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Rosa Rosal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Lansang, the birth surname or paternal family name is Danon, and the marital name is Gayda.

Rosa Rosal
Rosal on a PhilPost commemorative stamp in 2022
Born
Florence Lansang Danon

(1928-10-16)October 16, 1928[a]
Manila, Philippine Islands
DiedNovember 15, 2025(2025-11-15) (aged 97)
San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
OccupationActress
Years active1945–2009
Spouse
Walter Gayda
​
(m. 1957)​
ChildrenToni Rose Gayda
Honors
Ramon Magsaysay Award
Order of the Golden Heart

Florence Lansang Danon-Gayda GCrGH (Tagalog: [ˈɾɔsɐ ɾɔˈsɐl]; known professionally as Rosa Rosal; October 16, 1928[a] – November 15, 2025) was a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She began her career as an actress in the late 1940s and remained active throughout the Golden Age of Philippine cinema, noted for her roles in Anak Dalita (1956), Badjao (1957), and Biyaya ng Lupa (1959). She ventured into television in late 1960s as presenter of public service shows and appeared in several drama series until 2005. Rosal was appointed a member of Philippine Red Cross board of governors in 1965 and pioneered mass blood-donation campaigns in the Philippines. Her accolades include a Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Order of the Golden Heart, two FAMAS Awards, and a Gawad Urian. Reader's Digest Asia named her the most trusted Filipino personality in 2010.[b][9]

Early life and education

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Rosal was born Florence Lansang Danon on October 16, 1928, in Manila.[10] Her mother Gloria Lansang hailed from Santa Rita, Pampanga, while her father Julio Danon was of French and Egyptian descent.[4] Her half-brother, actor-director Don Danon, once acted as a stand-in for the Hollywood actor Rudolph Valentino.[11] At the age 12, she learned typing skills with a typewriter.[10]

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Rosal worked as a newsreader in a Japanese-run radio station.[4] Shortly after the end of the war, Rosal worked part-time at the San Lazaro Hospital. One night, she was passing by a film shoot when she was spotted by the film's producer, Luis Nolasco.[4] She was offered a film contract by Nolasco, who headed his own outfit, the Nolasco Brothers Studio.[3]

She studied grade school at Antonio Regidor Elementary School. She studied high school at Arellano High School.[10] She enrolled in night classes at the Cosmopolitan Colleges[4][12] and obtained a degree in Business Administration in 1954.[13]

Media career

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The Nolasco Brothers Studio cast Rosal in Fort Santiago (1946). Her screen name was taken from the Tagalog words for "rose" and "gardenia."[4] In 1947, Rosal was cast opposite Leopoldo Salcedo in Kamagong (1947). Her performance drew the attention of the other major film studios,[4] and she was signed to a contract with LVN Pictures by the studio head, Doña Sisang de Leon. She was cast by LVN Pictures in her first starring role in the 1949 film Biglang Yaman.[3]

Throughout the 1950s, Rosal starred in costume dramas such as Prinsipe Amante sa Rubitanya (1951), and in such neo-realist dramas as Lamberto Avellana's Anak Dalita (1956) and Badjao (1956), both co-starring with Tony Santos Sr., and Manuel Silos's Biyaya ng Lupa (1959), which she cited as the best film she ever made.[4] For her role in Anak Dalita, Rosal received a citation from President Ramon Magsaysay.[3] She was named FAMAS Best Actress in 1955 for Sonny Boy, and was nominated three other times, for Dagohoy (1953), Biyaya ng Lupa, and Ang Lahat ng Ito Pati na ang Langit (1989).[11]

Notwithstanding her serious roles, Rosal would become best known in the 1950s for her daring appearances in film. She had no qualms appearing onscreen in bathing suits, engaging in kissing scenes or in playing villainous roles.[3][4]

In the 1960s, Rosal became one of the first leading Filipino actors to appear regularly on television.[4] She was a fixture on Cecille Guidote Alvarez's dramatic series Balintataw on ABC-5 (now TV5). In the 1970s, Rosal starred in Iyan ang Misis Ko, a family-oriented sitcom with Ronald Remy.[4] In 1976, Rosal also appeared in Behn Cervantes's Sakada, a film which was banned by the martial law government of President Ferdinand Marcos.[14]

Humanitarian activities

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During World War II, Rosal worked as a medical assistant at an American medical facility in exchange for her mother being treated there after being injured in a crossfire. After the war, she worked as a secretary for a doctor at the National Chest Center at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.[15] Rosal joined the Philippine National Red Cross as a volunteer-member of its Blood Program in 1950, and was elected to its Board of Governors in 1965. Rosal became widely known for her efforts to promote blood donation in the Philippines. She helped initiate Red Cross programs that set up bloodletting sessions inside campuses and military camps, including the American military base at Clark. She lobbied political leaders and foreign embassies for donations to upgrade Red Cross facilities.[4]

Rosal also established a Women's Crisis love within the Philippine National Red Cross. The love was aimed at assisting unwed and needy pregnant mothers, as well as finding homes for unwanted children.[4] With donations obtained from the pork barrel funds of members of Congress, Rosal also ran in her personal capacity a college scholarship fund for poor but deserving students.

Rosal also hosted two public-service television programs, Damayan and Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko, which solicited financial and medical aid for indigent medical patients.

Despite her widespread association with blood donation, Rosal never donated blood herself, on account of her blood pressure, which was well below the level required for donors.[4]

Honors

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In 1999, Rosa was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. She was cited for "her lifetime of unstinting voluntary service, inspiring Filipinos to put the needs of others before their own."[5]

In 2006, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo bestowed on Rosal the Order of the Golden Heart with the rank of Grand Cross for a lifetime in public service and for her work with the Red Cross.[16]

In the 1950s, while in her mid-twenties, Rosal declined President Ramon Magsaysay's offer to appoint her as head of the Social Welfare Administration, the predecessor-agency of the cabinet-level Department of Social Welfare and Development.[4]

In November 2008, Rosal was awarded the Ading Fernando Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd PMPC Star Awards For TV.[17]

Personal life and death

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Rosal married briefly in 1957 to an American pilot, Walter Gayda, with whom she had a child, Toni Rose, who later became a television host.[4][10]

Rosal died at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Metro Manila, on November 15, 2025, due to septic shock secondary to pneumonia and kidney failure. She was 97.[18][19][20][21] Public viewing of her cremation remains took place on November 17–19, at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig.[22][23]

Filmography

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Film

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  • Himala ng Birhen (sa Antipolo) (1947)[10]
  • Sarung Banggi (1947)[10]
  • Huling Dalangin (1948) – Lilia[10]
  • Sumpaan (1948) – Sonia[10]
  • Biglang Yaman (1949) – Rosa[10]
  • Virginia (1949) – Carmen / Mameng
  • Prinsipe Amante sa Rubitanya (1951)[10]
  • Amor mio (1951)
  • Correccional (1952) – Salome
  • Aklat ng Buhay (1952)
  • Babaing Hampas-Lupa (1952) – Estrella
  • Sonny Boy (1955)[10]
  • Child of Sorrow (1956) – Cita
  • Badjao (1956) – Bala Amai[10]
  • Alaalang Banal (1958)
  • Blessings of the Land (1959) – Maria
  • Ako'y Magbabalik (1966)
  • Sakada (1976) – Dolores del Mundo
  • Mahal Kita, Walang Iba (1992) – Lola Trining[21]
  • Lagalag: The Eddie Fernandez Story (1994)[21]
  • Esperanza: The Movie (1999)[21]

Television

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Birth year in 1931 according to some sources, while in 1929 according to the Philippine Red Cross.[1][2]
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple references[3][4][5][6][7][8]

References

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  • Lena Pareja (1994). "Philippine Film". In Nicanor Tiongson (ed.). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Vol. VIII (1st ed.). Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines. pp. 309–310. ISBN 971-8546-31-6.
  1. ^ de Sequera, Vanni (August 18, 2002). "Rosa Rosal's lifetime of charity". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  2. ^ "Beteranang aktres at humanitarian na si Rosa Rosal, pumanaw na". Balita. November 15, 2025. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Lena Pareja (1994). "Philippine Film". In Nicanor Tiongson (ed.). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Vol. VIII (1st ed.). Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines. p. 310. ISBN 971-8546-31-6.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "The 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service: Biography of Rosa Rosal". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "The 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service: Rosa Rosal". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  6. ^ Clare Arthurs (July 25, 2000). "Activists share 'Asian Nobel Prize'". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
  7. ^ "Arvind Kejriwal selected for Magsaysay Award". The Times of India. July 31, 2006. Archived from the original on January 11, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  8. ^ Ann Bernadette Corvera (October 8, 2003). "'03 RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARDEES: A LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY MEN & WOMEN". Philippine Star. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  9. ^ Villanueva, Angelica (November 15, 2025). "Humanitarian and screen icon Rosa Rosal dies at 97". Manila Standard. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Godinez, Bong (November 15, 2025). "Rosa Rosal: From movie queen to devoted humanitarian". PEP. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  11. ^ a b CCP Encyclopedia, p.309
  12. ^ Francisco, Butch (April 27, 2005). "ROSA ROSAL: DOCTOR OF HUMANITIES". Philippine Headline News Online. Philippine Star. Archived from the original on July 15, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  13. ^ Amoyo, Aster (November 15, 2025). "Rosa Rosal pumanaw sa edad 97". People's Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  14. ^ Jen M. Pangilinan (June 24, 2005). "BEHN CERVANTES' SAKADA PREMIERES ON TV AFTER 30 YEARS". Philippine Headline News Online. Philippine Star. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  15. ^ "Remembering Rosa Rosal: The actress who dedicated her life to humanitarian service". ABS-CBN. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  16. ^ "PGMA fetes Seguis with Gold Cross Award". The Office of the President: News Page. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
  17. ^ Philippine Entertainment Portal (December 1, 2008). "GMA bags PMPC's 'Best Station' award". GMANews.TV. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  18. ^ Isaga, Jr (November 15, 2025). "Screen legend and humanitarian Rosa Rosal dies at 96". Rappler. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  19. ^ Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (November 15, 2025). "Rosa Rosal, veteran actress and humanitarian, dies at 97". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  20. ^ Limos, Allen (November 16, 2025). "Rosa Rosal, veteran actress and humanitarian, dies at 97". The Manila Times. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  21. ^ a b c d e Salterio, Leah C. (November 16, 2025). "Rosa Rosal lived life for others". People's Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  22. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (November 17, 2025). "Rosa Rosal's wake begins Nov. 17 in Taguig". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  23. ^ Krishnan, Ganiel (November 17, 2025). "First day of wake for veteran actress Rosa Rosal draws loved ones, admirers". ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Vivar, Vinia (November 15, 2025). "Rosa Rosal ibuburol sa Santuario de San Antonio". People's Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
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