FILM producer Lily Monteverde, known by most people as “Mother Lily” due to her role as the matriarch of the Regal Entertainment showbiz family, died on Sunday, Aug. 4. She passed a few weeks’ shy of her 85th birthday on Aug. 19.
The production company confirmed the passing of its founder in a statement made by her family. Described as “a true visionary and cornerstone of the movie industry,” the Monteverdes mentioned how their matriarch provided opportunities to Filipino filmmakers.
“Throughout her years she has not only been a mother to her children but also the ‘Mother’ to so many generations of Filipino filmmakers who have helped define what Philippine cinema is today,” they said in the statement. No cause of death was disclosed.
The family went on to say that Mother Lily was “not merely a matriarch and the face of Regal films, but a true mother to artists and workers who had the chance to know her beyond the confines of work.”
Her husband of more than 60 years, Leonardo “Remy” Monteverde, died on July 29 and was laid to rest the day before her passing.
Mrs. Monteverde founded Regal Films in 1962, beginning first as a distributor of American and European movies. Since then, the company has produced thousands of local films that have left an indelible mark on the Philippine movie industry, from cheap quickies, to blockbusters, to critically acclaimed titles. These include Sister Stella L, Manila By Night, Scorpio Nights, Temptation Island, Underage, the Mano Po trilogy, and the Shake, Rattle, & Roll horror franchise.
“She has helped so many and will never be forgotten,” Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares said in a Facebook post. Her parents, the late Philippine cinema icons Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces, were friends with Mrs. Monteverde, who was also her godmother.
“She was, and will always be, a Titan in the Philippine movie industry,” said Ms. Poe-Llamanzares.
Veteran filmmaker and Film Development Council of the Philippines chairperson Jose Javier “Joey” Reyes credited the matriarch for his career, since she was the one who had first hired him as a screenwriter in 1979.
“I find peace with the thought that hers is a legacy that can never be ignored or forgotten because if it were not for Lily Monteverde — if it were not for this Mother — the shape of Philippine cinema would not have been what it is today,” Mr. Reyes said in a Facebook post.
He added that the loss is “eased by the thought that she is now with her partner in life, Father Remy, as they walk together to that place in eternity where they can be finally together.”
The Monteverde family also said in their statement that they are at peace knowing that their parents “remain together where there is no space or time.” Mr. and Mrs. Monteverde are survived by their children Winston, Sherida, Roselle, Dondon, and Goldwin, and their grandchildren.
The wake and memorial service are ongoing until Aug. 9 at 38 Valencia Events Place, New Manila, Quezon City, with a daily mass at 7 p.m. Interment is scheduled for Aug. 10 at the Heritage Park in Taguig. — B.H. Lacsamana
