[ad_1]
MANILA – Madam Auring, the fortune teller who shone for many decades predicting the fortunes of many stars, beauty queens and politicians, died on Friday at the age of 80.
His grandchildren, in separate posts on social media, announced his passing after various health problems in the last years of his life.
From her humble beginnings as a beautician in Manila, Aurea Sabalboro rose to prominence in the closing decades of the 20th century when she began reading other people’s fortunes using tarot cards and other tools of the future-guessing trade.
She had great success in the 70s when she allegedly correctly predicted the victory of the Spanish Amparo Muñoz as Miss Universe 1974 held in Manila.
It was a time when show business, pomp, and fortune-telling merged to capture the public’s interest and imagination amidst the vibes of martial law and repression.
In 1975, Muhammad Ali awarded Auring his greatest achievement when he called her after correctly predicting his victory over Joe Frazier, when other experts said otherwise.
Thereafter, she became the preferred “manghuhula” of entertainment scribes for many annual predictions of fate and fortune, the rise and fall of stars and politicians.
Without a doubt, Madam Auring embraced the aspects of show business life. In her heyday, she also became an actress, a beauty sponsor, and a highly sought-after guest on many shows.
Consciously or unconsciously, he also made mistakes in his readings. Particularly unforgettable was his hilarious prediction on “TV Patrol” in 1994 that “Miss Valenzuela” would win that year’s edition of Miss Universe in Manila. It was Miss India Sushmita Sen who won, while Miss Venezuela Minorka Mercado was placed as second runner-up.
Madame Auring just laughed at the blunder and gleefully continued with other colorful episodes of her life, including her love life, which was an open book in show business. He particularly wowed audiences at the
turn of the century on her tales of her hot romance with the ’70s jukebox king, Victor Wood. He also took advantage of many controversies about his youthful appearance and his fights with other celebrities.
Still, Madame Auring’s personality was showbiz fodder. But aside from his weaknesses, he also showed his humanity and compassion in private. In the long time that I covered her, I remember her as a protective mother to her family. Even in the twilight of his life, he continued to run his boutique and still read cards on the side of his store along Congressional Road, Quezon City.
Several times, away from the noise of show business, she told us that her reason for working and living is her family, which she managed to protect from the prying eyes of the public. One of his most memorable anecdotes was how he never forgot to put his children to bed and pray with them for their well-being.
No lady like Madame Auring, we will miss her.
