Mahal (actress)

Mahal featured in the 2021 television series Owe My Love. Due to the risk of COVID-19, her taping with Owe My Love was cut short.

Weeks prior to her death in August 2021, Mahal received public attention for her reunion with Mura. One of her latest vlogs showed a behind-the-scenes of her last TV appearance on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, where she visited Mura in Guinobatan, Albay. Apart from visiting, Mahal provided some words of encouragement to Mura, along with some groceries and cash.

On August 31, 2021, Mahal died in a hospital in Batangas. According to her sister Irene Tesorero, she died due to gastroenteritis and COVID-19. She had pre-existing conditions, including hypertension. Because of dwarfism, she was considered to be at high risk for COVID-19.

She also guested in an episode of Dear Uge with Pokwang. Mahal also had some gigs at comedy bars in Manila. She started a YouTube channel in July 2020, where she regularly posted vlogs with actor and YouTuber Mygz Molino. The channel garnered 500,000 subscribers at the time of her death in August 2021.

Mahal said she was afraid to fall in love again due to her previous relationship with Hebrio and instead decided to prioritize helping her family. However, in 2017, Mahal was rumored to have a new boyfriend, Sam Jacinto. But Jacinto clarified that they were just friends and asked the public to stop judging their relationship because Mahal was still married. She also candidly disclosed that she had a crush on her Owe My Love co-star Joaquin Manansala. However, she maintained her professionalism at work.

Mahal became the subject of controversy involving her romantic life. She was known for being in a relationship with singer Jimboy Salazar, who died in 2015, and aspiring actor Aries Navarro. She named Salazar as the most "plastic" person she met in showbiz. She did not comment any further about Salazar when he decided to marry his boyfriend in March 2015 after coming out as gay. At that time, Mahal was in a relationship with Jimmy Navarro, a widower.

On November 2, 2015, Mahal married Jobbie Hebrio, a butcher and merchandiser in a supermarket, at the Quezon City Hall. The marriage was witnessed by singers Mae Rivera and Kissa Kurdi, both close friends of Mahal, and city councilor Victor Ferrer, whose farm in Quezon City was where the wedding reception took place. Aries Navarro, not related to Jimmy, was not happy with the news when he heard about Mahal's marriage with Hebrio. He said Mahal fooled and cheated on him and that they were still together when Mahal secretly saw Hebrio. He also said that he often saw Mahal hiding from him when she was on the phone. Mahal said that she was happily in love with her new husband and she asked Aries Navarro to leave her alone, to move on and be happy for her. She also said that she felt used by Aries Navarro. Aries Navarro said that he was happy for Mahal and that he had no other choice. However, after two years of being together, Mahal and Hebrio decided to split up.

From being a simple and naïve comedienne, Mahal changed her image as a daring and liberated woman in 2013. She had a tattoo and wore sexy outfits in TV guest appearances. She also answered interviews with sexual innuendos and was not shy to reveal her age. Mahal also started to accept sexy projects, like the indie film Gigolo.

Mahal lived in Tanauan with Mygz Molino, an indie film actor. She had already lived with him in Marikina City, and after the taping of Owe My Love, Molino decided to live in his hometown Tanauan with Mahal. But before Molino decided to bring Mahal with him, he asked the permission of her mother and siblings. However, some unknown relative did not approve of Mahal and Molino's tandem, accusing Molino of using Mahal for the vlog views to generate income. Mahal defended her decision to be with Molino. Mahal and Molino had first met in a show in Abra in 2010.

During an appearance on the morning radio program Good Times in 2007, Mahal admitted to spreading a scandalous video a few years earlier.

Mahal played the role of the elfin daughter in the 1991 film Anak ni Janice In the 2003 film Mr. Suave, Mahal along with Dagul, who also has dwarfism, took the role of parents of Vhong Navarro's character. She later starred in several TV shows, including Idol Ko si Kap and Bahay Mo Ba 'To?.

Mahal was discovered when a newspaper article featured her and a policeman comparing her size to an ArmaLite assault rifle. She then went on to be featured by Inday Badiday in her talk show Eye to Eye, before appearing regularly on television in 1988 through the noontime show Lunch Date. Living with dwarfism, standing three feet tall, she was candid with her self-deprecating humor and embraced roles using her height to comic effect, or to fulfill demands of fantasy characters.

Noemi Tesorero (December 29, 1974 – August 31, 2021), known professionally as Mahal, was a Filipino actress, comedian and vlogger. She had dwarfism, but was noted for her childlike roles and giggly personality.