As confirmed by her grandson Daryl Simon Pecson, who posted a photo of her dining with the family on Facebook, celebrity fortune-teller Madam Auring, whose real name is Aurea Erfelo, has died on Friday (October 30). She was 80.
“I feel sad and happy. Sad because I will never see you again, your wisdom, your corny jokes, [our] happy bondings], and [your habit of] pinching my cheeks until they become red. [I’m] happy because you have done everything you could to make us feel loved the way you know how [and] your struggles are over. You fought your battles silently,” Pecson said.
“[Rest in Peace] my Lola. Grabe ang pinagdaanan mo during your senior years pero, you still worked hard for your family. You shall always be in our hearts. Love you,” he added.
Pecson has yet to reveal the reason behind her passing, but her other grandson said she was confined at a hospital in March.
Madam Auring gained fame as a fortune teller when she predicted the win of Spanish beauty queen Amparo Muñoz in the 1974 Miss Universe pageant held in Manila. She also correctly predicted that Muhammad Ali would win against Joe Frazier in the famous 1975 “Thrilla in Manila” fight in Quezon City. Ali supposedly gave her the nickname “Madam Auring.”
Moreover, she also predicted the presidential win of Fidel V. Ramos, the full term of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the breakup of former president Noynoy Aquino and then-girlfriend Shalani Soledad.
She also worked as an actress and starred in movies such as “Family Tree,” “I Will Survive,” and “Bikini Open.”