COCOY LAUREL'S GIFT TO NORA AUNOR
24 April 2025
Lifted from Celia Diaz Laurel
23 May 2023
Because YOU asked for it, we are giving you another snippet of “The Remarkable Miss Nora Aunor” penned by Celia Diaz Laurel for the Superstar's 18th birthday.
Lollipops and Roses was a certified blockbuster but her legion of fans would not have probably hinted that Nora was silently suffering from many things, mainly intrigues and social pressure during this film’s shoot in the US.
In her tribute, Mrs. Laurel disclosed about a particular day when Nora was not in her usual active self and had become the shoot's cause of delay due to her frequent disappearances from the set. Naturally, the delays had also began to make her two leading men, Cocoy and Don Johnson, fidgety too.
So with all good intentions, Mrs. Laurel silently followed her. She found her sobbing in a corner. Trying her best to comfort her, Mrs. Laurel gently placed her hand on Nora's head.
Though surprised, the teen superstar whirled around and buried her face in Mrs. Laurel’s shoulder. Cocoy's mom then asked her why. Though Nora’s response was initially a dismissive “Wala ho,” she eventually out-tumbled the things that were bothering her. Mrs. Laurel listened.
In gist, the phenomenal star was heavily affected by gossipmongers and naysayers, so Mrs. Laurel gave this motherly advice to her: “Kapag ikaw ay nasa katwiran, hindi ka kailangang matakot sa sasabihin ng iba.”
Nora’s bare face lit up. She also seemed calmer and even managed to smile when she said “Salamat po. Ang bait niyo po,” to her leading man’s mom.
Witnessing this and other Nora’s sacrifices and dedication to her family, fans, and craft, Mrs. Laurel cannot but admire Nora. She wrote:
“She is the most maligned actress – perhaps because she is the most popular. This is the price that popularity exacts not only in the local movie world but in other areas of life as well. It is almost impossible to imagine that a young, frail slip of a girl, who used to sell “kakanin” near the railroad tracks in Bicol, can withstand a world of intrigues, of court cases, of black propaganda and still be able to work tirelessly for hours under the hot lights before the movie and television cameras. Others, more mature, would have easily succumbed under the trails, hardships and pressures endured by this young girl…”
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Portrait of Ms. Nora Aunor by good friend Cocoy Laurel in 1997. In an interview for a magazine, Cocoy who takes his talent in painting from his mother Celia, revealed that this portrait was an overnight masterpiece! Whew!
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Celia Diaz Laurel: "Surprise!
Let’s begin with this. As confirmed by Ms. Lotlot de Leon, this piece was painted by none other than Cocoy Laurel. Starting from Celia Diaz Laurel, making portraits or paintings has always been the family’s love language. Just imagine the effort poured into a painting like this—pure love and affection captured on canvas. And imagine receiving such a gift?
This is actually just one of two paintings Cocoy lovingly made for Guy.
“This one,” Cocoy said, “is dedicated to her National Artist award. The other is for her being the Superstar, MY Superstar.”
(Trust us when we say that the story behind the “Superstar” painting is just as powerful.)
When you speak to Cocoy, you hardly need to ask questions. Just a few prompts, and the stories flow freely from his heart.
“Were you able to show this to her personally?” we asked.
His shoulders dropped. “No,” he answered softly.
According to Ms. Miriam Castillo, one of our admins and Mrs. Laurel’s longtime executive assistant who has been accompanying Sir Cocoy to Nora Aunor’s wake, the painting had been sitting in Cocoy’s art studio for quite some time but she never had the chance to take a photo with it, not until last Monday, during Cocoy’s second visit.
Unlike the first painting, which Nora had the chance to see and hold for some time, this one—sadly—she never got to lay eyes on. :(
At least now, the painting is home—placed in the care of Lotlot and her siblings, whom Cocoy fondly said he had watched grow up through the years.
But you might be wondering: Where's the Superstar portrait then? It remained with Cocoy. Why? Well, that’s a story for another time.
At this point, we couldn’t help but recall the iconic Maria Leonora Theresa doll. If the Guy-Pip tandem had that as their symbolic “child,” then the Nora-Cocoy loveteam have these "babies" as their own version of it. That made you kilig, right?
Then, he recounted the moment he found out that Nora had been named a National Artist.
It wasn’t just joy, he explained. It was reverence, awe, and great pride, he added.
If you recall, Nora was conferred the prestigious award in 2022.
"She looks quite nahihirapan [huminga] when she delivered her thank you speech at one occasion, but when she said, ‘Kayo ang aking HIMALA’… I cried. I kept crying." Cocoy vividly remembered -- totally unapologetic for revealing this tender side of him.
He’s truly a softie -- a gentle soul.
And that’s when he knew, he said, that that was the perfect time for another portrait.
By the way, did you know that “Laurel” means honor? And while “Aunor" was just a screen name, its resonance is simply amazing. Stars aligning? Maybe.
“Were you able to talk to her when she received the award?”
“Yes. We were both crying on the phone,” he shared.
“She deserved that. She deserved that,” Cocoy emphasized, his voice filled with so much admiration and love. Then, suddenly, he fell silent and looked away -- a pause that almost moved us to tears.
Did it finally hit him that she’s gone?
To be continued…"
What a beautiful painting of the Superstar🫶🏻
PART 3
By Celia Diaz Laurel
In the meantime, Guy still can’t get over it.
Unfortunately, the showbiz world was just too small and their connection too knit that it was nearly impossible for their paths not to cross again.
In the same video interview, he shared that they were both invited to a GMA Special. He related the same to us. But he couldn’t quite recall the exact name of the show, but what stood out clearly to us was that he was supposed to serenade her. Maybe some of you fans out there can help us identify which show that was?
We kept trying to get him to remember when exactly it happened, but he kept brushing us off—clearly, he was lost in the moment. He was too happy sharing!
Then came a little light bulb moment when he suddenly mentioned that Yul Servo also sang with Nora. That’s when it hit us: could it have been during, before, or right after the "Naglalayag" days? Around 2004 to 2005, perhaps? Yes, the "Naglalayag" Superstar was still "nagtatampo" with Cocoy. 🤣
True professionals that they were, they went on stage and exchanged sweet nothings that drove fans wild -- but who would’ve known they still weren’t okay at the time?
“After that, she softened a bit,” Cocoy recalled.
But while their friendship was partially rebuilt, the damaged portrait of the Superstar remained unfixed!
So Cocoy continued to quietly search for ways to restore it. And eventually, he did. Thank God for the evolution of better art materials!
How?
"I had to order a special lacquer—very expensive—from overseas. It’s like a colorless masilya that I carefully applied to the damaged nose, layer by layer, until I could repaint over it,” Cocoy shared.
(We hope we got that right. Next time we see him, we'll ask again for the actual name and brand of the materials he used.)
It's quite ironic that it only took Cocoy two days to finish the portrait when he first made it but it took him years to fix it -- very much like their friendship, it was easy to build but harder to rebuilt.
But you have to give it to our best guy. Finishing a portrait in just two days (debunking an old news article that it was completed overnight) and dedicating years to restore it is just pure love.
This is why the restored portrait was eventually displayed, as we’ve mentioned, during their family’s art exhibit in Makati in 2019. Just imagine the years Cocoy quietly spent, painstakingly fulfilling a promise he made to a dear friend.
Sadly, with the pandemic and everything else that came after, the portrait was never returned to Nora. Looking back, could it have been part of a greater plan? That it stayed with Cocoy—his lasting memory of her—for a reason? For something that would happen six years later?
If you're looking for the moment to cry—this is it. The inspiration.
In the interview, Cocoy revealed that the portrait below is how he sees her—not just as a star, but as The Superstar. The one and only.
But what the said interview didn't capture was the quiet reverence in Cocoy’s eyes when he said, “That’s what I see every time she’s on stage.”
“I’m always a guest at her shows and concerts,” he continued. “But when I’m just another face in the audience, that’s how I see her…”
We couldn’t help but interrupt, “A goddess?”
“Yes,” he smiled.
For Cocoy, it seems,
It's lollipops no more
But just a shower of roses
Forevermore.
"A goddess. In a flowing gown, with flowers... roses being thrown at her. That’s her—every time she steps on stage. Always enchanting, like the very first time I heard her sing. And I’m always in awe. I’m a fan—and I always will be."
We stop here for now to prepare for Ms. Suzie Laurel Delgado's requiem services and inurnment.
Please stand by for Part 4.
21 April 2025
LOLLIPOPS AND ROSES
Cocoy Laurel, former on-screen partner and longtime friend of the late National Artist Nora Aunor, paid a heartfelt tribute on the final night of her wake by singing “Lollipops and Roses”—a classic piece they once performed together and a tender nod to their shared artistic past.
The emotional performance moved those in attendance, as Laurel’s voice filled the room with nostalgia and affection, echoing the timeless chemistry the two once brought to the screen.
Laurel and Aunor starred together in memorable films such as "Impossible Dream" and "Lollipops and Roses", both of which showcased their strong musical and dramatic synergy. Off-screen, their friendship remained a source of warmth and admiration, something Cocoy gently alluded to as he stood before Aunor’s casket.
“She was one of a kind,” he said softly, his voice carrying both reverence and sorrow. “This song was ours… and now, it’s my way of saying goodbye.”
Nora Aunor, hailed as the “Superstar” and a national cultural icon, passed away earlier this week, leaving behind a monumental legacy in Philippine cinema and music. Her wake has drawn crowds of fans, fellow artists, and dignitaries—each offering tributes to a woman whose talent transcended generations.
As Cocoy Laurel’s voice faded into silence, it was clear that the moment was more than just a performance—it was a final duet with a dear friend, a quiet curtain call to a partnership that once lit up the screen.
