The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) deeply mourns the passing of beloved actress, humanitarian, and long-serving PRC Governor Rosa Rosal, who died at the age of 97.
A memorial reception was recently held at the Heritage Memorial Park in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, to honor her life and legacy. On the evening of 19 November, family, friends, and colleagues of Gov. Rosa Rosal in the humanitarian community attended her Necrological Services.
“We live in a world that is no longer harmonious to some, because we have forgotten the meaning of service and of giving. I always tell the Philippine Red Cross ‘you cannot be a spectator.’ You have to move forward. Acta non verba. Actions, not words—this is what defined Rosa Rosal,” PRC Chairman and CEO Dick Gordon said.
“Whatever she set her heart on, she pursued.”
“Whatever she set her heart on, she pursued. When she saw that the country needed blood, she went ahead and got blood. She expanded her world with courage to the point where she saw the suffering of others—then, she reached out to them. The Philippine Red Cross exists to reach out for the vulnerable, and Rosa Rosal was the very embodiment of that mission,” Gordon added.
“Gov. Rosa Rosal—Tita Rose—served the organization for 75 years.”
“On behalf of the Philippine Red Cross, we extend our deepest condolences. We share your grief, and we stand with you in honoring a life that touched so many. Gov. Rosa Rosal—Tita Rose—served the organization for 75 years. She volunteered for 21 years and spent 54 years on the Board of Governors. She embodied love, grace, and humanity. She will forever live in the hearts of everyone who makes up the PRC,” PRC Secretary General Dr. Gwen Pang stressed.
Rosal was remembered not only as a celebrated icon of Philippine cinema but also as one of the country’s most enduring humanitarians. Over the decades, she championed blood donation nationwide, launching PRC initiatives that brought bloodletting drives to campuses, military camps, and communities. Rosal also founded a women’s crisis center to support unwed and vulnerable pregnant mothers, and helped find homes for children who had been abandoned or left without care.
Balancing her public life with her service, she hosted the television programs Damayan and Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko, both aimed at mobilizing financial and medical assistance for indigent patients. Rosal further used proceeds from international speaking engagements to acquire Red Cross equipment, provide scholarships, and support livelihood recovery in disaster-stricken areas.
For more than seven decades, she helped shape the Philippine Red Cross into the humanitarian institution it is today.
