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93 years without regret

Hannah Bisnar
Aug 18, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Sep 22, 2021

TALENT AND AGE. Celia Diaz Laurel was a singer-songwriter who contributed to the performing arts.

The lights shined and myriad emotions filled her as she played her role on the stage. The audience roared its approval as the act ended and as the curtains began to close. It was the end of just another workday for Celia Diaz Laurel.

Celia was every woman's dream. She came from the golden age when women did it all. Even with eight children and a busy politician husband, Celia was known for her love for the arts as a thespian and actress.

She would have 50 portraits on stage with almost 80 pieces she designed for costume. In a book she released, Celia wrote an entertaining story in a straightforward and simple style about her theatrical life that not only gives an insight to the curious reader into her life, but also the social surroundings of her time.

Celia has not only been an icon to all of us, but she has also become a huge inspiration to our generation today. Right back in their time, many of her works were constantly loved and appreciated by the Filipino people.

Incidentally, she accomplished much in her glorious and outsized life, but perhaps her greatest legacy is found in her family. Her eight children and 19 grandchildren, all of whom remember, above all, her unparalleled kindness, dignity, and warmth. For them, she was more than the actress who dazzled audiences or the hostess who entertained world leaders—she was the mother and grandmother who held their hands as they grew up in the world.

Flipping through the pages of her journey, Celia Diaz Laurel indeed lived a long, beautiful and graceful life. However, knowing that this stroke of hers could not get any more complicated, the clock struck 8:30 p.m. on the 12th of July, marking the last page of her story. The silence of the hospital room was so deafening; everyone was full of emotion as they bid their goodbyes.

At the end of her book, Laurel wrote, “I believe that in every production design and costume created, and in every role I played as an actress, I had the Master Director leading me on and blessing my works. To Him I offered them all, as I would in every role I played behind the proscenium. And I am indeed, truly grateful.”