Rogelio de la Rosa
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Rogelio de la Rosa (November 12, 1916 - November 10, 1986) was one of the most popular Filipino matinee idols of the 20th century. Elected to the Philippine Senate in 1957, he also was the first Filipino film actor who was able to parlay his fame into a substantial political career, paving the way for other Filipino entertainers-turned-politicians such as Senator Eddie Ilarde, Senator Ramon Revilla, and President Joseph Estrada.
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[edit] Early life
He was born Regidor de la Rosa in Lubao, Pampanga, the son of an arnis champion. His hometown of Lubao also produced Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal, six years his senior and a future political opponent. Ironically, Macapagal's first wife, Purita, was De la Rosa's sister.
As a teenager, de la Rosa would regularly perform in zarzuelas as a villain. At the age of thirteen, he was cast by his uncle, a film director, in a starring role in the silent film Ligaw na Bulaklak opposite Rosa del Rosario. However, he did not then engage in a regular film career, opting instead to attend college at the Far Eastern University. He was an excellent collegiate athlete and debater.
[edit] Film stardom
De la Rosa maintained a career in film in the years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, but his roles were relatively minor. It was during the Japanese occupation that he first attained some measure of prominence, as a bodabil performer at the Life Theater in Manila. After the war, he emerged as a star, perhaps the most popular film actor of the first decade of the post-war. He rarely deviated from romantic leading roles, often cast in dramas opposite actresses such as Carmen Rosales, Paraluman, and Corazon Noble.
By the mid-1950s, de la Rosa had reached the pinnacle of his film career. He had been cast as the first Filipino actor to star in an American-produced movie, The Avenger. His 1956 role in Higit sa Lahat with Emma Alegre earned him the 'Best Actor' trophy at the 1956 FAMAS awards, as well as a citation as Southeast Asia's Best Actor at the Hongkong Film Festival.
[edit] Senator and presidential candidate
De la Rosa was elected to the Senate in 1957. As a Senator, he was active in issues concerning fisheries and agriculture, particular concerns within his home province of Pampanga, emerging as a strong advocate for nationalization of those industries. Appropriately, de la Rosa was also interested in issues relating to the Filipino film industry, co-authoring a bill that would lead to the establishment of a Board of Censors.
After four years in the Senate, De La Rosa decided to run for the presidency as an independent candidate. His residual popularity as a film star, as well as the unpopularity of incumbent re-electionist Nacionalista Carlos P. Garcia made him a credible candidate. The other major candidate in the race was then-Vice President Macapagal of the Liberal Party, his former brother-in-law (the widower Macapagal having remarried). Then shortly before election day, de la Rosa withdrew from the election. The reasons for his withdrawal remain a mystery. According to some authorized sources, de la Rosa was concerned about the strength of what he perceived as the corrupt political machinery of President Garcia, and was ultimately convinced that his withdrawal from the race was the only way to ensure Garcia's defeat. [1] Nonetheless, rumors soon spread that de la Rosa had been paid by the Macapagal camp to withdraw from the race, the money coming from the controversial American businessman Harry Stonehill. [2] Whatever the motivation, de la Rosa's gambit proved successful, and Macapagal was easily elected over Garcia.
[edit] Diplomat and later years
After the expiration of his term in 1963, de la Rosa would never be elected again to public office. Instead, de la Rosa remained in public service as an acclaimed diplomat. In 1965, he was appointed Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia, an important designation considering that country's proximity to the Philippines. During the administration of Ferdinand Marcos, de la Rosa was also named as Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands, and to the Soviet bloc countries of Poland, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. He was duly admired for his savvy in foreign affairs and language proficiency. He also used his position to promote Filipino art and culture and to assist Filipino artists performing abroad.
After retiring from the diplomatic corps, de la Rosa made his last foray into politics by unsuccessfully running in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa parliamentary elections. Shortly before his death from a heart attack in 1986, he played one last acting role, in a guest spot on the popular drama anthology Coney Reyes on Camera.
De la Rosa was married twice. His second wife, Lota Delgado was a former leading lady of his in films.
[edit] External links
- Rogelio de la Rosa at the Internet Movie Database
- Senator profile
- "Star Studded Politics" - Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
[edit] References
Filipinos in History: Volume III, National Historical Institute (Manila, 1996), pp. 75-77.
