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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-12/carmen-rosales-sm.webp" alt="Carmen Rosales" loadiing="lazy" />
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(Carmen Rosales in the 1946 movie "Guerilyera")
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The half-Swede and half-Filipina actress tried her luck in radio singing in the 1930s leading to a long, fruitful career in the entertainment industry which spanned the decades immediately before, during, and after World War II. 
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She was already married to Ramon Navales, her first husband, also a radio personality when Carmen had her first deal to appear in a movie. That film was the 1938 "Mahiwagang Binibini: Ang Kiri" produced by Diwata Pictures.
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In 1939, in the movie "Takipsilim" a production of Sampaguita Pictures, her legendary love team with <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1345/today-in-philippine-history-november-16-1986-rogelio-dela-rosa-died-of-a-fatal-heart-attack" class="news_link">Rogelio dela Rosa</a> was born. The pair made 12 movies together.
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Things changed for Carmen when World War II broke out. Her husband, Ramon, was killed by the Japanese forces early in the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines. Carmen as a result, decided to join the underground guerrilla movement and actually participated in armed encounters with the enemies.
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In a 1992 issue of the Sunday Inquirer magazine, Carmen's eldest son Rene, retold the story of her mother's heroic war exploits:
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"My mother's underground work took her to Santa Rosa, Laguna, where she was involved in the killing of a Makapili (Japanese collaborator). She later fled to Silang, Cavite to evade capture by the Japanese. My mother was a sharpshooter who toted a .45 and sometimes wore a moustache in order to disguise herself ..."
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Carmen was the most bankable star of Sampaguita Pictures. 
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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-12/ang-kiri.webp" alt="Mahiwagang Binibini: Ang Kiri" loading="lazy" />
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(Carmen Rosales' first movie, Mahiwagang Binibini: Ang Kiri)
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In 1949, she became the highest-paid movie star when LVN Pictures offered her the unprecedented sum of P45,000 to team up again with Rogelio dela Rosa in Kampanang Ginto, followed by Camelia, then Sipag at Yaman with Jose Padilla, Jr. and Batalyon Trece with Jaime dela Rosa. Among her unforgettable roles included the spurned lover of Rogelio dela Rosa in Maalaala Mo Kaya (1954) and a club-singer in Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig.
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Her experience during the war reportedly became one of the inspirations behind the 1946 movie "Guerilyera" where she starred as a female guerrilla fighter. Three years later, she also bagged a starring role in "Batalyong XIII", another WWII-inspired movie, also the first Filipino film in full color.
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Carmen received her first FAMAS Award in 1954 for her role in Inspirasyon opposite Van de Leon. She was similarly awarded in 1960 for playing a strict matron in Estela Mondragon.
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March 3, 1917: Carmen Rosales, a noted actress and World War II guerilla fighter was born in Pangasinan