Theater actress May Bayot-De Castro passes away

Award-winning theater actress and singer May Bayot-de Castro has passed away.

OPM icon Lani Misalucha paid tribute to her older sister in a Facebook post on Oct. 27, reflecting on the pain of losing a loved one before one is ready to say goodbye.

“Some walk beside us for years. Others leave sooner than we’re ready for. But every person we love leaves a little light behind,” she wrote. “I love you Ate.”

Bayot-De Castro came from a musical family. Her father, Benjamin Bayot, was an operatic tenor, while her mother, Esperanza Bayot, was a coloratura soprano. Misalucha, known as Asia’s Nightingale, also built a career as one of the Philippines’ prominent singers.

Bayot-De Castro was best known for her work in musical theater, particularly her portrayal of Elsa in Himala: Isang Musikal, the stage adaptation of the 1982 film starring Nora Aunor. Her performance earned her the Aliw Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Years later, in 2019, she returned to the landmark musical to play Nanay Saling, Elsa’s mother.

Outside theater, she also performed as a vocalist with the band Acoustic Jive, which explored musical styles including jazz, pop, R&B, blues and reggae.

In September, Bayot-de Castro's family sought financial assistance for her medical treatment. According to a fundraising appeal by her sister Karlyn Scali, the theater actress had been battling primary myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow disease, as well as chronic kidney disease. She had undergone repeated hospitalizations and required regular dialysis and blood transfusions.

Her family has yet to publicly disclose further details about her passing.