Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (; July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), better known by his stage names Dolphy, Pidol, and Golay, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works on stage, radio, television and movies.

Early life and education

Quizon was born at Calle Padre Herrera (now P. Herrera St.) in

Tondo, Manila Tondo is a district located in Manila, Philippines. It is the largest in terms of area and population of Manila's sixteen districts, with a Census-estimated 631,313 people in 2015 and consists of two congressional districts. It is also the seco ...

, on July 25, 1928. His parents were married on July 14, 1925, in

Malate, Manila Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism. Etymology The name ''Malate'' is believed to be derived from a corruption of the Tagalog word ''maalat'' ...

. His father, Melencio Espinosa Quizon (December 5, 1899 – May 14, 1972), was a ship engine worker from

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...

stationed in the Atlantic Gulf. His mother, Salud de la Rosa Vera (February 5, 1903 – September 12, 1986), was a seamstress and a school teacher. He had four brothers and five sisters. Quizon began studying at the age of six, and was enrolled in public schools. He attended the Magat Salamat Elementary School and Isabelo de Los Reyes Elementary School until the seventh grade. For his

secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

, he studied at the Florentino Torres High School until his sophomore year. He was an average student, although his grades fluctuated. Quizon sold peanuts and watermelon seeds at movie theaters as a boy, which enabled him to watch movies for free. He was about thirteen when

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

started. He did odd jobs including shining shoes, attaching buttons at a pants factory, sorting bottles by size, working as a

stevedore A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number o ...

at the pier,

trading Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exchan ...

, and driving the

calesa A kalesa or calesa is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was a primary mode of public and private transportation during the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines, though ...

. In his free time, he regularly watched stage shows at the Life Theater and the Avenue Theater. His favorite performers included the

comedy duo A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

Pugo and Togo Pugo and Togo were a Filipino comedy team in Philippine movies during the 1940s up to the 1950s.Pugo

and the dancers Benny Mack and

Bayani Casimiro Bayani Casimiro Sr. (July 16, 1918 – February 27, 1989) was a Filipino dancer who was among the leading stars of bodabil (vaudeville) in the 1930s and 1940s. He also appeared in musical films and later in life, in comedic roles. A tap danc ...

.Lo, Ricardo F. (July 20, 2008)
"Dolphy at 80: Living in a Goldfish Bowl"
ABS-CBN News. Retrieved on 2011-03-30. Quizon started performing onstage during the

Japanese occupation of the Philippines The Japanese occupation of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Pananakop ng mga Japones sa Filipinas''; ja, 日本のフィリピン占領, Nihon no Firipin Senryō) occurred between 1942 and 1945, when Imperial Japan occupied the Commonwealth of the ...

. When he turned 17, Benny Mack got him a job as a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

dancer for a month at the Avenue Theater and subsequently on the Lyric Theater. He also appeared in shows at the Orient Theater. "Golay" was his first stage name. During air raids, they would interrupt the show and run for the

air-raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but many ...

in the orchestra section together with the audience. If no bombs fell and exploded, the show would then resume.

Career

Early career

He starred in his first movie when he was 19 with Fernando Poe Sr. in ''Dugo at Bayan (I Remember Bataan)'', billed as Rodolfo Quizon. It was the father of his future friend actor

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 ...

who first gave him a break in films playing minor roles as a character actor. On a DZMM radio interview, he revealed his first talent fee was 5 pesos. In the late 1940s, Dolphy began to work in radio through Conde Ubaldo, a radio writer, director, and producer. He joined the program ''Wag Naman'', which starred

Pancho Magalona Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr. (January 22, 1922 – April 7, 1998), popularly known as Pancho Magalona, was a Filipino actor from the 1940s to the 1970s. Early life Born Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr. in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, he was the son of ...

, Tessie Quintana, and Baby Jane. His comedy duo with Panchito also started on radio on Conde Ubaldo shows. Pancho Magalona recommended Dolphy to Dr. Jose "Doc" Perez, the owner of

Sampaguita Pictures Sampaguita Pictures was a Philippine film production company. It was named for the Philippine national flower, sampaguita. Though no longer functioning, the company's Sampaguita Compound remains in Quezon City. History Sampaguita Pictures was es ...

, in 1952. His first movie with Sampaguita was ''Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, Tita'', with Pancho Magalona and

Tita Duran Teresita Rigo Durango Magalona (born Teresita Rigo Durango; September 30, 1928 – April 27, 1990), known professionally as Tita Duran, was a Filipina film actress who began as a child actress. She was the first successful child star of Philipp ...

. It was also in Sampaguita in which the

of Dolphy and Panchito became popular. Dolphy acted in the comic book adaptation ''Jack en Jill'' with

Rogelio de la Rosa Regidor Lim de la Rosa"Filipinos in History Vol. 3", page 75. (November 12, 1916 – November 26, 1986), professionally known as Rogelio de la Rosa, was one of the most popular Filipino matinee idols of the 20th century.Garcia, J., ''A Movie Qu ...

and

Lolita Rodriguez Dolores Marquez Clark, better known by her screen name Lolita Rodriguez (January 29, 1935 – November 28, 2016), was a multi-awarded actress in the Philippines. She was paired with Eddie Arenas in ''Gilda'' (1956), in which she won her first FA ...

in 1954. He was not the first choice for the role, for which Batotoy and

had been considered. Dolphy said the movie established him as an actor, because he played a gay character, when they were not recognized. The first time Dolphy played a serious role was in a 4-in-1

drama movie In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

with

Barbara Perez Barbara Perez (born January 4, 1938) is a Filipina actress in movies and television in the Philippines. She was tagged as the " Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines" due to her doe eyes, pixie face, swan-like neck and 19-inch waistline. In the west ...

, who played a blind girl, in the segment inspired by

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

's movie ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...

''. After his contract with Sampaguita expired, he left the company. When he joined the production studio, his talent fee was P1,000 per movie. By the time he left, he was earning P7,000 per picture.

Television, film parodies, and RVQ Productions

Dolphy acted in ''Tansan The Mighty'' (1962), and its sequel ''Tansan vs Tarzan'' (1963). From 1964 to 1972, he starred in ''Buhay Artista'', a big success of the 1960s. Eugenio "Geny" Lopez Jr. got him into television on Channel 2. The show aired on

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...

. It is a concept by Geny Lopez and Ading Fernando. While doing radio, his talent fee was P250-P300 per program; when he did TV, he was at P500 per show. He left ABS-CBN due to

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

. However, also moved to

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

since ''Buhay Artista'' moved to RBS-7 (former branding name of GMA) from December 1972 to early 1974. While on television, he began appearing in films for independent studios like LEA Productions, Balatbat Productions, Filipinas Productions, Zultana Productions and

's D'Lanor Productions. In 1964, he played the lead in ''Captain Barbell'' and in ''Daigdig ng Fantasia (Fantasy World)'' with

Nova Villa Novelita Villanueva Gallegos (born April 16, 1946), better known as Nova Villa, is a Filipino actress and a veteran comedian. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Villa is recognized as the original 'Goddess of Comedy' and one of the defi ...

. Both films were directed by

Herminio "Butch" Bautista Herminio "Butch" dela Cruz Bautista (May 20, 1934 – February 12, 2017) was a Filipino people, Filipino comedian-director and politician, who made his film debut in the 1956 film ''Lo' Waist Gang'' along with Berting Labra, Zaldy Zschornack an ...

. From 1965 to 1966, Dolphy made a minimum of 15

spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...

parodies. Also in 1966, Dolphy starred in another 19

parody film A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that parodies other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by cri ...

s. For the 1966 film ''Pepe en Pilar'', Dolphy introduced

Ronaldo Valdez Ronald James Gibbs (born November 27, 1947, in Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines), popularly known by his on-screen name Ronaldo Valdez, is a veteran Filipino film and television actor whose career spanned for almost five decades. Valdez is the fa ...

Susan Roces Jesusa Purificacion Levy Sonora-Poe (July 28, 1941 – May 20, 2022), known professionally as Susan Roces (), was a Filipino actress. She was the wife of Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, better known as Fernando Poe Jr. Roces was regarded as the "Quee ...

, as a new face was needed as a partner for Roces. Dolphy first met Valdez in a basketball court and brought him to the

press conference A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental organ ...

so Roces could see him. Roces' initial response was "He is too young". Dolphy brought Ronaldo to a barber shop, bought him a pair of boots at Glenmore and lent him his suit. When Dolphy presented him to Roces again, she said, "I prefer him now", not realizing that he was the same person he had introduced earlier. Dolphy later gave him the stage name Ronaldo Valdez (from Ronald James Gibbs). By 1967, Dolphy's production house RVQ Productions was established. Dolphy explained that when Sampaguita closed he thought he should produce his own films. He started with a film adaptation of the sitcom ''Buhay Artista'' (''Actor's Life''), a box office success. In 1969, one of his biggest hits was ''Facifica Falayfay'', where he starred as the gay lead character. It was directed by Luciano "Chaning" Carlos, with whom he worked in 23 of his movies. Also in that year, he starred in ''Adolphong Hitler''. '' John en Marsha'' started in 1971, a year before

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, on RPN Channel 9. It was written, and directed by Ading Fernando.

Boots Anson-Roa Maria Elisa Cristobal Anson-Rodrigo (née Anson; born January 30, 1945), better known as Boots Anson-Roa, is a Filipina actress, columnist, editor, and lecturer. Early life and education Anson-Roa, a Bicolana, is the eldest daughter of post-w ...

and

Helen Gamboa Helen Gamboa Sotto (born Helen Albent Gamboa; May 7, 1945) is a Filipina actress, singer, dancer and former beauty queen. Personal life Gamboa was born Helen Albent Gamboa at 6:35 PM on May 7, 1945 at Maternity and Children's Hospital (now ...

were considered for the role of Marsha, his wife in the show before

Nida Blanca Dorothy Guinto Jones (January 6, 1936 – November 7, 2001), popularly known by her stage name Nida Blanca, was a Filipina actress. After a successful acting career in films during the 1950s, many of which are with actor Nestor de Villa, sh ...

, who was doing ''Wala Kang Paki'' with

Nestor de Villa Gines Francisco Soriano (July 6, 1928 – February 21, 2004), also known as Nestor de Villa, was a Filipino actor frequently cast in musical films. He was a gifted dancer, often paired with frequent on-screen partner Nida Blanca in both mov ...

, eventually got the part. Before Dely Atay-Atayan, Chichay was also considered for the role of Doña Delilah, his wealthy and condescending mother-in-law. His real son

Rolly Quizon Raul Dominguez Quizon (October 5, 1958 – March 15, 2018), better known as Rolly Quizon, was a Filipino actor, and one of Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (; July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), better known by his stage names Dolphy, Pidol, ...

and then-child actress

Maricel Soriano Maricel Soriano (; born Maria Cecilia Dador Soriano; February 25, 1965) is a Filipina film and television actress, occasional host and dancer. With a career spanning of over 50 years, Soriano is one of the most celebrated artists and popularly ...

played their children. John en Marsha was such a hit that movie versions of the show were made eight times. In 1973, ''Fefita Fofongay viuda de Falayfay'' was released, a sequel to ''Facifica Falayfay''. That same year Dolphy acted in ''Captain Barbell''s sequel ''Captain Barbell Boom!'' In 1974, a third instalment of ''Facifica Falayfay'' was released called ''Sarhento Fofongay: A ... ewan!'' In 1978, he returned to gay roles in the movie ''Ang Tatay Kong Nanay'' (My Father that is also a Mother), directed by respected

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. He co-founded the organization Concerned Art ...

. With him in the movie was

Niño Muhlach Niño Muhlach (born Angelo José Rocha Muhlach, October 27, 1971) is a Filipino actor. He is the father of Filipino child actor Alonzo Muhlach. Early life Niño was born to Alexander Muhlach and Rebecca Rocha, he has five siblings. A nephew ...

, dubbed as the "child wonder of the Philippines", as the son of his boyfriend, played by

Phillip Salvador Phillip Mikael "Ipe" Reyes Salvador (born Felipe Reyes Salvador; August 22, 1953) is a three-time FAMAS award-winning Filipino film and television actor. Acting career Salvador made his film debut in 1971 with ''Adios Mi Amor''. He toiled in m ...

. In 1979, Dolphy starred in ''Dancing Master'' and ''Darna... Kuno?'' The spy-spoof film ''The Quick Brown Fox,'' was released on November 6, 1980. In it Dolphy plays the lead and it is his first collaboration with

Weng Weng Weng may refer to: * Weng (surname), a Chinese surname * Weng, Germany, a town in the district of Landshut, Bavaria, Germany * Weng im Innkreis, a town in the district of Braunau am Inn, Upper Austria, Austria * Weng im Gesäuse, a town in the distr ...

. That year, Dolphy acted in the ''Dancing Master'' follow-up ''Superhand: Shadow of the Dancing Master'' and ''Dolphy's Angels''. In 1981, Dolphy starred in ''Stariray'', ''Da Best In Da West'', and ''Dancing Masters 2''. That year Dolphy acted in ''Agent 00'', starring Weng Weng.

1992 to 2012: Later works, honors and death

His next successful TV venture after ''John en Marsha'' was ''

Home Along Da Riles ''Home Along Da Riles'' ( or Home Along the Railroad) is a Philippine situational comedy series that aired on the Philippine television network ABS-CBN from December 2, 1992 to August 10, 2003, and was replaced by '' Ang Tanging Ina''. The tit ...

'' in 1992 with

, as his wife and real son

Vandolph Vandolph Lacsamana Quizon (born; May 7, 1984) is a Filipino actor, comedian and politician. He also serves as a councilor of Parañaque from the 1st district since 2016. Personal life He is the only son of comedian Dolphy with actress-po ...

, as one of his children. In 2001, Dolphy played another gay character, this time with his sons

Eric Quizon Enrico "Eric" Smith Quizon (born January 20, 1967) is a Filipino actor, director, producer, writer and comedian. He is the 12th child of the late comedian-actor, Dolphy. He is also a co-owner of Café Famous in Greenbelt, Makati. In late 2022, ...

and

Jeffrey Quizon Jeffrey Smith Quizon (born January 23, 1973), professionally known as Epy Quizon, is a Filipino actor, television host and the son of comedian Dolphy. He is known as the antagonist, role as Jepoy / Stryker in the 2003 film ''Lastikman''. Earl ...

playing the same character at three different stages in life. They all won the Prix de la Meilleure Interpretation in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

for playing

Walterina Markova Walter Dempster Jr. (May 20, 1924 – June 24, 2005), better known by his alias Walterina Markova, was a Filipino gay man who was forced as a " comfort gay" (sex slave) for Imperial Japanese Army soldiers during the Japanese occupation of the Phil ...

, a

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western c ...

in the movie '' Markova: Comfort Gay''.Montelibano Edith. (September 22, 2008)
"Comedy King Dolphy to Shine at the Shrine"
Pinoy Wired. Retrieved on 2011-03-30. In 2003, the sitcom ''

'' returned as ''Home Along Da Airport''. On July 25, 2008, Quizon celebrated his 80th birthday with the launching of a biographical book, ''Dolphy, Hindi Ko Ito Narating Mag-isa'' ''(Dolphy, I Didn't Get Here All By Myself)''. ABS-CBN President

Charo Santos-Concio María Rosario Navarro Santos-Concio (born October 27, 1955), popularly known as Charo Santos-Concio or simply Charo Santos (), is a Filipino people, Filipino media executive and actress. She is the host of ''Maalaala Mo Kaya'', the longest-runni ...

stated, ''Nagbigay siya ng mga ngiti at halakhak sa gitna ng mga problema'' (He gave us joy and laughter in times of trouble). Bibeth Orteza was commissioned to complete the book, amid the creation of "Dolphy Aid Para sa Pinoy Foundation, Inc.", a non-profit and non-stock organization.(2008-07-24)
"PEP: Dolphy celebrates 80th b-day, launches book"
GMA News Online. Also that year, Dolphy made a movie with Comedy Box Office King

Vic Sotto Marvic Valentin Castelo Sotto (; born April 28, 1954), professionally known as Vic Sotto, is a Filipino actor, singer and comedian known far and wide for his various television and film projects on the major Philippine television networks GMA ...

in a comedy movie, '' Dobol Trobol'', a movie where Dolphy played a chef and Vic a hotel resident manager. This was the first time a film was produced through joint ventures of ''RVQ Productions'' (Dolphy's Film Outfit) & ''M-Zet Films'' (Vic Sotto's Film Outfit) and ''APT Entertainment''. The film also featured stars Carmi Martin, Riza Santos, Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, Ricky Davao and more. In 2009, Dolphy was cast as a retired senior citizen in Chicago who wanted to watch ''

Wowowee ''Wowowee'' () is a Philippine noontime variety show that was broadcast by ABS-CBN from 2005 to 2010. The show premiered on February 5, 2005, and aired live on weekdays and Saturdays. The show was also broadcast worldwide through ABS-CBN's The ...

'' in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

entitled '' Nobody Nobody But... Juan'', and co-starred with Eddie "Manoy" Garcia, Gloria Romero, Joe Aldeguer, Pokwang, Giselle "G" Toengi, Heart Evangelista, Ya Chang, real life sons Eric Quizon, Jeffrey "Epi" Quizon & Vandolph Quizon. Also in 2009, Dolphy was nominated to receive the Order of National Artists, "the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts". However, he did not pass the second deliberation of the screening committee. In 2012, Dolphy was diagnosed with

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

. As a result, his public appearances were reduced, and he was frequently admitted to the intensive care unit. In 2010, Dolphy played a priest in his last movie in ''Father Jejemon'', with his co-stars Cherrie Gil, Roy Alvarez, Maja Salvador, EJ Falcon, singer Ralph Salazar & YouTube singing duo

Moymoy Palaboy Moymoy Palaboy is a Filipino comic and singing duo known for their uploaded lip sync videos in YouTube. The duo consists of the Macasero brothers, James Ronald (a.k.a. Moymoy, born on July 17, 1983, in Pasay) and Rodfil (a.k.a. Roadfill, born o ...

. That same year, President

Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...

said he believes the late Comedy King deserves to be conferred the National Artist award, but stressed he cannot shortcut the process for legal reasons. Since there is a temporary restraining order on the granting of National Artist awards issued during the past administration, the Aquino administration gave Dolphy the Grand Collar of the

Order of the Golden Heart The Order of the Golden Heart (''Orden ng Gintong Puso'') is an order of the Philippines. History Created by Executive Order 40-A dated June 21, 1954, the Golden Heart Presidential Award was upgraded to the Order of the Golden Heart by Executiv ...

. Also that year, Dolphy was recognized as Outstanding Manilan. In 2012, he was given the Diwa ng Lahi award in 2012, given by City Hall in celebration of the city's founding anniversary. He died later that year.

2012 to present: Posthumous honors

Dolphy_2013_stampsheet_of_the_Philippines

After his death, on July 13, 2012, President Aquino declared a "National Day of Remembrance" in honor of Dolphy's contributions to the Philippine showbiz industry. During his wake at the Heritage Park in Taguig, fellow actor and former Philippine President

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...

bestowed the 2012 People's Artist Award on him to recognize Quizon's many contributions to the movie industry.People's Artist Award
Retrieved via www.abs-cbnnews.com July 14, 2012 On November 23, 2013, Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) released a limited edition "Dolphy Stamp", and

first day cover A first day of issue cover or first day cover (FDC) is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for useBennett, Russell and Watson, James; ''Philatelic Terms Illustrated'', Stanl ...

. A

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

entitled ''Dolphy's Cleanup'' was released in honor of Quizon in December 2013 for the

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

platform, with a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

for Android devices released in 2014. The

edutainment Educational entertainment (also referred to as edutainment) is media designed to educate through entertainment. The term was used as early as 1954 by Walt Disney. Most often it includes content intended to teach but has incidental entertainment ...

game, developed by iGen Technologies, puts players in the role of Dolphy as he helps clean up the neighborhood, with part of the revenue from the game's sales to be donated to charity. Also that year, the documentary film ''

The Search for Weng Weng ''The Search for Weng Weng'' is a 2013 documentary film about Filipino actor Weng Weng (1957–1992), directed by Andrew Leavold. The film follows Leavold's quest to discover the story of the largely forgotten actor, whose real name was Ernesto de ...

'' was released. In it, Quizon is interviewed about his former colleague. On July 25, 2020,

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

celebrated his 92nd birthday with a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

. Araneta also noted that Dolphy grew up in Manila, where he began his showbiz career as a dancer at the Avenue, Lyric and Orient theaters. ABS-CBN Studio 1, one of the oldest studio of ABS-CBN was transformed into a proscenium theater and was named in honor of Dolphy on his 80th birthday in 2008. A necrological service was held in the namesake theatre for Dolphy at the time of his death.

Personal life

Relationships

Quizon never married and was public with his relationships and family. He has 18 children from six relationships. In his autobiography, he mentioned that he had five relationships before Padilla, that bore children. The last being

Alma Moreno Venesa Moreno Lacsamana (born; May 25, 1959), professionally known as Alma Moreno, is a Filipina actress and politician. Early life Moreno was born in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to her parents Frank Lacsamana, from Pampanga, and Jean Moreno. Acting ...

. Some of his children are in the business just like their father.Valisno, Jeffrey O. (December 16, 2010)
"Dolphy: laughing all the way to the end"
BusinessWorld Weekender. Retrieved on 2011-03-30. * Engracita Dominguez (actress). They met during a stage show, separating in 1963) and had six children including, Freddie (1956–2005), and

Raul Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

(1958–2018). * Gloria Smith (actress). They met in 1956 and had four children. * Alice Smith (actress, screen name Pamela Ponti). They had four children, including

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

(born 1967), and Jeffrey (born 1973). * Evangeline Tagulao (nurse). They met in the late 1960s while filming in a hospital and had one child. *

(actress). They met in 1981 and had one child:

(born 1984). * Zsa Zsa Padilla (actress and singer). For more than 20 years, he was in a

domestic partnership A domestic partnership is a legal relationship, usually between couples, who live together and share a common domestic life, but are not married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partnerships receive benefits that guarantee r ...

with her, having one child

Zia Zia or ZIA (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya) may refer to: People * Zia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** A romanization of the Wu ( Shanghainese) pronunciation of the Chinese surname Xie (謝) ...

(born 1991), and adopting another.

Religion

Quizon was a devoted

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

throughout his life and occasionally attended

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

. He also practiced various Catholic rituals while praying the

rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...

or observing

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

( ''

Visita Iglesia The Seven Churches Visitation is a Christian, especially Roman Catholic, Lenten tradition to visit seven churches on the evening of Maundy Thursday. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the Altar of Repose in t ...

'' on

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...

and abstaining from eating meat on

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...

), and would make the

sign of the cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...

when he came across a Catholic church. Two of Quizon's children are

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

s who unsuccessfully attempted to persuade him to convert; he did not, however, show lack of respect for

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Politics

Quizon was quite involved into politics throughout his acting career, but had tried to distance himself from it. He had said that he would likely start a

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

if only he were

literate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

in browsing the Internet. He had high regards with the presidency of

Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...

, referring to her as an "asset" for the

Filipinos Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...

. He declined to enter politics despite repeated entreaties to do so. He supported

(1939–2004), whose father, Fernando Poe Sr. ( 1951), was a close friend of his, during his presidential campaign in 2004. After Poe had suffered a stroke (which would later claim his life), Quizon visited him during his confinement and assured him and his wife,

, that he indeed had won the presidential race, despite losing it to

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...

Death

Dolphy died on July 10, 2012, 20:34 (

Philippine time Philippine Standard Time (PST or PhST; fil, Pamantayang Oras ng Pilipinas), also known as Philippine Time (PHT), is the official name for the time zone used in the Philippines. The country only uses one time zone, at an offset of UTC+08:00, bu ...

, 01:34 UTC), at the age of 83, just 15 days before his 84th birthday due to

multiple organ failure Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis. Although Irwin and Rippe cautioned in 2005 that the use of "multiple organ failure" or "multisy ...

, secondary to complications brought on by

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and

acute renal failure Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously called acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden decrease in kidney function that develops within 7 days, as shown by an increase in serum creatinine or a decrease in urine output, or both. Causes of AKI are cla ...

Filmography

Honors

National Honor * PHI_Order_of_the_Golden_Heart_var2_Grand_Collar_BAR

, Grand Collar - (2010)

Awards

Special Awards

*Lifetime Achievement Award PASADO Awards *Golden Father Foundation Parangal ng Bayan Awardee *1994 Bert Marcelo Memorial Foundation, Dangal ng Lipi Awardee *1995 PMPC Star Awards for TV, Lifetime Achievement Award *1998 Gawad Urian Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award *2000 Cinemanila International Film Festival, Lifetime Achievement Award *2002 Lou Salvador Sr. Memorial Award, Bituin ng FAMAS Mula Noon Hanggang Ngayon Award *2005 FAMAS Huwarang Bituin *

2009 GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards The 40th Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Box Office Entertainment Awards (GMMSF-BOEA) is a part of the annual awards in the Philippines held on June 21, 2009. The award-giving body honors Filipino actors, actresses and ...

, Comedy Box-Office King (with Vic Sotto) * 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

*2010 FAMAS Awards, Exemplary Achievement Award *2010 Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart – the highest award given to a private citizen by the President of the Philippines. Dolphy was cited for his contributions to the entertainment industry and for his charitable and philanthropic works. *2012 Gawad na Diwa ng Lahi – the highest honor given by the government of Manila to artists *2012 People's Artist Award – the award bestowed posthumously upon Dolphy by the Dakilang Lahi Foundation, recognizes the many contributions of the actor to the movie industry.

Awards for acting

''He is also the only artist in the country awarded with Best Actor and Actress for a single role in the film Markova: The Comfort Gay.'' *Not all the awards of Dolphy are included here.

References

Works cited

* * Leavold, Andrew. ''The Search for Weng Weng'' (2017). Australia: The LedaTape Organisation, 2017.

External links

* {{Authority control 1928 births 2012 deaths Filipino male television actors Filipino television personalities Filipino film directors Filipino male comedians Deaths from multiple organ failure People from Tondo, Manila Male actors from Manila People from Parañaque Quizon family Burials at The Heritage Park People of American colonial Philippines 20th-century Filipino male actors 21st-century Filipino male actors Filipino male film actors ABS-CBN personalities TV5 (Philippine TV network) personalities