MANILA - She was like a saint on earth.

This was how Gil Acuin, a hairdresser, described the late Corazon "Cory" Aquino as he recalled the times he was asked to style Aquino's hair in 1996, years after she stepped down as president in 1992.

Acuin said he fixed Aquino's hair on two occasions at her home, upon the invitation of a mutual acquaintance. He said Aquino always made him feel at ease, as if they knew each other for years.

"Parang kung baga, starstruck ako kasi pagpasok ko sa house niya, parang napaka peaceful niya. Tapos pag nagsalita siya, parang napaka-down-to-earth niya. Parang hindi ka itinuturing na ganun, hindi katulad ng ibang mga donya na mataray," he said in an interview on DZMM's "Ma Beauty Po Naman", hosted by wellness guru Cory Quirino.

"Iba ang pakiramdam ko. Napaka-suwerte ko kasi parang naayusan ko ang isang taong hinangaan ko noon pa doon sa EDSA revolution. Hindi ko inexpect na napaka down-to-earth niya... parang santa na nasa lupa," Acuin added.

Although he only styled Aquino's hair twice, many years ago, Acuin said he feels lucky to have met her. "Bagamat hindi niya ako [regular na] hairdresser, nung dalawang beses nangyari yun ay napaka-suwerte ko na nahawakan ko siya," he said.

Though she kept her curly tresses at shoulder-length in her youth, Aquino sported a cropped, wash-and-wear hairstyle throughout her presidency and up to her later years. Her hairstyles ranged from medium-length cuts with a slight fringe near her nape to short cropped haircuts brushed up and away from her face.

Among her noted hairstylists was Gener Miranda, the current stylist and make-up artist of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a BBC report that culled reactions from readers on Aquino's death, a woman named Bernadette Punzalan from Pasig City shared tidbits about the former president's hairstyle preference as well as her character.

"I smile as I remember Tita Cory (as we fondly called her then) asking around who the hairstylist of Helen Vela [a radio and TV personality] was, for she also wants the same hairstyle. [Vela had sported a short haircut with mussed up spiky bangs.] I met her once and she was very, very nice. She was down-to-earth. She was a sincere person," she said.

Like many Filipinos and supporters all over the world, Acuin said he cried when he heard that Aquino died on August 1 at 3:18 a.m. after battling colon cancer.