Veteran actress Lorna Tolentino is now a member of the Philippine Navy Reserve Command, just like her late husband Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez.
Lorna attended her Basic Citizen Military Course Class’ graduation last August 7, Friday, at the Navy’s headquarters in Taguig, sharing photos of the event on her social media accounts.
“Discipline is choosing to finish, even when it’s hard. Just finished,” the actress wrote on her caption. “Lorna Tolentino Fernandez, at your service. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!”
Lorna was given the rank of Seaman First Class assigned to the Navy’s medical and media responsibilities, according to Pang-masa writer Gorgy Rula.
The 64-year-old actress recounted to the showbiz journalist days of sea training her class had to go through in Cavite and how she was inspired to enlist because of Daboy.
The late actor was a Navy reservist and adopted member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1972, receiving full military honors when he passed away in 2008 from cancer. He was 56 years old when he died.
Lorna did not know what rank Daboy had in the Navy, as he largely kept that part of his life private but still noted how that inspired other celebrities, including herself.
“Maraming celebrities ang nagpa-enlist after nung death ni Daboy, di ba?” she said. “Iyon yung nag-pave ng way para makita ng ibang artista, lalo na ng mga action star at iba pa, ‘Ay, maganda pala sumali dito sa Philippine Navy.”
Local celebrities who are also military reservists include Christopher de Leon, Dingdong Dantes, Julia Barretto, Gerald Anderson, Michelle Dee, Winwyn Marquez, Bea Luigi Gomez, Arci Muñoz, Matteo Guidecelli, Geneva Cruz, Enzo Pineda, JM de Guzman, Rocco Nacino, Ronnie Liang and Karina Bautista.