Remembering Aida Roxas

Like Hollywood actress Dolores Hart, Aida Roxas quit showbiz and became a nun in the US. But unlike Hart who remains in the convent (and continues to be a voting member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which is behind the Oscars), Roxas left the convent and came back a few years after her mother died, driving her into depression that led to her loss of sanity. Her mother didn’t approve of her quitting showbiz and becoming a nun.

Roxas (real name: Irene Suarez) stayed with her family in Escalante, Negros Occidental, until recently when she died at age 72. She had been told that her mother had forgiven her, something which she hardly understood because of her illness.

She starred in a few films, including Sosayting Dukha, Bandong Pugante, Lagalag and Gahaman (pictured), her first-starring picture. — RKC