Armida Siguion-Reyna, the singer, actress, and television and film producer, passed away Monday afternoon at the Makati Medical Center at age 88 after battling cancer, her sister Irma Potenciano said.
Born Nov. 4, 1930, Siguion-Reyna first performed at age eight in the film “Yaman ng Mahirap,” but made her mark as both producer and performer of the musical TV series “Aawitan Kita” (I Will Sing To You), which started in 1970 and lasted for more than three decades.
The TV series paved the way for Siguion-Reyna’s other passion, acting”•with her youngest son, Carlitos, often on the director’s chair.
As producer of Reyna Films, “Tita Midz” helped bring to life well-remembered Filipino movies like “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit,” “Ikaw Pa Lamang,” “Inagaw Mo ang Lahat sa Akin,” “Abot-Kamay ang Pangarap,” “Kahapon, May Dalawang Bata,” “Ligaya ang Itawag Mo sa Akin,” “Azucena” and “Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya.”
The production often churned out excellent, critically acclaimed and award-winning films, with scripts by her daughter-in-law, screenwriter Bibeth Orteza, and music by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.
Under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada, Siguion-Reyna served as chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, and was a staunch champion of anti-censorship.
She was also the half-sister of former Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile. His father, Spanish-mestizo lawyer-politician Alfonso Ponce-Enrile, married Armida’s mother Purita Liwanag”•one of the early graduates of the University of the Philippines College of Music”•after divorcing his first wife, Rosario Martinez.
Her granddaughter, Cris Villonco, previously told ABS-CBN that Siguion-Reyna’s health deteriorated when her husband, Leonardo, died in 2010.
“She was always overjoyed when people who worked with her on and off the camera, visited her at home. She loved the company of people around her,” said Villonco, the child of Siguion-Reyna’s only daughter, Monique, with lawyer Opap Villonco.
In February 2015 or at age 85, Siguion-Reyna launched her biography, “Armida,” which celebrated her legacy as one of the pillars of show business and respected names in the entertainment industry. The book was launched by ABS-CBN Publishing Inc.
