MANILA, Philippines -- Former actor and Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. had left samples of his DNA with the National Bureau of Investigation so that anybody who would claim to be his child after his death could be tested against his DNA.

Revilla, who turns 80 on Thursday, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday that he had his DNA tested five years ago to determine his paternity of a child, whose mother claimed he had fathered.

"I was then 75," he said in Filipino. "I couldn't believe that I would still be able to father a child. So I had our DNA's tested, including the DNA of the child's mother. When the results came, the DNAs matched. I am indeed the child's father."

The child, a girl, is now in pre-school, according to Revilla, who as a senator sponsored an amendment to the Family Code, enabling "illegitimate children” to use the surname of their father.

"She's a very bright girl," he said, beaming.

According to urban legend, Revilla had fathered at least a hundred children by different women.

"I don't have that many children," he said. "My daughter, Andrea (by wife Azucena Mortel), keeps a list, and it's far less than a hundred."

He said that he had stipulated in his will that anybody who would claim to be his child should undergo a DNA test.

Revilla admitted that he was not proud of having fathered dozens of children by different women.

"I should not be admired for this," he said. "It's wrong, very wrong. Although I don't regret anything that I had done in the past, I have learned my lessons from it. I now want to impart these lessons to the future generation. I want to set a good example, and I am doing this now with my children."

He said that he had a serious talk with his son, actor and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., (by Azucena), who was recently in the news for having a love child, born six years ago.

"I told him to stop at that," the older Revilla said. "I told him to think of his wife (Lani Mercado) and their children.

"I told him to look at me. I have so many children that I have to take care of, send to school. It's not that easy, even for me. I told Bong not to be like me. Having children is a big responsibility."

Revilla said that the children he had acknowledged had all been taken care of financially.

"I am also confident that the children who grew up under my wing would also help their younger siblings when I go," he said, referring to his set of children with wife Azucena.

Revilla and Azucena, who died in 1998, were blessed with seven children -- Marlon, Rowena, Princess, Bong, Strike, Andrea and Diane.

"They are now all on their own," he said. "They are all stable, and they will do what they have to do for the rest."

Revilla said that he had started the process of preparing to meet his Creator.

"Naghuhugas na ako ng mga kasalanan (I am now repenting for my sins)," he said. "I attend bible lessons every Sunday. I can go anytime. I can't complain. I have nothing to look for anymore in this life."

But Revilla is not just about to breathe his last, even if he underwent triple heart bypass surgery in 1999. He also had spinal surgery twice in 2002, after he figured in a car accident.

"I am relatively in good health," he said. "I don't wear eyeglasses, and I can read the smallest print in the newspapers. I am only limping because of an old injury I acquired when I did my own stunts for the movies. There's really nothing wrong with me. I am in good shape."

His secret, he said, was not an amulet (anting-anting), which, according also to urban legend, he had in his possession to protect him from danger.

"I never owned an anting-anting," he said. "People think I have one probably because of some of the movies I made, like 'Pepeng Agimat' and 'Nardong Putik.' The secret to my health is not an anting-anting, but clean living. I don't drink, I don't smoke. I took care of myself when I was young."

Revilla was the youngest of 10 children of businessmen Ildefonso Bautista and Andrea Acuna. He was pumping gas at a gasoline station when he was discovered for the movies as a bit player. But he grew tired of playing small roles and quit to work as a senior intelligence officer with the rank of major at the Bureau of Customs, a job he held for eight years.

Finally, he hit the big time in motion pictures when he started to write, direct, produce and star in his own movies under Imus Productions, which he set up with wife Azucena in the 1970s. Playing anti-hero roles in movies like "Nardong Putik," "Pepeng Agimat," "Tiyagong Akyat," "Cavite Boy," among other titles, Revilla became an undisputed action star at the box office.

In 1986, he ran for senator, but lost after the Commission on Elections nullified votes for Ramon Revilla, his screen name, which he failed to register with the Comelec, running instead as Jose Bautista, his real name. He finally won in the 1992 senatorial election, landing in second place.

Revilla cited among his landmark bills Republic act 8150, which sought the construction of roads and bridges throughout the Philippines, including the remotest village units in the country. The bill was signed into law by then President Fidel V. Ramos in September 1995.

But his legacy, Revilla said, was his sponsorship of an amendment to the Family Code, which was enacted into law in February 2004. This provides that "illegitimate children may use the surname of their father if their affiliation has been expressly recognized by the father through the record of birth appearing in the civil register, or when an admission in a public document or private handwritten instrument is made by the father."

"The child should not suffer the stigma of his illegitimacy," Revilla said.

Even if he had finally quit the movies after doing the 2002 film "Agimat ni Lolo," Revilla is not yet done with public service.

After finishing his third term as senator in July of 2004, Revilla asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a job. He was then given the chairmanship of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (Public Estates Authority), a post which he still holds up to the present.

"I would continue to serve my country for as long as I'm strong and able," Revilla said. "That is all that I want to do now. I don't even want to celebrate my birthday anymore. If possible, I don't want to have a party. Turning 80 makes me sad because I have already outlived some of my friends. This is now the twilight of my life. All I can wish for now is for my children to be happy, to live a full life and to be good Filipinos."