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ELVIRA MANAHAN

If there was one woman in society who was larger than life, it was Elvira Manahan. I remember watching her on her television talk show Two for the Road, mesmerised by her humour, elegance and that infectious, signature laugh. She was a true nonconformist that even her irreverence was admirable.

Elvira Ledesma Manahan was born in Silay City, Negros Occidental to Simeon Ledesma and Conchita Bermejo. She moved to Manila to stay with her grandmother and studied at the Holy Ghost University (Holy Spirit).

At 16, she married Armando Eduque and got pregnant with him. One fateful day during World War II, there was an air raid; and the story was that Eduque ran after their dog and did not return home for days. Elvira went out to find him and found him dead on the street. Not too long after, she met Dr Tito Manahan, whom she married within a year.

At a time when people in high society looked down on showbiz personalities, Elvira had several movies tucked under her belt, not to mention a show