Award-winning actress, writer, educator and scholar Rustica Carpio passed away on February 1. She was 91.
Her passing was confirmed by her niece, Nessea Carpio, through a social media post uploaded on Tuesday.
“We wish you farewell in your journey to eternity. You’d never be forgotten, rest in Peace Tita Rustica Carpio,” she wrote.
Carpio’s most recent role was in Brillante Mendoza’s Lola, where she starred alongside Anita Linda. Her performance in the acclaimed film was honored with the Best Actress Award at the 33rd Gawan Uriawn Awards in 2010.
She started her career on stage as Kikay, the lead character in Marcelino Agana Jr.’s play New Yorker in Tondo. While for her first role in the film industry was Chayong in the 1976 film, Nunal sa Tubig, by Ishmael Bernal.
During her career as a respected actress in the industry, she brought to life historic characters such as Teodora Alonzo, Leonor Rivera and Sisa.
Not just a pillar in the arts and film industry, Carpio was also an educator of literature and mass communications at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and Far Eastern University (FEU).
PUP, where Carpio served as a Dean and Professor Emeritus of PUP College of Communication, has expressed their gratitude for the legacy she has left behind in the industry and the academe.
“At the same time, we honor and celebrate the life she lived and the immense legacy she leaves behind,” their statement read.
She has also served the public as a former board member of the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) and a member of the Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB).
The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has also released their own tribute for the veteran artist.
“Her remarkable contributions to the industry, and to society as a whole, will always be remembered. The FDCP sends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones of Dr. Rustica Carpio,” they wrote.
