Celia Diaz-Laurel, wife of former Philippine Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel, is a woman of many talents.  Stage actress, writer, painter, theatrical set and costume designer, she is the quintessence of the Renaissance Woman.

When her husband took his oath as Vice President of the Philippines in 1986 she was inspired to devote her  time to help the people he had sworn to serve. She founded the People’s Welfare Foundation to provide the   poor with their basic needs and the HALIKA Foundation, which focused on the needs of the disabled.

Her tireless efforts did not pass unnoticed. She is the recipient of numerous awards here and abroad. In  1987 she received the Community Chest Humanitarian Award. In 1993, the Soroptimist International of Quezon  City gave her the Woman of Distinction Award citing her achievements as a civic worker for: “always being  in the center of relief work and for continuously helping the handicapped, the poor and those in need.”

She received the United Nations Peace Award for her acidulous work as National Chairman of the Philippines  in the United Nations’ Million Minutes For Peace Appeal campaign, which resulted in the Philippines winning 4th  place among 76 countries that participated in the contest.

In 1991, the international Together For Peace Foundation headed by Maria Pia Fanfani of Italy, gave  her the Woman For Peace Award “For the noble and generous feelings which always are inspiring her in  helping the peoples in need, the unhappy ones and the victims of natural calamities and wars.” She  received the award from Spain’s Queen Sophia in Madrid. The other awardees were Queen Noor of Jordan, Princess  Catherine Aga Khan, Mrs. Maria de Jesus Barroso Soares of Portugal and Mrs. Bernadette Chirac of France.

In the years that she was immersed in her charity works she never abandoned her arts. She appeared in more  than fifty plays in Repertory Philippines - designed around 80 sets as well as costumes, painted, wrote,  published 3 books: Days of Our Years, Quotes of Jose P. Laurel and The Laurel Family Tree, a 7-generation  genealogy of the Laurel family.

But far more than all that -- she never abandoned her role as wife and mother. She was always Doy Laurel’s  constant, loving and supportive partner who was always there for him throughout his life especially during  the times of crisis in his tempestuous political career. “She is the ennobling factor in my life.”  Doy would often say.

Celia’s children regard her as a caring mother, warm and compassionate, gracious, noble of heart and spirit  always cool, calm and collected in spite of her many faceted activities. ”She is a magician...she can  do everything.” they often heard their father say.

“Everything I do has always been a prayer…” Celia says.

Welcome to the official Celia Diaz-Laurel website.