Veteran entertainment editor and columnist Ricardo F. Lo has died. He was 75.
In a social media post by The Philippine Star, where Lo had served as the entertainment editor since 1986, the media outfit "expressed deep sorrow" over the death of the showbiz columnist.
Lo's death was confirmed by his sister Susan Lee. He perished past 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday (May 4) due to a stroke. He had just celebrated his birthday on April 21.
Lo was regarded as an institution in entertainment journalism. He is known for his exclusive items and scoops in his columns Conversations with Ricky Lo and FunFare.
In a statement sent to the media, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto acknowledged Lo’s contribution to local cinema highlighting “his daily reportage, if pieced together into a film reel, would tell the complete story of an industry whose impact on people and influence on society are great.”
“Ricky Lo’s daily columns were the first drafts of the history of Philippine cinema,” Recto’s statement starts.
“Compile them and the results are the authoritative annals of the local film industry, by someone who penned it with a keen eye and a sense of fairness from his front row seat,” he adds.
Recto also validated Lo’s staying power in the industry.
“Stars come and go, film companies rise and fade, but Ricky Lo had staying power because of the respect he earned from the admirable practice of his craft,” his statement ends.
Born in Tabaco, Albay, Lo took up AB English at the University of the East and started his career in entertainment journalism in the '60s.
Before writing a column for Philippine Star, Lo started his stint as an entertainment journalist in The Manila Times and The Manila Chronicle. From 1969 to 1972, Lo worked as editorial assistant of Variety magazine, the Sunday supplement of the old Manila Times where he started his FunFare column.
Venturing into broadcast media, Lo co-hosted a few television talk shows including GMA 7's Startalk and CelebriTV, and ABS-CBN's entertainment show, The Buzz.