Pablo Martin Sarmiento (June 29, 1942 - August 27, 1998), better known as Babalu, was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

comedian and actor. His screen name was a reference to his long, sharp chin ("''baba''" is the

term for " chin") of which was sometimes a subject of on screen ridicule, usually by himself.

Personal life

He grew up in

Sampaloc, Manila Sampaloc is a district of Manila, Philippines. It is referred to as the University Belt or simply called ''“U-Belt”'' for numerous colleges and universities are found within the district such as the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest ext ...

in his grandmother's home with his mother, one sister and three brothers. Babalu fathered a son. For several years and until his death, he was living with his long-time partner who eventually became his wife prior to his death, with whom he had a child.

Acting career

Babalu is considered "one of the most famous, beloved, and greatest comedians" in the Philippines. He is the nephew of the famous actor Panchito Alba.

Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (; July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), better known by his stage names Dolphy, Pidol, and Golay, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied ...

, the king of Philippine Comedy, discovered Babalu's talent as a comedian. Babalu was given a featured role on the Philippines' leading comedy-variety show ''Buhay Artista''. His appearances in movies and television included the shows '' Home Along Da Riles'' and ''

Oki Doki Doc ''Oki Doki Doc'' (also known as ''Oki Doki Dok'') was a Philippine sitcom which aired on ABS-CBN from October 23, 1993 to December 2, 2000, and was replaced by ''Arriba, Arriba!''. It originally aired every Saturday nights, then transferred to Wed ...

''. Babalu's life story was featured on the television show '' Maalaala Mo Kaya'' "Imahe ng Berhen" on July 3, 2003.

Filmography

Film

Television

Death

Babalu was warned of his health condition in March 1998 but kept his health problems a secret from his co-stars, particularly from Aga Muhlach and the others in the weekly TV shows ''

'' and '' Home Along Da Riles'', wherein he was a regular cast. Writer Nene Riego, a close friend of Babalu, said the actor asked his doctor to tell him the truth about his ailment. Babalu was told he only had six months to live. He decided to seek further treatment in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. Doctors there had the same diagnosis and advised him to spend the rest of his life in the Philippines. Babalu came back home on August 14, thin and weak. Babalu's last two movies were ''Tataynic'' with Dolphy and ''Tong Tatlong Tatay Kong Pakitong-kitong'' together with Redford White, Bonel Balingit and Serena Dalrymple. He died of

liver cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

on August 27, 1998, two months after his 56th birthday, in his home in

Antipolo Antipolo, officially known as the City of Antipolo ( fil, Lungsod ng Antipolo), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 887,399 people. It is the ...

. He was buried in Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque. The film ''Tar-San'' is dedicated to his memory.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Babalu 1942 births 1998 deaths 20th-century comedians 20th-century Filipino male actors Burials at the Loyola Memorial Park Deaths from cancer in the Philippines Deaths from cirrhosis Filipino male comedians Filipino male film actors Filipino male television actors Filipino television personalities Male actors from Manila People from Antipolo People from Sampaloc, Manila