PGMA pays last respects to “Tiya Dely”

MANILA, Sept. 5 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo paid her last respects this morning to Philippine broadcasting icon Fidela "Tiya Dely" Magpayo at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Marikina City.

The President stayed for 30 minutes at the wake with Magpayo's daughters, in-laws and family members.

After condoling with Magpayo's relatives, she visited the grave of Don Ignacio Arroyo, the father of the First Gentleman, at Loyola Memorial Park, and offered flowers.

Tiya Dely is the acknowledged first lady of Philippine radio and on-air counselor of love-struck and lovelorn for the past 68 years.

Tiya Dely, 87, was working in the radio booth of dzRH when she suffered a stroke on Saturday at 11:30 p.m., while hosting the program “Serenata Kolektibista”, which features one of her many longtime passions, kundiman and rondalla music. She died on Monday.

She had maintained a full schedule at the radio station, hosting a nightly show, “Ang Inyong Tiya Dely,” apart from the weekend program.

Her career in the broadcast media started when she was about 18 years old, when she joined the group of radio comedians Andoy Balunbalunan and Dely Atay-atayan as a singer.

Tiya Dely got her first counseling program at dzRH in October 1953. She later transferred to dzMM, and was the last radio host heard on air before the Lopez-owned station was padlocked by the Marcos regime. She later resumed her career on radio at dzRH.

Aside from being a radio personality, Tiya Dely also acted in movies produced by Sampaguita Pictures, LVN and Larry Santiago Productions. Among her films were "Basahang Ginto" and "Hinihintay Kita."

She was also a singer, recording songs like "Pamaypay ng Maynila," "Sa Ilalim ng Ilang-Ilang," "Pandanggo ni Neneng" and "Nabasag ang Banga."

After World War II, she supported the presidential campaign of the late President Manuel Roxas. When he won, Roxas appointed Tiya Dely as confidential secretary of then Vice President Elpidio Quirino, who encouraged her to get a college degree.

She took up foreign service at the Far Eastern University but later shifted to political science. She graduated in 1950.

Tiya Dely was married to the late Colonel Leonor Reyes, who fought in Bataan and Korea. They had two daughters, Violeta and Delia, and a son, Leonor Jr.

Among the awards she received for her contributions to the Philippine broadcast industry are the Pama-As Gintong Bai award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Gawad Plaridel from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. She was about to receive an award from the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino when she suffered a stroke.