In the early 70’s, the devoted fans of the love team of Guy and Pip (Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III) became enraged when Sampaguita Pictures came out with a movie, With These Hands, which starred Pip with a beautiful new actress, Aurora Salve.
"Nagalit talaga mga solid Noranians noon, kasi ang gusto lang nilang ka-partner ni Tirso ay si Guy," recalled Aurora Salve with a smile, during an exclusive interview with Asian Journal in Los Angeles. "Kaya, binigyan ako ng bagong movie screen partner, si Rudy Fernandez, with whom I made several movies. Sa TV naman, si Walter Navarro ang naging madalas kong ka-partner," she added.
After three decades, Aurora Salve is still as beautiful as when she entered show business quite accidentally during her sophomore year in UST’s College of Nursing. "I remember it was Valentine’s Day and half-day lang ang school. So, my friends and I decided to go to Sampaguita Pictures to watch our favorite stars, Rosemarie and Ricky Belmote, who were shooting a movie. Yun pala, Nora and Tirso were also there, shooting their movie, Orang. So, nanuod din kami doon. The director, Mar S. Torres, saw me and asked me, ‘hija, gusto mo bang mag-artista?’ He made me talk to Tirso in front of the camera and showed the rushes to Dr. Perez. Three days later, I got a call and was offered a role in Young at Heart, as the ex-girlfriend of Tirso," Aurora reminisced.
Other movies quickly followed and a regular TV show, Fiesta Extravaganza. Since she proved to be not only a superb actress but a good singer too, Aurora was signed in by Villar Records. Her records include a duet with Ronnie Villar, Stay a While, and an original song composed by Danny Subido, Our Love.
Born and raised in Bicol by her parents, Alfreda and Salvador Salve, Aurora had to stop schooling due to her hectic schedule. Her parents and four younger siblings, Shirley, Salvador Jr, Redentor and Monica, followed her in Manila, where Aurora took care of them and sent her siblings to school.
Aurora’s movie career was cut short when she married restaurant magnate, Romy Ongpauco, of the Barrio Fiesta chain, in 1974 and gave birth to her first son, Tyrone, in 1975. Seven years later, her second son, Tristan, was born. During their 20-year marriage, they had 16 Barrio Fiesta branches.
