Gloria Romero's grandson, daughter on late veteran actress: 'Until the last moment, she was still trying to give'

Chris and Maritess Gutierrez, the grandson and daughter of Gloria Romero, paid tribute to the late veteran actress and thanked all of her supporters amid her passing.

On Monday, "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" aired statements from Chris and Maritess taken during the wake of the actress, where Chris recalled one of the last conversations he had with his grandmother.

"She said, 'Chris matanda na 'ko, wala na kong mabibigay sa 'yo, nabigay ko na sa 'yo lahat' and then I was telling her, 'Lola andami mo na nabigay sa amin, it's okay, you already gave us so much. Thank you for everything,'" he said.

"Until the last moment, she was still trying to give pa rin. That's the kind of person my lola is, you can see it naman po, that's why everybody loves her," he added.

Maritess, for her part, shared that it was all in God's plan for her to be Gloria's daughter.

"I believe that God was the one who gave my mom to me, to take care of me," she said. "It was our destiny and also for Chris. It's all God's plan."

She also thanked all of her mother's supporters, who comprise a diverse mix of the older and younger generation.

"Thank you everybody for loving my mom. I mean, for 70 years she's been in the industry, nung araw 'yung mga senior people, ngayon mga bata because of GMA nabigyan siya ng ['Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko']. So, ang lawak ng age gaps ng mga fans ni mama from matanda to children."

Echoing Chris, Maritess added that her mom was able to give so much of herself up to her final years.

"I think my mom was able to deliver and give herself until the last, up to her 70th year. Imagine hanggang bata naabutan pa nila si mama. Me and Chris, we thank everybody for that. Salamat," she said.

Gloria passed away on January 25 at 91 years old, as announced by Maritess via Facebook.

Her wake is being held at Arlington Memorial Chapel in Quezon City, with a public viewing scheduled on January 27 and 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hailed as the "Queen of Philippine Cinema," Gloria has won various acting awards throughout her 70-year career in showbiz. Among her memorable performance in film are "Magnifico," "Dalagang Ilocana," "Tarima," "Tanging Yaman," and "Rainbow's Sunset."

She was given a star-studded tribute in February 2024, and in April of the same year was named by the Film Development Council of the Philippines' among its Lifetime Achievement Honorees.

In the wake of her passing, celebrities and personalities like Barbie Forteza, Vilma Santos, director Mark Reyes, Charo Santos, and more paid tribute to the veteran actress.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News