Dulce, a Cebuana, represented the country and won the grand prize in the Asian Song Festival in Hong Kong with the song ‘Ako Ang Nasawi, Ako Ang Nagwagi’ sometime in the late ‘80s.
She was already a sought-after performer and recording artist at that time and the victory further boosted her stock. She became more in demand in corporate and special events. For a long time, she was the voice behind the song Maalaala Mo Kaya, the title of the long running weekly anthology of Ms. Charo Santos-Concio over ABS-CBN.
Recently, she’s more visible as one of the regular judges-mentors of the daily singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan sa Showtime over the Kapamilya network. These developments and her longevity in the business earned for her the moniker Asia’s Timeless Diva.
Being a Cebuana and a Visayan at that, Dulce doesn’t make her feel inferior side by side veteran and new talents in the big city. When her Visayan accent is talked about, her constant reply is “It is not a liability. It is my identity.”
Last Jan. 2, we had a rare bonding session (with her daughter Jemimah Keren) that lasted more or less 10 hours. We had lunch in one of the restos at The Block of SM City North Edsa, watched the Vice Ganda-Anne Curtis starrer – The Mall, The Merrier – had snacks, went to the supermarket, drove to SM Fairview in Quezon City, had dinner and called it a day.
It was short, sweet and memorable bonding time.
