ICON… NORA GOES ONLINE
Butch Francisco, The Philippine Star 03/20/2004

ICON. They couldn't have chosen a better acronym. ICON stands for International Circle of Online Noranians.

I say it's very appropriate because Nora Aunor, after all, is a major icon in Philippine cinema.

ICON is actually a sister Nora Aunor fan club of GANAP or Grand Alliance for Nora Aunor Philippines (with different chapters all over the country) and the Federation of Nora Aunor Followers (umbrella organization of all Nora Aunor fans clubs organized since 1967). It's a different composition, however.

Its members obviously are all computer-literate. And unlike most other movie fans who would scream their lungs out and get into catfights in defense of their screen idols, ICON members are mostly well-mannered corporate people – yuppies, actually.

And, looking at how this group evolved into the formal aggrupation that it is today, you can say that the roots of ICON is what you'd call in showbiz lingo as sosi. Its seeds, believe it or not, were planted in New York. This was in 2001 through a Noranian by the name of Leonel Escota.

Escota actually put up a Nora Aunor website and soon after, Noranians from all over the globe (Filipinos are everywhere, you know) started logging in to get the latest tidbits about their movie idol.

Late last year, however, Nora Aunor Internet surfers decided to get together once and for all because of an untoward incident that happened in Sharon that even Nora herself doesn't care to discuss anymore. For the members of ICON, they are just too happy that what happened in Sharon served as a catalyst for them to formalize this new group (during the Nora Aunor fans' day last January).

The group is getting bigger by the day (at least 10 members are signing up daily). So far, there are 225 official ICON members here and in the US (for those interested to join or just to find out anything about Nora – her long string of awards, list of movies, etc. – you may log in at http:// www.groups.yahoo/noraaunor).

ICON members are not just out to provide information about Nora. At the moment, they are also set to repackage the superstar into what we may call, what – a new style icon?

Last Thursday, four Manila-based ICON members set up a pictorial for Nora at the new DPI photography center of Louie Aguinaldo at Astoria Plaza in Ortigas Center. The ICON members who spearheaded this activity were Tim Capellan, Albert Sunga, Marlon Antolin and Vonnel Mirandilla.

I've known Albert Sunga for a number of years now and he is a distinguished man and top honcho at the Binondo branch of Banco de Oro. The rest I met only yesterday and I was impressed with the fact that they are all successful in their respective fields – busy with their work and yet finding time to help reinvigorate all the more their movie idol's career.

The purpose of putting up a pictorial shoot for Nora is to post new pictures of her in the website because the superstar's photos there aren't really all that flattering since most of these were taken from her films where she plays the usual abused, battered characters.

The other photos taken last Thursday are to be distributed to various newspapers later and it is unfortunate that The Philippine STAR has yet to get a copy as of presstime. However, I was there (upon the invitation of Nora's manager Norie Sayo) to witness the pictorial and I swear I've never seen Nora look so divinely glamorous.

Styled by Victor Palmos (with Nono Palmos as fashion consultant) and wearing clothes by Window Box and accessories by Gerry Sunga, Nora went through different poses – some very provocative (with Tommy Alvarado helping create the mood).

In the early part, Nora wore colorful hip-hop clothes. But before you cry "nagmumurang-kamias" (or is it kamatis?), you better check the photos first because Nora really looked very youthful in the pictures.

What was surprising was when Nora agreed to don just an oversized white shirt with nothing else. Okay, she was wearing a pair of modest enough undergarments underneath, but with the outline showing (Was it Nolo Rosales of DPI photo center who pointed it out) ? Feeling very comfortable in her getup, Nora – at 50 (she never hid her age anyway) – still oozed with sex appeal.
In the third session, she wore an all-black coat and tie a la Don Vito Corleone, but still evoked a lot of femininity in her. In the final shoot, she was made to wear a yellow formal long gown, but I was no longer there to witness it.

Before I left, however, I had a nice long chat with Nora and she is excited about daughter Matet de Leon's wedding this afternoon. Oh yes, we also talked about the Lotlot-Monching issue, details of which you'll get to watch in Startalk this afternoon.

More importantly, she wanted to remind me about this two-day affair (April 24 to 25) at the Folk Arts Theater that would serve as a reunion for her fans. On April 24, there will be an exhibit of Nora Aunor memorabilia (her trophies, billboards, movie posters, etc.). The following day will be the concert where entrance is free (but tickets will still be issued to ensure order). For more details about this two-day activity, you may check her website. The ICON members are only too willing to provide you with all the information about this special two-day affair they are putting up for major movie icon Nora Aunor.