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What veteran actress Bella Flores needs

Bella Flores with daughter Ruby (Contributed photo)

Ailing veteran  actress Bella Flores may no longer be able to converse with members of her family and friends who visit her at home, but she feels their love whenever they touch and talk to her.

This, her daughter Ruby Arcilla told  Yahoo! Philippines OMG! in a phone interview.

“People have shown their  support via Facebook and/or text.  They tell me they’re praying for her. Nakakatulong yan,” Ruby said.

Bella’s only child added that her mom, who returned to the Philippines in 2010 after migrating in the US,   may need further tests so she could hopefully get back her energy.

Back to the Philippines

The loving daughter turned her back on life in the US, where she, her husband Jessie and daughter Jessica have been staying for eight years, to  accompany Bella back to the Philippines in 2010.

“Although she was not sad at all in the US, I  saw that her heart is here in the Philippines,” explains Ruby.  “She misses  what she’s been  been doing for years, which is acting.”

Beyond that,  Ruby thinks her mom’s return to the Philippines is part of a bigger scheme of things.

“There’s  a bigger force doing this for me, Parang it was destiny. It was meant to be. I couldn’t  explain  or place it  now.“

Whatever that ‘hidden force’ is, Ruby has no regrets.  She saw her mom’s eyes light up when she returned to acting.  Her last  acting  assignment before she accidentally broke  her hip  last December was  a film for Bench’s 25th anniversary.

“We have to do our share,” muses Ruby. “We only have one mom.”

Aside from her husband and daughter,  Ruby has been getting a lot of help from Bella’s friends in the industry.

The first to come to the rescue,  reports Ruby, is Ben Chan, founder of  the Bench clothing line.  Gloria Romero,  Gloria Sevilla,  Nova Villa  and Pempe Rodrigo have visited the iconic  screen villain at home.  Mowelfund Executive Director Boots Anson-Roa called on friends and colleagues to help Bella.

Ruby adds that a group of actors called Balik  Samahan  holds prayer meetings and does other things to help colleagues in need  like Bella.

Continuing a legacy


Now that her mom is unable to face the cameras,  Ruby   wants to continue her  legacy by returning to acting herself.

“I’m trying my luck here.  I used in act in the `70s, when teleseryes were called drama series.  I was in Coney Reyes’ drama series,” says Ruby.

Her 20-year-old daughter also wants to follow in her grandma’s footsteps, a fact that  pleases Bella no end.

“My mom said in interviews na may papalit na raw sa kanya,” Ruby recalls.

Meanwhile, Ruby knows she and her family are facing a long battle ahead and they have to be ready.

They will be, with a little help from Good Samaritans out there.