January

Nona A. Zaldivar, 93, veteran career diplomat and China expert, on January 11, in Manila. She served at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing as consul and Deputy Chief of Mission from 1979 to 1986, and again from 1993-1995.

Manolo M. Lopez, 80, businessman, diplomat and one of the stewards of the Lopez family, on January 12, in Manila, due to cardiac arrest. He was appointed Ambassador to Japan during President Benigno Aquino’s administration from 2010 to 2016.

Manolo Lopez (Source: Rockwell Land | ABS-CBN News)

Ron Menor, 67, longtime Hawaii politician, on January 16, from an unexpected medical emergency, in Hawaii. He served in the Honolulu City Council, as a state representative in the 1980s and 1990s, and a state senator in the 2000s. He was the son of the late Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Menor and Lillian Menor.

Fr. Catalino G. Arevalo, 97, Jesuit theologian who became the first Asian prelate member of the International Theological Commission of the Holy See and the first founding member of the Theological Advisory Commission of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, on January 18, at the Jesuit Health and Wellness Center in Quezon City.

Fr. Catalino Arevalo (Source: Philippine Jesuits)

Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68, lover of ballroom dancing, shot to death by a gunman at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California killing ten other people, on January 21.

February

Albert Gaw, 83, Filipino Chinese American cultural psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, on February 1. He helped establish health centers for the Asian American community in Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dr. Albert Gaw (Source: Pychiatric News)

Terry Saldaña, 64, former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player who won six championships, with two of those coming with the Barangay Ginebra franchise, on February 1, in Manila, due to a lingering illness.

Terry Saldaña (Photo by Ernie Sarmiento)

Roberto “Bobby” Velayo Ongpin, 86, chairman of Alphaland Corporation on February 4, in his sleep in Balesin, the island resort he built. He was the youngest Minister for Trade and Industry under President Ferdinand Marcos.

Sheikh Khalifa Nando, 81, co-founder of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and first Wali (symbolic head) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), on February 5, in Cotabato City.

Sheikh Khalifa Nando (Source: Wikipedia)

Lualhati Bautista, 77, writer, novelist, liberal activist and political critic, on February 12, at her home. She was a multi-awardee of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Short Story and for Novel in Filipino.

Lualhati Bautista (Source: National Book Store | Facebook)

Doris Trinidad Gamalinda, 95, poet, essayist and editor of several national publications, on February 13, in Manila.

Doris Gamalinda (Source: *Manila Bulletin)*

Maurice Arcache, 89, foremost society columnist since the ‘70s, on February 17, in his sleep, in Manila. Born to a French Lebanese businessman and a half American mother, Arcache was considered the Wikipedia of the rich and famous in the Philippines where he wrote about their lifestyles, travels and other stories.

Rommel Alameda, 49, Aparri Vice Mayor killed after being ambushed in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, February 19. Gunmen fired at his vehicle while parked outside a school; five other people were killed.

Rommel Alameda (Source: *Abante* | Facebook)

March

Emmanuel “Boybits” Victoria, 50, former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) star, on March 1, in Manila.

Emmanuel “Boybits” Victoria (Source: ABS-CBN News)

Roel Degamo, 56, Negros Oriental Governor shot outside his residence in Pamplona, on March 4 while distributing aid to constituents. His wife, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo said five others were also killed when six gunmen started shooting.

Felipe “Jun” A. Latonio, Jr., age unknown, musician, composer and musical director, on March 10 in Quezon City.

Felipe “Jun” A. Latonio, Jr. (Source: MUBI)

Jesus “Jesse” Antonio Vizcocho, 63, the first Filipino American to be appointed as a council member for the City of Kodiak, Alaska where he served for two terms, on March 11, in Anchorage, Alaska. He was also elected Deputy Mayor of Kodiak and served as President of the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of Alaska and the Government Affairs Director for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

Jesus “Jesse” Antonio Vizcocho (Source: *asian Journal)*

Luis V. Teodoro, 81, veteran columnist in BusinessWorld, media critic and champion of the alternative press, on March 14, in Manila. He was among the remaining journalists from the Martial Law era and was also a political prisoner. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines called Teodoro “the staunchest advocate for the best in the profession and the most savage critic of its worst practices.”

Ma. Lourdes “Baby” Araneta Fores, 84, fashion icon and daughter of Don Amado Araneta of the Cubao Araneta Coliseum fame (now called Smart Araneta), on March 24, of lung cancer, in Manila.

Ma. Lourdes “Baby” Araneta Fores (Source: *Tatler Asia)*

Jaime “Jimmy” Tadeo, 84, peasant leader and one of the framers of the 1987 Constitutional Commission, on March 26, in Manila, from complications from diabetes. He formed the farmers’ group, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) with other militant peasant farmers.

April

Victor S. Barrios, 81, businessman and World Bank consultant, on April 1, due to cardiac arrest following a gall bladder operation, in San Francisco, California.

Victor S. Barrios (Source: *Inquirer.net)*

Filemon “Jun” Berba, Jr., 84, former head of Manila Water Company and Globe Telecom, in Manila. He was also chair of the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology that started the first interactive science center-museum located in Marikina, and the Traveling Interactive Science Exhibits.

Edgar Madamba, 73, famous fashion designer in the ‘80s and ‘90s, on April 9, from a serious heart condition, in Manila. He designed the “balimbing skirt” (star fruit) that followed the unique shape of the fruit with every movement with its accordion pleats.

Renato “Boysie” Villavicencio, 72, fashion designer and artist, on April 16, due to stomach cancer, in Manila.

Boysie Villavicencio (Source: The Boysie Villavicencio Arts | Facebook)

Albert del Rosario, 83, former Philippine ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2006 and Philippine Foreign Secretary from 2011 to 2016, on April 18, on a plane just before landing in San Francisco, California where he was scheduled to undergo treatment, due to cardiac arrest. During his term as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, he sued China for violating rights in the West Philippine Sea, a case the Philippines won.

Ed Picson, 69, veteran sportscaster and president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), on April 19, due to liver cancer complications. His show in the 1990s, Blow by Blow, featured the early fights of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Oscar “Oskie” Moreno Lopez, 93, patriarch of the Lopez family and chairman emeritus of the Lopez Group of Companies and First Philippine Holdings Corporation, on April 22, due to old age, in Manila.

Emanuel V. Soriano, 87, 14th University of the Philippines President, on April 22, after a long ailment that confined him to a wheelchair for years, in Manila.

Emanuel V. Soriano

Cesar Alegria, 63, Pacific Gas & Electric Company lawyer and former president of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California, on April 23, in Palo Alto, California.

Ivan “Navi” Gacho, 24, Filipino Mobile Legends player-turned-coach, on April 24 a month before his 25th birthday, in Manila, due to fatal arrhythmia.

May

Francisco “Frankie” Roman, Jr., 76, business professor at Asian Institute of Management (AIM) where he designed a course to teach regional trial judges the basics in economics and business so they can appreciate and better understand the arguments put before them by lawyers representing business interests, on May 5, in Manila.

Carlos Padilla, 78, Nueva Vizcaya Governor, on May 5, due to a heart attack. As governor, he stood against large-scale mining in his province. As a congressman in 1987, he authored the landmark Free High School Act of 1988 that ensures free high school education for every Filipino and RA 6728 that provides various forms of government assistance to students and teachers in private education.

Adrianne Rovic Fornillos, 24, Mister Cagayan de Oro 2023 candidate, shot to death by his girlfriend’s former lover as he was riding his motorcycle in Barangay Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, on the evening of May 9; he died the day after in the hospital.

Adrianne Rovic Fornillos (Source: CDODev.com)

Jose Ritzi “Ting” Manigque Tiongco, 75, surgeon and known as the father of health cooperatives in the Philippines and CEO of the Medical Mission Group Hospitals and Health Services Cooperative-Philippines (MMGHHSCP) Federation, on May 16, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Taguig City.

Jose Ritzi “Ting” Manigque Tiongco (Source: Phi Kappa Mu | Twitter)

Pepito Albert, 63, fashion designer, on May 27, after battling cancer the past two years, in Manila.

Pepito Albert (Source: *Manila Bulletin)*

Guido Reyes, 62, Negros Oriental Governor, on May 31, less than three months after assuming the governorship from Roel Degamo following the Pamplona massacre, of undisclosed health issues.

Ramon J. Farolan, 88, Philippine Air Force general, government official, diplomat, and columnist, on May 31, in Manila.

June

Gilbert Arce, 54, president of the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, on June 3, due to a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a pickup truck along the Santa, Ilocos Sur section of the Manila North Road.

John Regala, 55, award-winning actor, on June 3, from cardiac arrest due to liver and kidney complications, in Manila.

John Regala (Source: The Movie Database)

Raul S. Picardo, 84, first Filipino immigrant to be licensed to practice law in California, on June 10, in Oakland, California. Even after graduating from UC Berkeley, he was not allowed to take the bar because he was not yet a U.S. citizen. He sued and won, and was admitted to the bar on July 3, 1972, paving the way for thousands of immigrant attorneys to practice law in California.

Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, 88, the first Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumnus to be elected senator. He was the former commandant of the Philippine Marines (1987-1989), commanding general of the NCR Defense Command (1988-1990), and Armed forces of the Philippines chief in 1991, on June 12, of pneumonia, in Manila. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2022 and was undergoing treatment.

Rodolfo Biazon (Photo by Joey Razon | Wikipedia)

Christian de Leon Espiritu, 89, considered an important figure in redefining the Filipiniana attire and couturier to Imelda Marcos, on June 18, in Manila.

Warren Villa, 52, San Juan City Vice Mayor and preacher, on June 18, in Manila, of natural causes.

Corazon Malanyaon, 73, Davao Oriental Governor on June 28, after she fell hard on the ground during a Zumba session with town officials as they were celebrating the municipality’s founding anniversary. She had suffered “several series of strokes” in 2022.

July

Mario Dumaual, 64, broadcast and online entertainment journalist with ABS-CBN, on July 5 due to septic shock. He had been battling a severe fungal infection, a complication during his recovery from a heart attack he suffered in June.

Gregg Tecson, 69, Cebuano actor, on July 7, in Cebu.

Amando Doronila, 95, veteran journalist and political columnist, of pneumonia, on July 7, in Australia. In early 2023, he released the second part of his memoirs, Doro: Behind the Byline, which talked about his years as a reporter and his experience as a political detainee under President Ferdinand Marcos.

Amando Doronila (Source: *Inquirer.net)*

Recto “Rick” De Leon, 85, family doctor in Modesto, California, and recipient of the California Medical Association’s Frederick K.M. Plessner Memorial Award for his service to the rural community of indigents in 2021, on July 10, due to cancer.

Felix “Toti” Ople, 65, former Bulacan first district board member and son of the late Senate President Blas Ople, on July 13, in Manila, due to cancer.

Felix “Toti” Ople (Source: *Manila Times)*

Joyce Juan Manalo, 58, community activist in the SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District of San Francisco, on July 17, in San Francisco, four months after experiencing a stroke and seven months after being diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. She and her husband, Allan, started Bindlestiff Studios, “an epicenter of Filipino American Performing Arts,” and the only one of its kind in the whole country.

Joyce Juan Manalo (Photo by Allan Manalo)

Willie Nepomuceno, 75, comedian and impersonator of Philippine celebrities and politicians, on July 26, in Manila, due to head injuries following a fall from his bed.

Dionisio Micabalo, 61, top leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Mindanao killed by Philippine army troops when he and his companions were about to settle for the night in Gingoog, Eastern Misamis Oriental, on July 27.

Dionisio Micabalo (Source: Philippine Revolution Web Central)

Rowe Libot, age unknown, former Lumad school teacher tagged by the military as a rebel, killed when the rebels and military exchanged firepower, on July 27, in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. The Save Our Schools Network (SOS Network) said that Libot devoted himself to empowering marginalized Dulangan-Manobo people through education.

Jose Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, 85, former Secretary of Tourism during President Corazon Aquino’s administration, on July 29, due to complications from COVID.

Jose Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez (Source: Flickr)

August

Lourdes Olivares-Agcaoili, 95, physician and former president of the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (1988), on August 1, due to old age, in Hillsborough, California.

Guillermo Parayno, Jr., 75, the longest-serving Customs chief post-1986 who introduced anti-corruption reforms during the Ramos administration, on August 2, in Manila, due to a heart attack.

Guillermo Parayno, Jr. (Source: Port Calls)

Alfredo “Fred” Alvarez Aquitania, 75, community activist and tireless Ninoy Aquino Movement (NAM) volunteer, on August 2, in California, due to kidney failure.

Jamile Matthew “JM” Canlas, 17, former child actor and youngest brother of Gameboys star Elijah Canlas, on August 3, of undisclosed causes.

Rizalino “Lino” Rivera, 61, former Undersecretary for Governance and Operations of the Department of Education under the administration of President Benigno Aquino, Jr., on August 3, due to a fall that rendered him unconscious.

Rizalino “Lino” Rivera (Source: Ateneo De Manila University)

Anna Maria “Bambi” Lammoglia Harper, 82, heritage conservationist and cultural writer, on August 5, in Manila, of unknown causes.

Bartolome S. Carale, 90, dean of University of the Philippines’ College of Law, in his sleep, on August 5.

Bishop Juanito Policios, 43, a charismatic figure in South Cotabato’s evangelical community, on August 6, gunned down by assailants on a motorcycle, in Barangay San Isidro, Koronadal City, South Cotabato. An earlier attack on Policios in 2022 missed him but killed a man and a child in the process.

Bishop Juanito Policios (Source: *Inquirer.net)*

Martin Diño, 66, former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary appointed by President Duterte, on August 8, due to acute respiratory failure and stage IV lung cancer. His last-minute filing of his candidacy for president in the 2016 elections allowed then-Davao city Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to substitute him as PDP-Laban standard bearer.

Estela Matriano, Ph.D., 93, former educator at the University of Cincinnati and Alliant University and former president and executive director of World Council for Curriculum & Instruction (WCCI), on August 9, due to complications from pneumonia, in Issaquah, Washington. She also co-founded The Filipino School in San Diego, California.

Robert Arevalo, 85, veteran screen actor, on August 10, due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease.

Danilo Lacuna, 85, former Manila City vice mayor, on August 13, cause unknown. In September 2020, the Sandiganbayan ordered Lacuna and his wife to return P9 million worth of government assets that were deemed “unlawfully acquired.” The Lacunas filed a motion for reconsideration, but the Sandiganbayan reaffirmed its decision.

Angie Ferro, 86, veteran actress who led contemporary films Lola Igna where she won a Best Actress award and Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan, on August 18, in Manila. She had suffered from multiple strokes prior to her death.

Susan “Toots” Ople, 61, advocate for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, on August 22, in Manila, from complications from breast cancer. She was the daughter of Blas Ople, former labor secretary and Senate president under Ferdinand Marcos.

Elmer Mape, age unknown, lawyer and known critic of a former official in the province, on August 22, shot twice while harvesting corn on his farm in Barangay Caibugos, in Villaba, Leyte. Police claim the suspect is a former rebel.

Mike Enriquez, 71, veteran GMA broadcast journalist, on August 29, in Manila. He had battled diabetes, had a kidney transplant and a heart bypass in the past years.

September

Alex Edillor, 68, former writer and editor of Bakersfield Californian and founder and president of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) of Delano, on September 7, due to congenital heart failure worsened by COVID, in Delano, California.

Ethel Ramos, 87, veteran talent manager and entertainment columnist, on September 10, in Manila, cause of death unknown.

Mariluz Panaszewicz Ragasa, 57, Bay Area floral designer and active community member, on September 13, after two heart attacks that caused permanent brain damage, in San Francisco.

Saniata V. Gonzales Alzate, 48, lawyer, on September 14, shot dead inside her car in front of her house, in Abra. She provided pro-bono legal services to countless indigent clients, including victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war.

Saniata V. Gonzales Alzate (Source: Politko)

Juan Miguel Luz, 65, former Associate Dean of Asian Institute of Management and former Secretary of Education under President Gloria Arroyo but resigned after three and a half years after “seeing that the reforms they have put in place may not survive due to President Arroyo’s deal-making,” on September 21, due to kidney failure, in Manila.

Juan Miguel Luz (Source: Philippine Center for Population and Development)

Pedro Pancho, 89, six-time former congressman of the second district of Bulacan, on September 21, in Bulacan, of unknown causes. He authored House Bill 6429 to provide subsidy to students affected by tuition increases.

Bayani Fernando, 77, former Marikina mayor, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair and congressman, on September 22, in Manila, due to a fall from the roof of his house while fixing it.

Lourdes “Deedee” Munson Siytangco, 83, leading journalist and former spokesperson of President Corazon Aquino, on September 28, due to septic shock from pneumonia, “with significant conditions that contributed to her death including urothelial cancer, hypertension and hypothyroidism,” in Manila.

Lourdes “Deedee” Munson Siytangco (Source: Vivapinas.com)

October

Edward Hagedorn, 76, congressman from Palawan’s 3rd district, on October 3, of pancreatic cancer. He ran Puerto Princesa for nearly 21 years as the city’s mayor.

Cesar Rafael Concio, Jr., 92, member of the Board of Trustees of Ateneo de Manila University; former president of the Ateneo Alumni Association and named as one of the Philippines’ Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in 1965, on October 4, in Manila, due to a lingering illness.

Cesar Rafael Concio, Jr (Source: Ateneo De Manila University)

Angeline Aguirre, 33, nurse who refused to leave the elderly patient she was caring for in Kibbutz Kfar Gaza, during the Hamas attacks in Israel, on October 7.

Angeline Aguirre (Source: *Manila Bulletin)*

Grace Cabrera, 45, caregiver living and working in Kibbutz Be'eri to care for a 95-year-old, kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists, on October 7. Her body was only recovered on October 19.

Grace Cabrera (Right) and Aviva Sela (Source: *Times of Israel)*

Paul Vincent Castelvi, 42, caregiver living and working in Kibbutz Be'eri, murdered by Hamas terrorists, on October 7. His body was found in the nearby Be'eri forest.

Paul Vincent Castelvi (Source: *Times of Israel)*

Loreta Alacre, 49, caregiver working in Israel for the past 15 years and was slated to visit the Philippines to celebrate her 50th birthday, killed by Hamas terrorists while attending the music festival, on October 7.

Loreta Alacre (Source: *Times of Israel)*

Greg Macabenta, 84, advertising executive, businessman, writer, former publisher of Filipinas Magazine, former president of NaFFAA (National Federation of Filipino American Associations), on October 11, after undergoing dialysis, in Manila.

Mila D. Aguilar, 74, poet, essayist, activist who was in the revolutionary underground for 13 years, a political prisoner for more than one year during the Marcos dictatorship, and winner of the Freedom to Write Award from PEN USA West in 1991, on October 13, of unknown causes, in Manila.

Mila D. Aguilar (Source: joeirevilleza.wordpress.com)

Rodolfo “Rudy” Cuenca, 95, close associate of President Ferdinand Marcos and former chairman of Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (CDCP), on October 16, of old age, in Manila.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Cuenca (Source: *Philstar)*

Elsa Velez Payumo, 83, travel industry executive, four-time president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, a TOWNS (Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) awardee, and a former Miss Caltex, on October 17, of heart issues, at the Philippine Heart Center.

Emmanuel Teodosio, 73, Marine commander known for reclaiming a town in Lanao del Norte from rebels 23 years ago, on October 23, due to lymphoma cancer, in Taguig, Rizal.

Noel “Sonny” Izon, 76, Filipino American documentary filmmaker known for Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines and An Untold Triumph: America’s Filipino Soldiers, on October 25, after a massive heart attack, at the Milan airport, Italy where he celebrated his wedding anniversary. He was waiting for their flight back to the U.S.

Richard Enriquez, Jr., 59, one of the Philippines’ beloved radio disc jockeys, on October 25, in Manila, due to severe abdominal and chest pain.

Joey Paras, 45, actor and director on October 29, due to an undisclosed illness, in Manila. His breakout role was playing the lead in the dramedy, Last Supper Number 3, which won best film at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2009.

November

Teddy Co, 64, film curator, archivist, promoter and advocate of Philippine cinema, on November 1, due to cancer, in Manila. He was head of the National Committee on Cinema of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Roberto “Bobby” Huang, 71, San Miguel Corporation president, on November 4, in Manila, cause of death unknown.

Roberto “Bobby” Huang (Source: *Rappler)*

Juan “Johnny Walker” Jumalon, 57, radio broadcaster of the daily program “Pahapyod sa Kabuntagon” (Rubbing Touch in the Morning), on November 5, shot dead by unidentified attackers with the shooting caught on the livestream of his show, in Misamis Occidental, Philippines.

Juan “Johnny Walker” Jumalon (Source: OneNewsPH)

Conrado de Quiros, 72, veteran journalist, author and longtime columnist of “There’s the Rub” for Philippine Daily Inquirer, on November 6, due to a massive stroke that left him in a coma, in Manila.

Conrado De Quiros (Source: *Inquirer.net)*

Edmar Perero, 54, council member in Barangay Dolores in Antipas, Cotabato, shot by unidentified suspects, on November 6, in Cotabato, Philippines. He was the second newly elected barangay council member shot to death in Cotabato.

Paul Albert Saquian, age unknown, engineer, and winner of the October 30 race for barangay chairman in Datu Abdul Dadia, shot several times by two unidentified men on a motorcycle, on November 7, in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines.

Paul Albert Saquian (Source: *Remate Online)*

Rina Jimenez David, 68, journalist, columnist for Philippine Daily Inquirer for nearly three decades and passionate women’s rights advocate, on November 12, due to an undisclosed illness, in Manila.

Rina Jimenez David (Source: *Inquirer.net)*

Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias, 43, media entrepreneur, radio DJ and music promoter, advocate of the Filipino American artists community, on November 19, in Walnut, California, of unknown circumstances.

Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias (Source: *Los Angeles Times)*

John “Bobby” Ocampo, 64, billionaire philanthropist and venture capitalist who invested in communications and semiconductor industries, of cancer and heart failure, on November 21, in Mountain View, California.

John Ocampo (Source: *Los Altos Town Crier)*

Giselo Castillones, age unknown, former mayor of Cateel, Davao Oriental province, shot by unidentified gunmen after having breakfast, wounding his driver and female companion, on November 22, in Davao City, Philippines.

Catherine “Kaye” Cloutman, 48, founder, former publisher and editor-in-chief of Gastronomique En Vogue, on November 23, of a heart attack on board the plane on her way to Manila from San Francisco.

Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, 59, former Philippine National Police chief and Undersecretary of Health, on November 24, from pneumonia due to Stage 4 lung cancer, in Manila.

Camilo Pancratius Cascolan (Source: Wikipedia)

Nelda Lopez Rizza di Sardi (formerly Nelda Navarro), age unknown, singer and actress, known for such movies as “My Little Kuwan” and “Nukso ng Nukso,” among others, in Canada on November 26. She was the mother of singer/activist Leah Navarro.

Sammy Manese, 15, social media personality who posted comedy and lifestyle videos to his 1.93 million subscribers, on November 29, in Manila, due to a heart condition.

December

Manuel “Jun” Urbano, Jr., 84, actor who gained fame as “Mr. Shooli,” advertising executive and satirist, on December 2, in Manila, due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. A month before his death the University of the Philippines bestowed on him the Gawad Plaridel award.

Tagumpay R. Jardiniano, 89, Rear Admiral and Flag Office-in-Command of the Philippine Navy under President Cory Aquino, on December 4, in Manila. He was one of the top military officers who defected to the Enrile-Ramos camp during the EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986.

Carlyn Monastrial, 47, First Secretary and Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines in Madrid, on December 14, in Madrid, Spain, due to complications from an invasive thyroid tumor. Previously, she served as consul in San Francisco, California.

Rowena Burden, 58, physician and fierce critic of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, on December 15, in Cebu, of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Rowena Burden (Source: *Manila Bulletin)*

Ronaldo Valdez, 76, veteran film and television actor, on December 17, in Manila. He had gunshot wounds in his right and left temple and was holding a gun in one hand when his driver found his body.

Avelino “Samboy” Lim, 61, former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Hall of Famer player, on December 23, in Manila. In 2014, he fell into a coma after suffering a cardiac arrest while on the bench during an exhibition game.

Avelino “Samboy” Lim (Source: One Sports PH)

Ricardo “Ricky” Abad, 77, theater director, emeritus professor of sociology in Ateneo, founding director of the Ateneo Fine Arts Department and the longest serving artistic director of Tanghalang Ateneo, the theater group, on December 26, in Manila. He is recognized as the moving force behind the development of Areté, Ateneo’s museum of arts in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, where he was Artistic Director.

The Magazine

In Memoriam 2023