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 Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

matinee idols of the 20th century.Garcia, J., ''A Movie Quizbook'', p. 107. He is also remembered for his statesmanship, in particular his accomplishments as a diplomat. Elected to the

Philippine Senate The Senate of the Philippines (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress of the bicameral legislature of the ...

from 1957 to 1963, he was the first Filipino film actor to parlay his fame into a substantial political career, paving the way for other future Filipino entertainers-turned-politicians such as Senators

Eddie Ilarde Edgar Ubalde Ilarde (August 25, 1934 – August 4, 2020) was a Filipino radio and television host. On radio and television, he hosted programs such as ''Kahapon Lamang'', '' Student Canteen'', and ''Darigold Jamboree''. His first position as a p ...

Ramon Revilla Sr. Ramon Bautista Revilla Sr. (born Jose Acuña Bautista; March 8, 1927 – June 26, 2020), popularly known simply as Ramon Revilla Sr., was a Filipino actor who served as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. He was known as the "''Hari ng ...

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...

, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.,

Jinggoy Estrada Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (; born February 17, 1963), also known as Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada or simply Jinggoy Estrada, is a Filipino politician, film actor, and producer serving as a Senator since 2022, and previously from 2004 to 2016. He ...

Lito Lapid Manuel "Lito" Mercado Lapid (; born October 25, 1955) is a Filipino actor and politician serving as a Senator since 2019, and previously from 2004 to 2016. He started his political career in Pampanga, serving as vice governor from 1992 to 1995 ...

Freddie Webb Freddie Nelle Webb (born November 24, 1942) is a Filipino retired basketball player and coach, former politician, and television and radio personality. Education He completed his elementary education at San Beda College and his degree in Bach ...

Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), known professionally as Robin Padilla, is a Filipino politician, television personality, martial artist, actor and director currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines since ...

Raffy Tulfo Raffy is a given name and a nickname. It may refer to: *Rafael Palmeiro (born 1964), Cuban former Major League Baseball player *Ken Raffensberger (1917–2002), American Major League Baseball pitcher *Raffaella Rossi (born 1974), Italian ski mounta ...

and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

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 ...

Early life

He was born in

Lubao, Pampanga Lubao, officially the Municipality of Lubao ( pam, Balen ning Lubao; fil, Bayan ng Lubao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 173,502 people. It is noted f ...

, the son of an

arnis Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which em ...

champion. Lubao was also the hometown of

Diosdado Macapagal Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the ninth president of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth vice president, serving from 19 ...

, six years his senior and a future political opponent and brother-in-law. Macapagal's first wife, Purita, was de la Rosa's sister. He has

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

ancestry. While in high school, de la Rosa, along with Macapagal would regularly perform in zarzuelas as a villain."Filipinos in History Vol. 3", page 76. As a teenager, he was cast by his uncle, a film director, in a starring role in the silent film ''Ligaw na Bulaklak'' opposite

Rosa del Rosario Rose del Rosario Stagner, better known by her screen name Rosa del Rosario (December 15, 1917 – February 4, 2006), was a Filipino film actress of Filipino-American descent. Early life and education She was born to an American father (Frank ...

. The film's director,

José Nepomuceno José Zialcita Nepomuceno ( May 15, 1893 – December 1, 1959) was one of the pioneering directors and producers of Philippine cinema. He is also known as the ''"founder of Philippine movies"'', and he had his own production company Jose Nepomuc ...

, gave him the screen name "Rogelio de la Rosa". However, the young actor did not then engage in a regular film career, opting instead to attend college at the

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private non-sectarian Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines ...

in Manila. An excellent collegiate athlete and debater in the years from 1932-34. In 1933, de la Rosa won the Claro M. Recto Gold Medal in a national oratorical contest.

Film stardom

De la Rosa burst into stardom in the late 1930s after being frequently cast in dramas as a romantic idol opposite such actresses as

Carmen Rosales Januaria Constantino Keller (March 3, 1917 – December 11, 1991), better known by her stage name Carmen Rosales and by her nickname Mameng, was a noted Filipina actress and World War II guerilla fighter. Her acting career spanned the decades i ...

, Emma Alegre, and

Paraluman Sigrid Sophia Agatha de Torres von Giese, better known by her screen name Paraluman (December 14, 1923 – April 27, 2009), was an award-winning Filipina German actress. Her contemporaries include the likes of Fernando Poe, Sr. and Carmen Rosal ...

.Garcia, J., ''A Movie Quizbook'', p. 109. Rosales proved to be his most durable onscreen partner, and their "love team" is said to be among the most successful in the history of Philippine movies. When the Philippine film industry was held to a standstill during the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, de la Rosa remained in the public eye as a

bodabil Vaudeville in the Philippines, more commonly referred to as bodabil, was a popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the mid-1960s. For decades, it competed with film, radio and television as the dominant form of Filip ...

performer at the

Life Theater The Life Theater, which was later known as the Teofilo Villonco Building, was an Art Deco movie theater located Quiapo, Manila. It was designed by Pablo Antonio. During its operational years as a movie theater, the Life Theater was reserved for ...

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 ...

. After the war, he resumed his film career and proved more popular than ever. emerged as a star, perhaps the most popular film actor of the first decade of the post-war. He formed his own film production company, RDR Productions, and starred as well in productions of LVN Pictures, often with Rosales. By 1948, he was the highest paid Filipino movie actor. His success in films remained steady in the 1950s. He had been cast as the first Filipino actor, under the name of Ramon Delgado, to star in an American-produced movie, ''The Sword of Avenger''. His 1955 role in ''Higit sa Lahat'' with Emma Alegre earned him the 'Best Actor' trophy at the 1956

FAMAS The FAMAS (''Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne'', "Assault Rifle from the Saint-Étienne Weapon Factory") is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS in 1978, a year after the Austrian Steyr ...

awards, as well as the Best Actor Award at the 1956 Southeast Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong.

Senator and presidential candidate

In the 1957 general elections, de la Rosa ran and won a seat in the Philippine Senate under the banner of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. He served for one 6-year term spanning the 4th and 5th Congress. As a Senator, he was active in issues of particular concern within his home province of

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

such as

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, emerging as a strong advocate for

nationalization Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...

of those industries. Appropriately, de la Rosa was also interested in issues relating to the Filipino film industry, co-authoring a bill that would lead to the establishment of a Board of Censors. After three years in the Senate, de la Rosa decided to run for the presidency as an independent candidate. His residual popularity as a film star, as well as the unpopularity of incumbent re-electionist Nacionalista

Carlos P. Garcia Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...

made him a credible candidate. The other major candidate in the race was then-Vice President Macapagal of the

, his former brother-in-law. Shortly before election day, de la Rosa withdrew from the election. According to his official Senate biography, de la Rosa was concerned about the strength of what he perceived as the corrupt political machinery of President Garcia, and was ultimately convinced that his withdrawal from the race was the only way to ensure Garcia's defeat. Whatever the motivation, de la Rosa's gambit proved successful, and Macapagal was easily elected over Garcia. Returning to the Liberal Party, de la Rosa was defeated for re-election to the Senate in the 1963 general elections. He would never again be elected to public office.

Diplomat and later years

De la Rosa remained in public service as an acclaimed diplomat. In 1965, he was appointed Philippine Ambassador to

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

, an important designation considering that country's proximity to the Philippines."Filipinos in History Vol. 3", page 77. During the administration of

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

, de la Rosa was also named as Philippine Ambassador to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and to the

Soviet bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

countries of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

and

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. He was duly admired for his savvy in foreign affairs and language proficiency. He also used his position to promote Filipino art and culture and to assist Filipino artists performing abroad. His last diplomatic post was Philippine Ambassador to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. He was well loved by the Filipino community there and reciprocated by serving his utmost best. After retiring from the diplomatic corps, De la Rosa made his last foray into politics by unsuccessfully running in the 1984

Batasang Pambansa The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City. The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...

parliamentary election. Shortly before his death from a

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 ...

in 1986, he played one last acting role, in a guest spot on the popular drama anthology ''

Coney Reyes on Camera ''Coney Reyes on Camera'' was a weekly drama anthology that aired from May 19, 1984 to December 26, 1998 on RPN and ABS-CBN. It was the longest running drama anthology of its time in Philippine TV history until ''Maalaala Mo Kaya'' broke the reco ...

''. De la Rosa was married twice. His second wife,

Lota Delgado Carlota "Lota" C. Delgado-de la Rosa (19 May 1921 – 28 April 2009) was a Filipino actress noted mostly for her pre-World War II career. She was born in Iloilo City. She largely stopped acting after marrying fellow actor and future Senator Rog ...

, was a former leading lady of his in films. He was buried in Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina, beside his brother's grave.

Selected filmography

*1930: *1932: ''Ligaw na Bulaklak'' *1932: ''Tianak'' *1932: ''Ulong Inasnan'' *1933: ''Nahuling Pagsisisi'' *1933: ''Ang Ganid'' *1934: ''Sawing Palad'' *1934: ''Krus na Bato'' *1936: ''Buhok ni Ester'' *1936: ''Diwata ng Karagatan'' *1936: ''Kalupitan ng Tadhana'' *1936: ''Awit ng mga Ulila'' *1936: ''Anak-Dalita'' *1936: ''Lagablab ng Kabataan'' *1937: ''Anak ng Pari'' *1937: ''Magkapatid'' *1937: ''Teniente Rosario'' *1937: ''Bituing Marikit'' *1938: ''Mga Sugat ng Puso'' *1938: ''Makiling'' *1938: ''Bukang Liwayway'' *1938: ''Ang Magmamani'' - Luis *1938: ''Sanggumay'' *1938: ''Bahay-Kubo'' *1938: ''Diwata ng Karagatan'' *1939: ''Magkaisang Landas'' *1939: ''Lagot Na Kuwintas'' *1939: ''Pasang Krus'' *1939: ''Takip-Silim'' *1939: ''Inang Mahal'' *1939: ''Florante at Laura'' *1939: ''Dalisay'' *1939: ''Ang Magsasampaguita'' *1940: ''Lambingan'' *1940: ''Senorita'' *1940: ''Nang Mahawi ang Ulap'' *1940: ''Gunita'' *1940: ''Diwa ng Awit'' *1940: ''Colegiala'' *1940: ''Magbalik ka, Hirang'' *1940: ''Katarungan'' *1940: ''Estrellita'' *1941: ''Tampuhan'' *1941: ''Tarhata'' *1941: ''Panambitan'' *1941: ''Ang Maestra'' *1941: ''Serenata sa Nayon'' *1942: ''Caballero'' *1942: ''Anong Ganda Mo'' *1944: ''Perfidia'' *1946: ''Tagumpay'' *1946: ''Garrison 13'' *1946: ''Ang Prinsipeng Hindi Tumatawa'' *1946: ''Dalawang Daigdig'' *1946: ''Honeymoon'' *1946: ''Victory Joe'' *1946: ''Angelus'' *1947: ''Ang Lalaki'' *1947: ''Ang Himala ng Birhen sa Antipolo'' *1947: ''Sarung Banggi'' - Nanding *1947: ''Hagibis'' *1947: ''Backpay'' *1948: ''Ang Vengador'' *1948: ''Hampas ng Langit'' *1948: ''Sa Tokyo Ikinasal'' - Carlos *1948: ''Bulaklak at Paruparo'' *1949: ''Kampanang Ginto'' *1949: ''Bandilang Basahan'' *1949: ''Camelia'' *1949: ''Kidlat sa Silangan'' *1949: ''Ang Hiwaga ng Tulay na Bato'' *1949: ''Ang Lumang Bahay sa Gulod *1949: ''Milyonarya'' - Delfin Glorioso *1950: ''48 Oras'' - Ricardo *1950: ''Doble Cara'' *1950: ''Prinsipe Amante'' - Rodrigo *1950: ''Tigang na Lupa'' *1950: ''Sohrab at Rustum'' *1950: ''Ang Kampana ng San Diego'' *1951: ''Bayan o Pag-ibig'' *1951: ''Prinsipe Amante sa Rubitanya'' *1951: ''Haring Cobra'' - Felipe / Haring Cobra *1952: ''Dimas: The Sainted Robber'' - Dimas *1952: ''Romansa sa Nayon'' *1952: ''Babaeng hampaslupa'' *1952: ''Irisan'' *1953: ''Sa Paanan ng Bundok'' - Ric *1954: ''Maala-Ala Mo Kaya?'' - Celso *1954: ''Dakilang Pgpapakasakit'' - Roberto *1954: ''Jack & Jill'' - Gardo *1954: ''Ikaw ang Buhay Ko'' *1954: ''Aristokrata'' *1955: ''Ang Tangi kong Pag-ibig'' *1955: ''El conde de Monte Carlo'' *1955: ''Higit sa Lahat''Received FAMAS Best Actor Award - Roberto *1955: ''Sonny Boy'' *1955: ''Iyung-Iyo'' *1955: ''Pandanggo ni Neneng'' *1955: ''Artista'' *1956: ''Lydia'' *1956: ''Apat na Kasaysayang Ginto'' - (First segment -"Ngayon at Kailan Man") *1956: ''Babaing Mandarambong'' *1956: ''Idolo'' *1956: ''Pampanggenya'' *1956: ''Gintong Pangarap'' *1957: ''Veronica'' *1957: ''Sino ang Maysala'' *1961: ''Dugo at Luha'' - (final film role)

References

Sources

* *

External links

*
Profile from the Official Website of the Philippine Senate
{{DEFAULTSORT:De La Rosa, Rogelio 1916 births 1986 deaths Ambassadors of the Philippines to the Netherlands Kapampangan people People from San Nicolas, Manila Senators of the 5th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 4th Congress of the Philippines Candidates in the 1961 Philippine presidential election Filipino people of Spanish descent Filipino actor-politicians Male actors from Pampanga Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians 20th-century Filipino male actors Far Eastern University alumni Filipino politicians of Chinese descent Filipino male film actors Filipino male stage actors