Real-life Sr. Stella L. dies

A nun of the Religious of the Good Shepherd who was known to be the inspiration behind the 1984 movie "Sister Stella L." died on Thursday. She was 78.

According to her congregation, Mary Rosary Battung peacefully passed away in Maria Droste Wellness Center in Quezon City.

Battung, who was also known as Sister Chayong, worked with labor unions in Cavite and reached out to the urban poor in Tondo.

"Throughout her ministries, she has always preferred to be among the urban and rural poor, the neglected, and with those who have been deprived of their basic human rights," the congregation said in a statement.

"In popular culture, the 1984 film 'Sr. Stella L.' was based on her life but she herself would say the film is about activist nuns in general," it added.

The congregation said Battung was also active in fostering the understanding and development of feminism in the Philippines.—Ma. Angelica Garcia/AOL, GMA News