Remembering Manang Inday: K-drama fan, caring friend and gem of a person

The death of the Queen of Philippine movies Susan Roces on May 20 caught everyone by surprise because there was no news of any illness. It turns out that her public appearance on Feb. 26, when she was honored with a national stamp by the Philippine Postal Corporation, would be her last.

Manang Inday, as we fondly called Tita Susan, joined us in regular get-togethers usually hosted by Law Tan in his condominium. The “Dabarkads,” as we called ourselves, were composed of Manang Inday, Dolor Guevarra and daughters Jaypee and Anes, Marichu Maceda, Helen Gamboa, Tony and Mads Tuviera, Sen. Grace Poe, Bechay Nakpil, June Rufino, Shirley Kwan, Veana Fores, Malou Choa-Fagar, Eric Quizon, Gello Jamias, Danny Dolor, Ricky Lo, Ronald Constantino. We gathered regularly for over 10 years, finding any excuse to eat and catch up.

Susan with Rosa del Rosario and Norma Blancafl or in 1981.

Danny Dolor

I sometimes called Manang Inday “Mama” in jest, using the sosyal inflection affected by the wealthy characters in glossy Filipino movies, and we would both laugh heartily at this. During our get-togethers, Manang Inday was always dressed for the occasion in her signature slacks and blouse, hair perfectly coiffed, and face beautifully made up. She had an effortless, regal bearing about her, one befitting of the Queen of Philippine Cinema moniker. She would listen intently to our stories and laugh with gusto when the occasion called for it. I won’t ever forget that when I turned 50, she gifted me with a beautiful pair of pearl earrings, my birthstone. I was so touched by this gesture and appreciative of her generosity.

And so, to celebrate the life of Manang Inday, I’ve asked my fellow “dabarkads” to share their fondest memories of her.

Dolor Guevarra: “Every day, kausap ko siya. Every morning, walang absent. Every time na may something sa family ko, lagi siya nakaalalay sa amin. Nitong pandemic, nag-try lang si Anes mag-bake ng chicken pie. Natikman niya, sabi niya gawing business. Pagkatapos binigyan ang mga bata ng pang-start. Siya talaga ang dahilan kung bakit nagka-Pan de Tisay.”

Jaypee Plata: “Mama Inday was a K-drama fan. When Crash Landing On You became a hit, she liked Hyun Bin, so she started watching all his shows, even researching about his personal life including mga girlfriends nito at bakit sila nag-break. But Lee Min Ho was different, ibang level ng pagka-fan girl si Mama Inday nito. She would call us and make kwento kung bakit naghiwalay si Lee Min Ho at girlfriend niya. Pati nanay ni Lee Min Ho na masungit na-research niya. Until one day she called to say ayaw na daw niya kay Lee Min Ho kasi may pinaasang girl, si Park Shin Hye, so I had to tell her hindi po totoo yung nasa YouTube. Gawa-gawa lang din ng mga fans niya, but she would reply, ‘Ah, basta, ayoko na sa kanya!’ That’s the fan girl side of Mama Inday.”

Anes Plata: “Mama Inday never failed to make us feel loved. She was always caring and thoughtful. I will never forget one Christmas when our mom was in the States, she called our house every day to check on us and see if we were OK. She always sent food over. The last few times we spoke, she’d always say ‘pamilya tayo’ and we really felt like family to her. She’ll forever be Mama Inday to us.”

Helen Gamboa: “Susan and I met many years ago when we were both young and single. Star na siya noon, ako starting pa lang sa aking career. We became close when we did Walang Hanggan in 2012. It was then I saw first-hand the gem of a person she was. In between takes, she would ask me to take naps with her. ‘Halika, Margaret (my name in the serye), tabi tayo, ang laki naman ng kama eh.’ We would then talk about anything and everything hanggang hindi na kami nakatulog dahil sa kwentuhan namin. During breaks, we always ate together, enjoyed our conversations and shared meals. We even talked about doing our version of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Ako si Baby Jane and siya naman si Blanche, yung role ni Joan Crawford.

“I loved it when Ate Sue, as I fondly called her, would request food she wanted me to cook for her. ‘Margaret, pagluto mo naman ako ng puchero…or kuhol…or pancit palabok — itabi mo yung pusit para sa akin, ha.’ Ipagmamalaki pa niya yung food and say, ‘Masarap yan dahil cooked with TLC.’”

Bechay Nakpil: “Tita Susan will always be an older sister, aunt, a very good and dear friend to Manay Ichu (Maceda), a daughter to my mom, granddaughter to my lola (Mommy Vera) and a shining star to my dad, Doc Perez, who dubbed her as ‘The face that refreshes.’ She never gave him any problems during her stay in Sampaguita and she continued to shine even brighter in her other pursuits, and whom my family continues to love to this day.”

Veana Fores: “I will never forget one birthday of mine and I got a gift from Tita Susan, a giant wheel of cheese, as in one giant BIG, BIG wheel of cheese! I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do! Apparently, she asked Tita Dolor what I like and Tita D said I liked cheese! For my next birthday, I again received different kinds of cheese. Nako, every time I see cheese now, I will remember Tita Susan.”

Malou Choa-Fagar: “When she found out that I love chicken feet, she asked her cook to make for me and sent it to Broadway studio. I think she sent me twice. She would also ask me about how GMA is doing. She was concerned with the workers of the industry.”

Eric Quizon: “Whenever I see Tita Susan, she gives me the best pieces of advice. But the one thing I always remember is that she always pats me on the back whenever I say goodbye to her. It was not just comforting but also a reassurance that she has my back all the time.”

Gello Jamias: “There are too many things to mention about why we love Manang Inday, but the fondest memories would be when she listens intently to all our stories during our dinner gatherings and then she will give her ‘relevant advice’ rooted in life’s lessons and concern with the issues at hand.”

Law Tan: “When my grandmother passed away, Manang Inday took time from her busy schedule to visit the wake. In fact, she arrived in her Lola Kap outfit as she had to go back to the shoot. She also visited my dad’s wake a few years later and took time to comfort my mom who is her No. 1 fan. She kept sending food and messages of concern for our family and we will never forget her kindness and compassion. Ganyan si Manang Inday, she will show her love to the ones you love.”

Ronald Constantino: “I remember Susan with fondness and sadness. The fondest, when we went to her farm in San Jose, Batangas and she proudly showed her plants, especially the giant lemons. The saddest, when I saw her a day after FPJ’s death.”

Danny Dolor: “Unbeknownst to most, Susan was a fond lover of Kundiman, Harana and Balitaw… all Filipino music, really. Our time together started as early as 1964 when we first met when she endorsed our office’s campaign. Since then, we’ve had many fond memories, the brightest of which always revolved around the many events she attended as my guest. The first of which was way back in 1979, when she sat regally at my tribute to Atang dela Rama, the Zarzuela Queen.

“Just as well, Susan also graced my book launch for former movie queen Carmen Rosales. And finally, Susan attended my dinner-concert in honor of post-war movie queens Rosa del Rosario and Norma Blancaflor way back in 1981. One could most certainly say that Susan, while foremost a queen in her own right, always took every chance and opportunity to show support for her sisters in the industry, an attitude that we should all love to emulate.”

June Rufino: “We asked Manang Inday to be our ninang sa kasal and she took this role seriously. Before our wedding, she asked me to see her at the FPJ office in Escolta. She talked to me about how to be a good wife, a good mother and how to make a marriage work. That is how involved and how she took every responsibility seriously. I have taken all her advice to heart and while some things in life did not work out, I stuck to the words of wisdom she told me. She was a hands-on and caring ninang, a kind and caring friend and a lady of such grace and wisdom whom I shall treasure always.”

Shirley Kuan: “Manang Inday genuinely cared for my two adopted boys and would always share her experiences and wisdom from raising Sen. Grace. She knew exactly what I needed to hear and comforted me with her words of assurance that everything will turn out right in the end. Professionally, Manang Inday gave me the biggest honor of my career by trusting me to be her agent for all her endorsement deals. Being able to proudly represent the Queen, along with her manager, Tita Dolor, is indeed a precious blessing of my professional life. Manang Inday was a true professional and every production team’s dream to work with. She’s indeed a tough act to follow for the next generation of actors in our industry.”