Berting Labra (born Roberto S. Labra; April 17, 1933 – February 10, 2009) was a Filipino child star and veteran actor equally adept in comedy and drama, in action flicks and musicals.

Personal life and career

Labra starred in ''Apat na Taga'' in 1953. He was a child star who shared screen with Fernando Poe Sr. in several films, including ''Palaboy ng Tadhana'', ''Sagur'', ''Kanto Boy'', and ''Alimudin''. He was only six years old when he made his stage debut. He was discovered by Poe Sr. when he was looking for a child actor who could sing for the movie. Labra also witnessed the murder of his father, Francisco Labra, former bantamweight and featherweight champion of the Orient, in the hands of Japanese soldiers. "He was tortured," Labra told the ''

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded bro ...

'' in a 2005 interview. The elder Poe became the 10-year-old's foster father. Five years after the elder Poe's death, Labra, then a teenage, teamed up with Fernando "Da King" Poe Jr. in the 1956 box-office hit ''Lo' Waist Gang'', a film that spawned a string of other movies and a lifelong friendship with Da King. In 1969, Labra and fellow action star Eddie Fernandez were jailed for murder. Labra spent 13 years in

Muntinlupa Muntinlupa, officially the City of Muntinlupa ( fil, Lungsod ng Muntinlupa), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the ...

, only to be exonerated by the Supreme Court. On December 25, 1982, the film ''The Cute... The Sexy n' The Tiny'' premiered. Labra plays one the leads. Labra appeared in the 1991 action film ''Manong Gang'' with actor Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. alongside Dina Bonevie,

Paquito Diaz Francisco Bustillos Diaz Sr. (May 28, 1937 – March 3, 2011), also known professionally as Paquito Diaz, was a veteran Filipino actor and movie director. He specialized in antagonist roles for both action and comedy films. Biography Early life ...

and

Max Alvarado Max Alvarado (February 19, 1929 – April 6, 1997) was a FAMAS award-winning Filipino film actor known mainly by his portrayals of villains in a career which spanned six decades. Early life Max Alvarado was born as Gavino Maximo Teodosio in ...

. Labra's last film, the 2007 comedy ''M.O.N.A.Y ni Mr. Shooli'', co-starred actor Leo Martinez.

Death

Labra died on February 10, 2009 due to

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. He was 75 years old. Labra's remains were buried in the Garden of Memories in

Pateros Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros ( tgl, Bayan ng Pateros), is the lone municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 63,643 people. This municipality is famous for its duck-rai ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

*1962 FAMAS BEST ACTOR - ''Ano Ba Choy?'' *1964 FAMAS SUPPORTING ACTOR - ''Lumuluhang Komiko''

Trivia

Fernando Poe, Jr. Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004), known professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., and often referred to by his initials FPJ, was a Filipino actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and politician. His long and s ...

once stated that "Berting was the greatest Filipino actor of all time." *He was named

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

and

Bobby Breen Isadore Borsuk (November 4, 1927 – September 19, 2016), better known as Bobby Breen, was a Canadian-born American actor and singer. He was a popular male child singer during the 1930s and reached major popularity with film and radio appearanc ...

of the Philippines, the Filipino version of Hollywood Child Wonders in the 1940s.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Labra, Berting 1933 births 2009 deaths 20th-century comedians Deaths from cancer in the Philippines Deaths from emphysema Filipino male child actors Filipino male comedians Filipino male film actors Filipino male television actors Male actors from Manila People from Pateros