Nora Aunor’s triumph

In the game of life it is not always true that only the rich and powerful are victorious. If President Benigno Simeon Aquino III had made her a national artist, she would have been just like one of the others, all of them good in their own fields. For removing her from the list has boomeranged against Aquino.

Nora deserves more than a national artist award, certainly not from a less than worthy president.

Like his father before him, had Ninoy not been assassinated at the international airport he would have become just another unsuccessful president. As he said, he felt sorry for the next President (after Marcos not knowing it was to be his wife). The country was shattered and making it whole again would involve a vision and hard work to see it through. That was not to be. Instead of a President, he became a hero.

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Same with Nora. Instead of becoming another national artist, P-Noy’s rejection has made her a heroine and a symbol to our many poor. It is a noose around his neck.

Having been abroad at the time when she peaked as a star, I could not understand the adulation of her fans. I talked to some Noranians who were close friends like Orly Agawin of the Book of the Month club and Yuki Sacurom, an ardent Nora fan who has followed and photographed her.

Why such passionate admiration? She is small, dark-skinned, plain-looking – the opposite of what should be the image of actresses in local cinema for a very long time? They told of stories and said come to think of it even they were puzzled.

Once crowds of fans who wanted to hear her were pushing, shoving to be in front and talking loudly, it seemed she would never be able to start speaking. but she put up her hand and with that gesture calmed the rioting fans.

What did she have? It would be easy to answer that by using the word charisma. But that would not tell the story. Nora’s charisma, if I must use the word, is unique. I think they see in her a mirror-image – they see themselves in her and what they wanted to be. She who was once of the poor who pulled up her breeches and enthralled Filipinos with her singing and acting She won over not only the masa but also skeptical movie directors and intellectuals to show what she was capable of. She showed them her worth, her acting skill and how to emote heroic characters.

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President Aquino’s reasons to the critics were terse. He cited her personal problems - a history of drug abuse, bankruptcy etc. What had these got to do with recognition here and abroad that in the acting field none has been her equal. Robin Padilla, another actor reasoned. ““Hindi po dapat. Arts ‘yan eh. Pag sinabi po nating arts, malawak po ang ibig sabihin niyan. Kaya pag sinabi natin na ‘in the name of art,’ mayroon nang nagbo-bold diyan, mayroon violence na ang tindi-tindi pero napapalampas dahil in the name of art.”

The worldwide success of 1982 film “Himala” would be enough for Aunor to win the award as did film’s director Ishmael Bernal who was given the title back in 2001, added the actor.

“Iisa lang talaga si Nora Aunor na may dala ng bandila ng Pilipinas sa buong daigdig. Siya lang ang nagiisang nakagawa noon. Wala po sa amin, siya lang ang nakaikot sa buong mundo na dala ang bandila ng Pilipinas,” he said. So the president has to do more than brush off the criticisms.

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Those who know more about insider politics think President Aquino’s decision had little to do with fairness to Nora. They say there were political reasons for it. One was that Vilma, Nora’s arch rival in the movies might be tapped as Mar Roxas vice president to popularize the boring image of Mar Roxas for president. If Nora were given the national artist award she might dilute the impact of the political strategy. And then there is also Sharon Cuneta to contend with as Liberal campaigners in 2016. Sounds very much like an Aquino faux pas. For that he got the opposite of what he wanted. Nora Aunor might not have gotten the same sympathy and devotion she is getting now had he not been so cruel to her. Alas, the deed is done. That’s what he gets for taking her out of the list.

I hear the Noranians will get back and are now thinking of using the issue against his incompetence and bad judgment.

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Orly writes in his Jellicle blog in the internet.

“On a more focused note, it doesn’t matter to me what the reasons might be. A National Artist once said that, “an award is not an evidence of one’s vindication. It’s just a confirmation that you are part of a certain group, be it prestigious or otherwise.” Tama siya. Walang award sa mundo na ang sumasakop sa kabuan ng kung ano mang pinararangalan nito (There is no award that can encompass all the honor a person deserves).

“National Artist na siya para sa amin. Para sa akin, ay tama na siguro yun (For us she is already our national artist).

“P-Noy has snubbed and judge Nora based on her past. But what he really did was he spat on the face of the masses!

“Funny, but Nora Aunor is becoming P-Noy’s karma. The tindera (she used to sell water) has the people behind her…At this point, I want to turn this issue into an advantage. Being an educator, I see this as an opportunity to teach those who are still unclear on what true art is. Nora Aunor is a symbol of the arts. Hindi maikakaila yan (That cannot be denied).

“Her talent goes beyond the borders of her country and her culture. Our little brown Cinderella has captured raves from international critics, and support even from non-Noranians.“

That is her triumph.