Clarita Crisostomo Dela Fuente-De Guzman, known professionally as Claire dela Fuente[1] (Tagalog pronunciation:[dɛlaˈfwentɛdɛɡʊsˈman]; December 28, 1958 – March 30, 2021) was a Filipino singer and businesswoman.
She first became known for singing the 1978 jingle for Hope cigarette and was later known for performing the song "Sayang".
Early life and education
Dela Fuente hails from Caloocan and was born on December 28, 1958. A rotund child at age nine, Dela Fuente was bullied for her weight. As a high schooler she sold perfume, cosmetics, and shampoo acquired from Divisoria and Quinta to her classmates. She studied at the University of the East[1][2]
Canseco facilitated Dela Fuente's first national television appearance when she sang the jingle for a 1978 commercial for Hope cigarette.[4][2][3][5]
Initially she leveraged herself as the "Hope girl" to secure more projects.[2] Her recordings of "This Girl Has Turned into a Woman" and "Take My Hand For Awhile" did not saw much success.[3]
She joined Dyna Records where she became well known for her performance of the song "Sayang". The song is an adaptation of a Malaysian song. Marilyn Villapando introduced Filipino lyrics to create "Sayang".[3]
She was given various sobriquets such as "Asia's Sweetest Voice" and "Queen of Tagalog Songs". She was also considered a "Jukebox Queen", a distinction also given to Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio and Didith Reyes.[6]
Dela Fuente retired from the entertainment industry in her mid-20s. In 1993, she established King of Kings Transport which was a failed venture. In 1997, she helped set up the family-owned bus transport company Philippine Corinthian Liner. In 2000, dela Fuente was elected as president of the Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association.[2]
Dela Fuente led a transport strike in 2003 to oppose the imposition of the number coding scheme in Metro Manila for public utility vehicles.[2]
In 2011, the franchises of 129 units of the Philippine Corinthian Liner were cancelled.[9]
She also established a grill and seafood restaurant chain in Pasay. She partnered with a Davao City-based Thai chef to set up Asian Noodle Co. by Chef Off in 2011.[6]
Death
Dela Fuente died on the morning of March 30, 2021, at the age of 62, due to cardiac arrest arising from complications of COVID-19. She was admitted to the Pope John Paul II Hospital and Medical Center in Las Piñas,[10][11] where she had been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19.[12] She had other pre-existing medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes.[13]
Personal life
Dela Fuente was married to Moises "Boy" de Guzman. She was 19 years old and de Guzman was 29 when they got married.[2] They had two sons.[1] De Guzman died in 2006 due to cancer.[1]
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