Why FDCP chair Joey Reyes thinks ‘Love Child’ is perfect tribute to Mother Lily

Producer Roselle Monteverde (third from left) and Jose Reyes (far right) with the cast, director and production team of “Love Child” during the gala screening on Monday. —REGAL ENTERTAINMENT

“Til the very end, when other people gave up on me, she believed I still had something to give,” said Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Jose Javier Reyes as a tribute to Regal Entertainment matriarch Lily Monteverde, who passed away on Sunday morning.

Reyes, a film and TV screenwriter-director, has released a number of projects under Regal Entertainment since he first worked with Monteverde in 1989 with “Regal Shocker Presents.” This was immediately followed by dramatic pieces like “Iisa Pa Lamang” and “Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin.”

On Monday afternoon, Reyes attended the gala screening of Jonathan Juarilla’s “Love Child,” starring Jane Oineza and RK Bagatsing, and produced by Regal. It is an entry to the ongoing 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

“The show must go on. This is the industry’s mantra, after all. We have a responsibility to our audience. Mother Lily would have loved this. Roselle (Monteverde-Teo, Lily’s daughter) and I believe in this project. Inasmuch as Cinemalaya chose this, Regal also invested in this project. Giving it the support it needs, regardless of the situation, is part of the business,” Reyes explained.

Emotional post

FDCP chair Jose Javier Reyes —MARINEL CRUZ

Expounding on the emotional post he uploaded on Facebook on Monday, Reyes then recalled how Monteverde took a chance on him when he was a young and inexperienced writer. “I was a teacher in De La Salle when filmmaker Elwood Perez picked me to write the script for ‘Problem Child.’ That was in 1979. That was also the first time I met Mother at a club called Coco Banana,” he began.

“I later left for the United States to study, and Mother reconnected with me when I returned. We did ‘Caught in the Act’ with (the late National Artist for Film) Lino Brocka. When I was already directing for Regal TV, she asked me if I wanted to make a movie. That started my career in the movies,” said Reyes.

When Reyes went to Berlin to compete with his erotic film “Toro” (Live Show), he said Monteverde never left his side. “That trip was one of the happiest moments of my life. When I came home, the whole country criticized me, but Mother sided with me and the movie,” he recalled.

“I didn’t work for Regal for years, until one day, something happened. I learned that people thought that I was already ‘laos’ (a has-been). A TV producer even said to my face, ‘You know, Direk, I think may ibubuga ka pa naman, eh.’ I told Mother about this and she said, ‘Let’s work together some more!’ Since then, she never let me go.”

The big lesson

When her daughter Roselle assumed the task of running the company, Reyes said Monteverde made him promise to assist and guide Roselle. “She treated me like a son. Up to this day, even though I can’t help much anymore because of my work for the FDCP, she still trusted me to work with Roselle,” said the FDCP chief.

Reyes was one of the few people Roselle called up on Saturday, a few hours before Monteverde passed away. “She asked me if I wanted to say goodbye to Mother. I went to Medical City, where I saw Mother Lily’s situation. I told her it’s time for her to rest because she has already suffered so much. This is not the woman I used to see. When I saw her in that state, I realized the big lesson life had to teach. My realization now is that it’s not how powerful or rich you are that’s more important, it’s how you affect the lives of people. Mother loved the movies and its people. I would not be standing here today if not for Lily Monteverde.”

“Love Child” stars Jane Oineza (left) and RK Bagatsing —MARINEL CRUZ

After the screening of “Love Child,” its two lead stars, RK Bagatsing and Jane Oineza, were asked for their reaction to the news of Monteverde’s passing. RK said: “We’ve heard a lot of interesting stories about Mother Lily. To our generation, it was her daughter, Ms. Roselle, who gave us opportunities time and time again to make good projects, so we really thank Regal. We dedicate this film to them.”

Describing the moment as bittersweet, Jane also said the film is Regal’s, as well as their love letter to parents, especially of children with autism. “This is for their voices to be heard by more people, for everyone to know their struggles and the unconditional love they give,” she added.

“The ultimate goal of the movie is for ‘ausome’ parents to feel seen and be heard,” RK declared. “My parents were able to watch tonight. I’m very emotional right now because my goal when I agreed to play Paolo was to honor the sacrifices they made while raising us.”