Actress Kim Chiu’s mother, Louella Yap Chiu, passed away last June 23 at the age of 50.

This comes as a blow to the actress, who was able to reconcile with her estranged father, William Chiu Jr, only last May after not speaking to him for five years.

The actress has refused to speak to the media about her family’s ordeal, and has asked the public to respect their privacy during this difficult time. However, a report on ABS-CBNNews.com says that Mrs. Chiu had been confined at a hospital in Cebu due to an illness.

Star Magic, the talent agency that handles Kim’s career, has released a statement regarding the passing of Mrs. Chiu.

“Star Magic sympathizes with Kim Chiu on the passing of her mother, Louella Y. Chiu. We request that we give Kim and her family the respect and time to grieve for their loss. Thank you.”

Kim’s many supporters have also taken to the social networking site Twitter to sympathize with the star’s family, telling her to be strong and that they will pray for her and her siblings.

(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)