Mila del Sol

Mila del Sol
Mila del Sol, Gawad Parangal night, 2010
Born	Clarita Villarba Rivera (1923-05-12) May 12, 1923 (age 94) Tondo, Manila, Philippine Islands
Occupation	Philippine actor entrepreneur philanthropist
Years active	1937–2010

Clarita Villarba Rivera, better known by her screen name Mila del Sol (born May 12, 1923), is a Filipina actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Born in Tondo, Manila, she gained fame in her very first lead role in the 1939 film Giliw Ko. She was discovered by LVN Pictures President Doña Sisang de Leon, who insisted in casting her over the objections of the film's director, who felt she was too young for the part. It was the film's director, Carlos Vander Tolosa, who gave her the screen name Mila del Sol for "causing the sun (sol) to appear as if by miracle (milagro) over his otherwise overcast set whenever she was called in to do her scenes."

Film production shut down during the Japanese occupation and was restored only in 1945. Del Sol returned to LVN and starred in its production of Manuel Conde's Orasang Ginto, the first post-war Filipino film. She starred in other LVN films of the 1940s, including Ibong Adarna (1949) and Villa Hermosa.

Del Sol retired from films to raise a family in the 1950s, but staged a comeback in 1960 with two films released that year, Pakipot and Tatlong Magdalena. The following year, she starred in an international production, Espionage Far East, and later starred in a long-running television series. She began her career as an entrepreneur in 1964, and focused on philanthropic work from the 1970s onward.

Pope Francis imparted the Apostolic Blessing upon del Sol on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

In December 2014, the Congress of the Philippines passed Resolution No. 165, honoring Mila del Sol “for her contributions to the movie industry and to Philippine society in general”. The Resolution said in part that “Ms. Mila del Sol proved that poverty should not be a hindrance but an inspiration to improve one's status in life” and that “her businesses and various foundations that employ and extend benefits to those who are in need and have less in life are proofs of Ms. Mila del Sol's unwavering commitment to contribute to the improvement of Philippine society."

Del Sol was born into poverty in Tondo, Manila at the Mary Johnston Hospital, in the free ward. Her father, Amado C. Rivera, worked at the internal revenue service during the day, and was a waiter at night. He served as a guerilla in the Philippines during World War II. Her mother, Lorenza Villarba, stayed at home to raise eight children.