remembered on 79th birth anniversary
FAMILY, friends and fans of the late Fernando Poe Jr. flocked on Monday morning to the Manila North Cemetery to commemorate what could have been “the King” of Filipino cinema’s 79thbirth anniversary.
Seasoned actress Susan Roces, Poe’s widow, and daughter Senator Grace Poe, offered Mass while fans, some of who came from the provinces, offered flowers.
For some of these fans, it has been a tradition to visit the actor, whom they fondly called “Da King,” and pay their respects.
During the homily, Fr. Larry Faraon, celebrant, remembered the actor known to all as “FPJ” through his films.
“His films were his legacy and it is where he shared his talent and shared the art of making relevant films for society,” said Faraon, a former TV personality.
After the Mass, Roces and Senator Poe, joined by other family members offered a short prayer and blessed with holy water the tomb of the actor.
As part of their tradition on the actor’s birthday, Roces and the senator gave away gifts to children at the Manila North Cemetery.
The tradition began in December 2017 at Poe’s death anniversary mass, where the senator said she would fulfill her father’s failed promise of giving gifts to the kids at the North Cemetery, which he made a few months before his death.
“This is our way of sharing the birthday of FPJ,” Sen. Poe said in Filipino.
Sen. Poe said the family would again give away gifts to children on his father’s 14thdeath anniversary this December. She, however, reiterated that the gift-giving was in no way related to her 2019 mid-term reelection bid.
Born Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, the actor died in December 14, 2004 of multiple organ failure, months after he lost the presidential bid to former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS
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