MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Nora Aunor, who became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades, has died.
Aunor died Wednesday, according to social media posts from her children. She was 71. No further details on the cause or place of her death were immediately given.
Filipina actor Lotlot de León said on Instagram that her mother “touched generations with her unmatched talent, grace, and passion for the craft. Her voice, presence, and artistry shaped a legacy that will never fade.”
De León said funeral plans and other details will be shared later.
Aunor, born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor to an impoverished family in eastern Camarines Sur province, sold water in a train station in her hometown in her youth. She first gained fame in her teens as a singer in the 1960s before moving on to movies. She amassed more than 200 credits in film and television that included many classics of Philippine cinema, and won dozens of acting awards.
Memorable roles included 1976’s “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos” (“Three Years Without God”), 1984’s “Bulaklak sa City Jail” (“Flowers of the City Jail”) and 1995’s “The Flor Contemplacion Story.”
She swept best actress awards in the country for her performance in 1990’s “Andrea, Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina?” (“Andrea, What is It Like to be a Mother?”) and won best actress at the Asian Film Awards for her portrayal of a midwife in 2012’s “Thy Womb.”
Aunor was still acting as recently as last year, starring in the film “Mananambal” ("The Healer") and appearing on the TV series “Lilet Matias, Attorney-at-Law.”
Aunor was named a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts — the country's biggest honor for actors — in 2022. In 2014, then-President Benigno Aquino III had denied her the honor because of a previous drug arrest in the U.S., provoking broad outcry.
Aunor’s lawyer said the 2005 arrest at the Los Angeles airport came because of a pipe found in a bag she did not pack, noting she was traveling with four assistants at the time. The charges were dropped in 2007 after she completed a diversion program, her lawyer said in 2014.
Aunor was married to actor Christopher de León from 1975 until 1996.
She is survived by their children Lotlet, Ian, Matet, Kiko and Kenneth de León.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 180-year-old private Christian university in South Carolina is closing at the end of the semester after failing to raise $6 million to keep its doors open.
Limestone University officials said that after two weeks of furious fundraising and other actions, they collected just a little over $2 million and had no choice but to close its Gaffney campus and online programs.
The school had lost about half its enrollment in the past decade.
“Our Limestone spirit will endure through the lives of our students and alumni who carry it forward into the world,” said Randall Richardson, chair of Limestone University's trustees. “Though our doors may close, the impact of Limestone University will live on.”
The university stunned its students, alums and community when it announced earlier in April without warning that it was in such bad financial shape that without an immediate infusion of $6 million it would have to close.
More than 200 people gave a total of about $2.1 million, but it was not enough. The university said the donations will be returned.
South Carolina lawmakers decided not to step in because Limestone University is a private institution.
Dozens of private colleges and universities like Limestone have closed in recent years. They are coping with steep declines in enrollment, a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limestone University's online and in-person enrollment had dropped from about 3,200 students in 2014 to about 1,600, according to state higher education data. Limestone University promised to help students transfer to other schools.
The closure will also leave several hundred professors and support staff without jobs in Gaffney, a city of about 12,500 people on Interstate 85 between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Spartanburg, South Carolina.
About 50 students gathered outside where trustees met Tuesday night and hugged as they got the email announcing the university was closing.
Daniel Deneen Jr. of Myrtle Beach played football for Limestone and was jarred that he had to change his plans for his education.
“When we found out the school had $30 million in debt, we all wondered how they were going to get out of it. The last two weeks have been very stressful with finals coming up this week,” Deneen told The Post and Courier.
Limestone University, founded in 1845, will hold its final commencement Saturday.
Limestone isn't the only college in the region to announce it is closing this month.
St. Andrews University about 150 miles away in Laurinburg, North Carolina, will close Sunday after the spring semester. The school is a branch campus of Webber International University.
FILE - Limestone College students walk across campus Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, in Gaffney, S.C.. The school announced late Tuesday it will close after failing to raise $6 million. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain, File)