Tiya Dely, Fidela Mendoza Magpayo in real life, the enduring broadcast journalist who gained fame by making her voice old when she was in her early 20s, may have passed away last Monday, Sept. 1 at 6:10 p.m. (she could have been 88 on Oct. 29) but she will live on a little longer through her daily drama program “Kasaysayan ng Mga Liham kay Tiya Dely.” Her only surviving child among three, Mrs. Didi Reyes-Belonio, said her mother was able to pre-tape several episodes of the show. So expect to hear Tiya Dely’s voice for sometime yet.
Tiya Dely’s remains lie at the Loyola Memorial Premiere 2 Chapel in Marikina. A necrological service will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4, and interment will be on Saturday, Sept. 6. Public viewing will be till 3 p.m. on Friday. The last night of the wake will be private, just for family.
Expected to pay their last respects via kundiman songs at the necrological service is the Tribung Pinoy of Danny Dolor, and other kundiman singers of the country, most especially Pangkat Kolektibista who’ve been singing Tagalog songs in Tiya Dely’s Saturday program.
Ms. Belonio requested that in lieu of flowers, sympathizers may light a candle or make a donation to Tiya Dely’s favorite places of devotion: Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Parish of St. John the Baptist in Quiapo; Mother of Perpetual Help-Redemptorist Church in Baclaran, and Monasterio de Santa Clara in Katipunan, QC.
Last Saturday (Aug. 30), Tiya Dely was rushed to the Manila Doctors’ Hospital when she suffered a stroke just 10 minutes after 11 p.m. while hosting her Saturday program over DZRH, “Serenata Pilipina.” The show featured and promoted the country’s very own music genre, the kundiman.
On that day (Aug. 30), the legendary Tiya Dely was also one of eight outstanding and prominent personalities chosen to receive the Ist Gawad Sagisag Quezon Award for her outstanding contributions in the promotion of the national language in her programs. The awards rites, held to cap the month-long celebration of the National Language Month, were aired over “Sining Gising” show on NBN 4.Tiya Dely’s program coordinator, Cris Capulso, received the award in her behalf. The award was later brought and read to her at her hospital bed, according to Ms. Belonio.
Ms. Belonio also said Saturday was her mother’s busiest and most work-laden day. She has three sets of shows beginning at 9 p.m. and ending at way past midnight. This is in addition to her daily drama show “Kasaysayan ng Mga Liham Kay Tiya Dely” which is pre-taped.
Tiya Dely was the husky, silky voice people loved to listen to over DZRH via her daily program “Ito ang Inyong Lingkod, Tiya Dely.” The voice never lost its dreamy and romantic quality through the years.
Tiya Dely started her colorful career in 1939 over KFRF where she was a pre-war singer-announcer with Andoy Balun-balunan and Dely Atay-atayan, then with Frankie Gormez’s group. She moved over to DZRH in l946 to be a singer-announcer with Luz Mat Castro group. At DZRH, she also was actress in various radio dramas, disc jockey, staff announcer, DJ and host for various programs.
She later joined DZXL and then ABS-CBN which closed shop due to Martial Law. She moved over to DWWW in 1977. In 1986, she was re-hired by ABS-CBN, but returned to DZRH in 1990.
During the span of her colorful career as broadcast journalist, Tiya Dely received many awards. This full-blooded Bulakenya will also be remembered for speaking perfect Tagalog all the time, sometimes chastising those radio reporters who didn’t speak their national language the right way.
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