Julie Vega
Encyclopedia
Julie Pearl Apostol Postigo, better known by her stage name Julie Vega (May 21, 1968 – May 6, 1985), was a Filipina
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....

 child actress, singer and commercial model. She remains very popular and well loved in her native Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, years after her sudden death at the tender age of 16 that triggered a massive outpouring of nationwide grief that is still vividly remembered by Filipino showbiz fans today. She won two FAMAS Awards for Best Child Actress during her brief showbiz career.

Early life

Vega, who was named after her own parents, was born at the UERM
University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center
The University of the East - Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center is a university in Quezon City, Philippines. Founded in 1956, the university is one of the two extension campuses of the University of the East. UERMMMC is a non-stock, non-profit foundation and a memorial to President Ramon...

 in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...

, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 to a devout Roman Catholic family and is the youngest and only girl in a brood of six children of dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...

s Julio Postigo (1931–1991) from Zamboanga del Sur
Zamboanga del Sur
Zamboanga del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Pagadian City is the capital...

 and the former Perla Apostol (nicknamed Pearl, born 1932) from Iligan City
Iligan City
The City of Iligan is a highly urbanized industrial city north of the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines, and the province's former capital. It is approximately 795 kilometers southeast of Manila...

, Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...

. This fact led her family to nickname her Darling and Tata (which means youngest child in the Visayan language). She inherited her mestiza looks from her Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...

 paternal grandmother, the former Aurora Fort, who came to the Philippines at a young age with her father, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 General Guy O. Fort (died 1942). She would go on to later marry Filipino General Leon Postigo. Her older brothers are (according to order of birth) James (nicknamed Jimmy), Jeffrey (nicknamed Joey, 1960–1983), Jonathan (nicknamed Noni), Joseph (nicknamed Toti), and Jerry (nicknamed Steve).

Showbiz career

Vega was discovered in 1974 while performing at a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 party at the Quezon Institute, where her mother then worked, by renowned film and stage director Lamberto Avellana and veteran actress Boots Anson-Roa
Boots Anson-Roa
Maria Elisa Cristobal-Anson or Boots Anson-Roa is an award-winning actress, columnist, editor, and lecturer.-Early life:She was born on January 30, 1945...

, thus starting her showbiz career at the age of six as a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 commercial model of a hotdog
HotDog
HotDog is the name of the HTML web editing tool developed by Sausage Software in the mid-1990s. At the time of its development, there were only a small number of HTML editors available on the market and HotDog gathered significant interest from web users due to its ease of use and "What you see...

 brand. She first used the screen name Darling Postigo and appeared in her first film entitled Ang Pag-ibig Ko’y Huwag Mong Sukatin as the young daughter of Anson-Roa and Dante Rivero
Dante Rivero
Dante Rivero is a FAMAS award-winning and Gawad Urian Award-nominated Filipino film and television actor.-Television :-Movies:*2002 Bro.....

. It was not until she appeared in her first major lead and breakthrough role in the 1978
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....

 film Mga Mata ni Angelita that she started using the screen name Julie Vega upon the recommendation of film producer and director Larry Santiago, who owned Larry Santiago Productions which produced the film. She had been chosen to play the title role despite placing only third among over 200 applicants for the role.

Although Vega later had to turn down the title role of Flor de Luna due to her hectic school and showbiz schedules, she would finally have her own soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 when she was cast as the title character in GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...

’s Anna Liza. Her portrayal of the sensitive, sad-sack and frequently oppressed title character drew the sympathy and affections of the Filipino viewing public and further solidified her star status. The success of Anna Liza made her the chief soap opera rival of Janice De Belen, a fellow child star
Child star
Child star can refer to:* a child actor* a child singer*"Child Star," a song by The Unicorns from their 2003 album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...

 who also enjoyed success with Flor de Luna, the title role Vega herself previously turned down, as the two dramas rivaled each other for the attention of the television-viewing public. Yet in spite being showbiz rivals, they were the best of friends in real life. In fact, De Belen herself once mentioned, “There could be no me if Julie accepted the role as Flor de Luna.”

Aside from her work in Anna Liza, Vega also starred in several films and won two FAMAS acting awards overall. She won Best Child Actress for Mga Mata ni Angelita and Durugin si Totoy Bato and was nominated for Best Child Actress for Mga Basang Sisiw and Best Supporting Actress for Isang Bala Ka Lang!.

When Vega became a teenager, she was signed to Regal Films by producer Lily Monteverde, who also owned the film company since its inception in 1962
1962 in film
The year 1962 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May - The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards are officially founded by the Taiwanese government....

. She was then included among the so-called Regal “Cry Babies” along with then fellow teenaged actresses De Belen, Maricel Soriano
Maricel Soriano
Maricel Soriano , is a critically acclaimed Filipina film and television actress.-Biography:...

, and Snooky
Snooky Serna
Snooky Serna is a Filipina film and television actress.-Early life:Being the daughter of actors Von Serna and Mila Ocampo, she started acting early in life via her 1970 landmark debut Wanted: Perfect Mother, where she immediately captured the hearts of Filipino audience as a cute, sweet and...

. She did a total of six films for Regal, including Where Love Has Gone , Mother Dear , To Mama with Love, and Daddy’s Little Darlings, all of which became certified box office hits.

Singing career

Aside from acting, Vega also became a successful singer in her own right. She initially refused to pursue a singing career of her own, but after repeated proddings from her older brother Joey, who noticed her beautiful singing voice, she finally consented to doing so. She took formal voice lessons under renowned songwriter Cecille Azarcon to further hone her singing voice. With the training she received, she was able to sing many of the theme songs of the movies she appeared in like Dear Mama, Where Love Has Gone, Don't Cry for Me Papa, and Iiyak Ka Rin.

It was during one of her singing promotions for Where Love Has Gone that Vega was discovered by Bong Carreon, who then offered her to be a recording artist for the then newly formed Emerald Recording Company owned by Carreon himself and his then wife, the famous Filipina singer Imelda Papin
Imelda Papin
Imelda Papin is a Filipino singer and one of the bigger names in the Philippine music industry. Dubbed the "Sentimental Songstress", Imelda Papin is responsible for songs such as "Bakit " and "Isang Linggong Pag-ibig"....

. Her debut single Somewhere In My Past, composed by Mon Del Rosario, was a major hit which became a certified gold record in only its first few weeks of release and would prove to be her most enduring hit and the one song she would be most identified with. The single’s success prompted Bong Carreon and Imelda Papin to launch Vega as a full-time solo artist by coming up with the latter’s 1985
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...

 debut album First Love, which included Somewhere In My Past and produced her further hit songs like Someone Special, The Memory Will Remain, and the title track itself.

According to Vega herself, she particularly liked singing because it is through this medium that she is able to best express her inner thoughts and feelings. This became especially true after the tragic loss of her brother Joey, to whom she was particularly very close to. Joey was stabbed to death in a car by hired killers, who mistook him for another person they were hired to look for and then kill, while hanging out with his friends in 1983. His untimely death at the tender age of 22 proved to be devastating for the young Julie, who was then made to repeatedly wish to join him in death.

Education

In spite of her hectic showbiz schedule, Vega was still able to attend to her studies in school. She studied at the Our Lady of Sacred Heart School from grade school until first year high school before transferring to St. Joseph's College where she finished her high school education. The schools proved to be accessible to her since both are located not far from where her family used to live at 11th Avenue, Murphy, Cubao, Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...

.

Illness and early death

Not long after her high school graduation in 1985, Vega began complaining of extreme weakness and lack of sensation, particularly on her lower body. This prompted her parents to bring her to a private hospital for diagnosis and treatment. She was later diagnosed with a form of demyelinating disease
Demyelinating disease
A demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. This impairs the conduction of signals in the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved.The term...

, which was highly suspected to be either Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain–Barré syndrome , sometimes called Landry's paralysis, is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , a disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and hands and migrating towards the trunk, is the most typical symptom...

 or multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

. As Vega’s condition became worse, her parents were forced to have her confined to the Quezon Institute as they could no longer afford the increasing amount of her hospital bills. Sometime after her confinement there, she contracted bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...

, making her condition even worse than before.

Vega was transferred to the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City at about 5:00 p.m on May 6, 1985 where she died suddenly and peacefully around 90 minutes later at the hospital's intensive care unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...

, just 15 days shy of her 17th birthday. Her cause of death was officially listed as cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

 secondary to bronchopneumonia. Her untimely death left Anna Liza with an incomplete storyline and the Filipino people in total shock. After lying in state at Mount Carmel Church in Quezon City, her body was laid to rest right next to her brother's grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City
Marikina City
Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...

 in a funeral attended by millions of grieving fans and colleagues from Philippine showbiz.

At the time of her death, Vega left behind a large body of unfinished work aside from Anna Liza. She was supposed to promote her debut album First Love, do a second album for Emerald containing all Filipino language
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

 songs, perform with Imelda Papin in singing engagements both in the Philippines and abroad, start hosting two television shows (her own, Julie and Friends on Maharlika Broadcasting System
National Broadcasting Network
People's Television is the flagship government television network owned by the Philippine Government through People's Television Network, Inc. . Its head office, studios and transmitter are located at Broadcast Complex, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City .-History:The country's government...

, and as alternate host of Student Canteen
Student Canteen
Student Canteen is the first and original noontime show on Philippine television which ran for 30 years in different decades. The show ran in different networks from 1958 to 1972, 1975 to 1986 and 1989-1990.-The ABS-CBN years:...

on GMA
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...

), and star as one of the mainstays of the then upcoming teen-oriented talent show That's Entertainment
That's Entertainment (TV series)
That's Entertainment is a defunct Filipino youth-oriented talent and variety show aired by GMA Network.-History:The show was launched on January 6, 1986 by GMA Network and gained popularity almost overnight among young audiences who were on the lookout for idols of their own. Hosted by German...

on GMA. She was also supposed to attend the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...

 for her college education.

Life story

Vega's life story was most notably shown on film through The Life Story of Julie Vega, which was shown shortly after her death. Nadia Montenegro portrayed the ill-fated movie and soap opera actress and singer, Jimmy Morato and Alicia Alonzo portrayed her parents, while her real-life brother Steve and babysitter Flor Argawanon appeared as themselves. That's Entertainment
That's Entertainment (TV series)
That's Entertainment is a defunct Filipino youth-oriented talent and variety show aired by GMA Network.-History:The show was launched on January 6, 1986 by GMA Network and gained popularity almost overnight among young audiences who were on the lookout for idols of their own. Hosted by German...

mainstays Jestoni Alarcon
Jestoni Alarcon
Jesus Antonio Pineda Alarcon , better known by his stage name Jestoni Alarcon, is a Filipino actor and politician. He was once a Antipolo City Councilor & the vice governor of Rizal Province.-Filmography:...

, John Regala and Hero Bautista also portrayed her brothers in the film. On television, through the October 2, 2003 episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya
Maalaala Mo Kaya
Maalaala Mo Kaya is a Philippine drama anthology series broadcast on ABS-CBN every Saturday evening and being hosted by Charo Santos-Concio. Currently, it became the longest-running drama anthology on Philippine television and on Asia...

entitled Unan (Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...

 for Pillow) played by Angelica Panganiban
Angelica Panganiban
Angelica Panganiban is a Filipina film and television actress and comedian.-Early years:...

. Vega's parents were portrayed by Michael de Mesa
Michael de Mesa
-Early life:Born Eduardo Mikael De Mesa Eigenmann on 24 May 1960 to acclaimed performer Eddie Mesa and actress Rosemarie Gil, Michael De Mesa and his siblings Mark Gil and Cherie Gil grew up steeped in the arts...

 and Rio Locsin
Rio Locsin
Rio Locsin is the daughter of the movie actress Charito Garcia. Locsin appeared in sexy movies with Lorna Tolentino as her rival.She married Al Tantay, but they separated after a few years. Now she's married to a former basketball player, Padim Israel. She had 3 daughters, Paula & Jabba , and...

. The said episode was well-received by both critics and Julie Vega fans alike and is noted for its use of actual footage of Vega’s burial which featured not only fans but also celebrities like Fernando Poe, Jr.
Fernando Poe, Jr.
Ronald Allan Poe y Kelley , better known as Fernando Poe, Jr. and colloquially known as FPJ and Da King, was a Filipino actor and cultural icon. From the 1950s, Poe played steadfast film heroes who fight for the common man, which won him respect and admiration...

, Chiquito
Chiquito
Augusto Valdez Pangan, Sr. , better known as Chiquito, was a popular Filipino actor appearing mainly in comedy films.-Biography:...

, Nida Blanca
Nida Blanca
Dorothy Acueza Jones, popularly known by her stage name Nida Blanca, was a Filipina actress. She starred in over 163 movies and 14 television shows and received over 16 awards for movies and six awards for television during her 50-year film career...

, Herbert Bautista
Herbert Bautista
Herbert Constantine Maclang Bautista is a Filipino actor and politician. He is the mayor of the same city winning by a landslide in May 2010. He won a landslide in his 2007 vice-mayoral reelection bid...

 and best friend Janice De Belen in mourning her death. The video footage was lent to the Maalaala Mo Kaya producers for the episode by the Postigos themselves.

Movies

Year Title Character/Role
1984 Lovingly Yours, Helen: The Movie Ida
1984 Daddy's Little Darlings Chiqui
1984 Dear Mama Joy
1983 Don’t Cry for Me Papa Gigi
1983 Iiyak Ka Rin April
1983 Isang Bala Ka Lang! Angela Rodriguez
1983 Roman Rapido Carmen
1983 To Mama with Love Mylene
1982 Mother Dear Lagring
1982 Where Love Has Gone Liza
1981 Flor de Liza Liza
1981 Mga Basang Sisiw -
1981 Ang Milagro sa Porta Vaga -
1980 Anak ng Atsay Lisa
1980 Angelita...Ako ang Iyong Ina Angelita
1980 Kape't Gatas Wewet
1980 Pompa Pompa
1979 Durugin si Totoy Bato Lucia
1979 Roberta Roberta
1978 Mga Mata ni Angelita Angelita
1975 Mga Tinik Ng Babae -
1975 Mortal Mylene
1975 Ang Pag-ibig Ko’y Huwag Mong Sukatin -

Television

Year Title Role TV Network
1979–1985 Anna Liza
Anna Liza (TV series)
Anna Liza is a Philippine television series produced by GMA Network. It was also the network's very first soap opera in primetime slot. Launched in 1979, the series got the attentions of thousand of Filipinos—made it as one of the most popular and well-loved drama series' of all time. The series...

 
Anna Liza GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...


Album

  • First Love - 1985, Emerald Recording Company


All songs written by Mon Del Rosario except for First Love, which was written by Alex Catedrilla.
  1. Someone Special
  2. First Love
  3. Somewhere in My Past
  4. Only a Dream
  5. So Impatient
  6. The Memory Will Remain

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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