Martha Cecilia

Martha Cecilia (13 May 1953 – 8 December 2014) was a Filipino writer of Tagalog romance pocketbook novels. She was the author of best selling novel series Kristine and Sweetheart. Many of her novels were serialized by ABS-CBN under Precious Hearts Romances Presents.

Maribeth dela Cruz or popularly known as Martha Cecilia was born on May 13, 1953, in the city of Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.

She was a commerce graduate from the University of the East, Manila and said to have finished in Conchitina Bernardo’s Karilagan Finishing School in Sta. Mesa.

Martha Cecilia had 4 children, Jose Paolo (also a writer under the penname JP Adrian), Marta Cecilia (her daughter where she got her pen name and also a writer under the penname Tsina Cajayon), Nina Martinne and Juan Miguel.

Martha Cecilia succumbed to cancer on December 8, 2014.

Martha Cecilia's writing career was inspired after her meeting with Tagalog novelist Olga Medina. Her first work 'Akin Ka Noon, Ngayon at Magpakailanman' was published in 1997 by Precious Pages Corp. under its subsidiary Precious Hearts Romances.

She had written more than a hundred novels under different titles for Precious Hearts Romance like 'GEMS', 'My Love, My Hero', 'My Lovely Bride', 'PHR Classics', 'All Time Favorites', 'Sweetheart' and her much acclaimed series 'Kristine'.

Martha Cecilia had written novels which were later adapted to TV series which includes the gold medal awardee Impostor for Best Telenovela Category in International Emmy Awards.