Amalia Fuentes

She was the first recipient of Box Office Queen Award in 1970 from the Guillermo Mendoza Scholarship Foundation.

• Name — Amalia Fuentes • Birth Name — Amalia Amador Muhlach • Born — 27 August 1940 • Died — 5 October 2019 • Birthplace — Naga, Camarines Sur, Commonwealth of the Philippines • Place of death — St. Luke's Medical Center – Global City, Taguig, Philippines • Resting Place — Loyola Memorial Park - Marikina, Philippines • Occupation — Actress, writer, director, producer • Years Active — 1956–2013 • Children — 2 incl. Liezl Sumilang • Parents — Alvaro Muhlach Sr. (father) Concepcion Amador (mother) Isagani Fuentes (stepfather) • Relatives — Aga Muhlach (nephew) Nino Muhlach (nephew) AJ Muhlach (nephew) Alonzo Muhlach (grandnephew) Albert Martinez (son-in-law) • Family — Alvaro Mulach (brother) Alexander Mulach (brother) Alfonso Martinez (grandson) Alissa Martinez (granddaughter)

In 1956, Fuentes and fellow actor Juancho Gutierrez won Sampaguita Pictures' Mr. & Ms. Number One contest. Sampaguita Pictures launched Amalia and Juancho into full stardom in the 1956 film Movie Fan. They were initially paired as a "love team" – popular in Philippine cinema – by Sampaguita Pictures, and both starred in Rodora (1956), Sonata (1957), Pakiusap (1959), Ang Senyorito at Ang Atsay (1963) among others. She was also paired as love team with Romeo Vasquez in Pretty Boy (1957), Bobby (1958), Ako Ang May Sala (1958) and Bilanggong Birhen (1960) among others. She starred in such notable films as, Estela Mondragon (1960) starring Carmen Rosales, Amy, Susie, Tessie (1960) with Susan Roces, Tessie Agana, Joey, Eddie, Lito (1961) starring Jose Mari Gonzales, Eddie Gutierrez, Lito Legaspi, Dayukdok (1961) with Carmen Rosales, Luis Gonzales, Barbara Perez and Amaliang Mali-Mali (1962) with Luis Gonzales. Fuentes wrote the screenplay for the films Tatlong Kasaysayan ng Pag-ibig (1966), and Ito ang Aming Kasunduan (1973). She starred in and directed Mga Reynang Walang Trono (1976). Fuentes has her own production company, AM (Amalia Muhlach) Productions. She produced several movies, most notable of which are: Whisper to the Wind (1966), Baril at Rosaryo (1967), and Pwede Ako Pwede Ka Pa Ba? (1976). Her last acting role was for the ABS CBN teleserye Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala (2013) with Judy Ann Santos. She won Best Actress Awards from Famas in 1966 for Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin and in the 1973 Manila Film Festival for the movie Pagibig Mo Buhay Ko! Fuentes was a member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). She appeared in more than 130 films.

Fuentes was born Amalia Amador Muhlach in Bicol. Her family has Spanish (Asturian), German and Chinese roots. Her father, Álvaro Muhlach Agüera, was born in Barcelona, Spain, to Alejandro Muhlach Agüera and Enriqueta Agüera Iglesias, who were from Santander and Comillas, respectively both in Cantabria, but their ancestry originated from Asturias; Alejandro's father is a descendant of German settlers in Spain. Her mother Concepción Borja Amador was born in Xiamen, China, to a Chinese father and a Bicolano mother from Goa, Camarines Sur. She was educated in Davao Central College. Her father died during the war and as the eldest child, she became the family breadwinner. Her two younger brothers, Alex and Alvaro, are also actors. Amalia married fellow actor Romeo Vasquez in 1965 in Hong Kong but they separated in 1969. They had a daughter, Liezl Sumilang (wife of actor Albert Martinez). After her divorce from Vasquez, Amalia married Joey Stevens, an American businessman with whom she adopted a son, Geric Stevens. In the aftermath of the People Power Revolution, Stevens' bank accounts were frozen due to allegations of him being a crony of ousted president Ferdinand Marcos, upon which Fuentes participated in at least one pro-Marcos rally out of spite to the administration of Corazon Aquino. She divorced Stevens after 28 years of marriage, citing infidelity. Stevens died in 2012. After retiring from films in 2013, she suffered a stroke while on vacation in South Korea.

Fuentes died on October 5, 2019, due to cardiac arrest and multiple organ failures. She and family are buried at Loyola Memorial Park.

Awards and nominations received by Amalia Fuentes • Organizations — Year — Recipient(s) — Category — Result — Ref. References • Box Office Entertainment Awards — 1970 — Amalia Fuentes — Box Office Queen • FAMAS Award — 1965 — Kulay Dugo ang Gabi — Best Actress • 1966 — Sapagkat Ikaw Ay Akin • 1967 — Ibulong Mo sa Hangin • 1968 — O! Pagsintang Labis • 1970 — Kapatid Ko ang Aking Ina • 1972 — Divina Bastarda • 1973 — Babae... Ikaw ang Dahilan! • 1974 — Pag-ibig Mo, Buhay Ko • 1975 — Isang Gabi... Tatlong Babae! • 2017 — Amalia Fuentes — Lifetime Achievement Award • Gawad Pasado — 2017 — Amalia Fuentes — Lifetime Achievement Award • Manila Film Festival — 1973 — Pag-ibig Mo, Buhay Ko — Best Actress • Star Award for Movies — 2016 — Amalia Fuentes — Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award • The EDDYS — 2019 — Amalia Fuentes — Icon Award

• Year — Title — Role — Note(s) • 2008 — Kahit Isang Saglit • 2013 — Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala — Dr. Maria Balaguer

• Illustration — Isagani C.Fuentes, Sr. tomb • Illustration — Raymund Frederick Steves, Agatha Arian Ignacio Muhlach and Antonio Luis Millare • Illustration — Loyola Memorial Park family grave • Illustration — Fuentes signature • Illustration — Fuentes tomb • Illustration — Concepcion Borja Amador