Mother Lily Monteverde remembered by prominent ‘Regal Babies’
Mother Lily Monteverde (second from left) with prominent Regal Babies Maricel Soriano, Lani Mercado, and Gabby Concepcion. Images: Instagram/@officialmaricelsoriano, @concepciongabby, and Facebook/Lani M. Revilla
The timeless legacy of the late Lily Monteverde was to become a star-maker to many celebrities who are more popularly known as the “Regal Babies,” and who now make up some of the brightest names in the showbiz firmament.
Fondly known as “Mother Lily,” her death was confirmed by her son Goldwin Monteverde and Regal on Sunday, August 4, although no cause was disclosed in their respective statements. Mother’s Lily wake is held at the 38 Valencia Events Place from August 5 to 9, while her interment will take place on August 10 at The Heritage Park in Taguig.
Through the family-owned Regal Films, now Regal Entertainment, Mother Lily decided who joins these elite circle of talents, honing their potential to become a star.
Gabby Concepcion
One of her Regal babies was Gabby Concepcion, whose impressive acting prowess and charming good looks made him the clear prince of almost every Regal movie project, especially in the 1980s up to the early 2010s.
On Instagram, Concepcion shared photos of himself wrapping Monteverde in a huge embrace, saying the late film producer was the one who “started” his career in show biz. “My ‘mother,’ you started it all for me in the industry I came to love. I love you and I will miss you,” he wrote in the photos.
The actor, who’s best known for his performances in the Regal films “Katorse,” “P.S. I Love You,” and “Boystown,” offered his “prayers and condolences” to Mother Lily’s family in the caption. His last movie project with Regal was the hit “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” with Maricel Soriano, Agot Isidro, Dennis Trillo and Ronaldo Valdez, among others.
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Maricel Soriano
Soriano, who was also one of the original “Regal Babies,” took to her Instagram page to share her unforgettable memories with Mother Lily, while thanking the latter for the love, efforts, and support through the years.
“Maraming Salamat sa oras at panahon na ibinigay mo sa amin. Salamat sa lahat ng tawa, halakhak, at alam mo na. Talagang through the years, napatunayan mo sa amin na mahal na mahal mo kami at ang turing mo sa amin ay mga anak,” she said.
“Mamimiss ko ang lahat ng iyon and most of all Mamimiss kita, Mother! Sabi nga nila, maikli lang ang buhay natin. Pasasaan pa’t magkikita pa rin tayo. Mahal na mahal na mahal kita, Mother,” she further added.
(Thank you very much for the time and moments you shared with us. Thank you for all the laughs, giggles, and you know what else. Through the years, you really proved to us that you loved us very much and treated us like your own children. I will miss all of those and most of all, I will miss you, Mother. They say life is short. I believe we’ll see each other again. I love you very much, Mother.)
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It could be said that Soriano was one of Mother Lily’s favorite Regal Babies, given the number of projects that were offered to her. From comedy to drama, to horror, the award-winning actress has proved her mettle as an all-around performer who can not only act, but can also sing, dance and bring fans to her concert. Her success was so phenomenal that she was dubbed local showbiz’s “Diamond Star.”
Albert Martinez
Martinez seemed speechless over Mother Lily’s death as he simply shared a photo of himself with the late film producer, which contained the message, “Rest in peace, Mother Lily.”
The majority of Martinez’s biggest films were produced by Regal including “First Kiss, First Love,” “Diary of Cristina Gaston,” “Mortal Sin,” “Where Love Has Gone,” and “Yamashita: The Tiger’s Treasure,” just to name a few.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@albertmartinezph
Lani Mercado
The Cavite congresswoman reflected on Mother Lily’s death on Facebook, which happened less than a week after her husband’s passing, where she said that “love really has its way of putting couples together.”
“Love really has its way of putting couples together, till death they really don’t part but they go beyond life. Thank you for being there for our family, especially for Bong. I remember your last video with Bong as you played the piano for him and greeted him ‘Happy Birthday.’ Rest in peace, Mother. I [would] not be Lani Mercado if it wasn’t for you,” she said.
Before entering politics, Mercado starred in several films including “Boystown,” “No Other Love,” and “Summer Holiday,” among others.
Janice de Belen
De Belen took to her Instagram account to share how Monteverde played a “great part” in her entertainment career. Some of the Regal-produced films she was cast in include “Dear Mama,” “Daddy’s Little Darlings,” “Super Wan-Tu-Tri,” and “14 Going Steady.”
“You were a great part of my career. Thank you for everything. You will be missed,” she wrote.
Screenshot from Instagram/@super_janice
Since its inception in 1962, other prominent “Regal Babies” include Alma Moreno, the late Julie Vega, Dina Bonnevie, William Martinez, Snooky Serna, Nadia Montenegro, Jimmy Melendez, and the late Alfie Anido.
Mother Lily was survived by her five children Winston, Meme, Roselle, Dondon, and Goldwin after her death. She was also a doting grandmother to seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The film producer and businesswoman’s death came barely a week after the passing of her husband, Leonardo “Father Remy” Monteverde last July 29.
