In 2004, there had been a motion in the House of Representatives of the Philippines to declare the "Waling-waling" as the country's national flower, replacing the Sampaguita.
In 1963, Sampaguita Pictures introduced him with a bunch of young teenage stars which they called the Sampaguita-Vera-Perez All Stars: Rosemarie Sonora, Blanca Gomez, Gina Pareno, Lito Legaspi, Dindo Fernando, and Pepito Rodriguez, among others.
He privately funded the purchase of land on an island near Manila (Sampaguita Gardens in Aklan), and built a resort.
She joined in a war film with Carmen Rosales entitled Guerilyera and typecasted in numerous musical films paired by some of the Sampaguita's finest actor.