She is the original "Mother" in showbiz. In fact, seldom is she simply called Lily Monteverde. Showbiz outsiders and foreigners could think that Mother is her real given name.
She is generally acknowledged as the Mother of Philippine cinema. Her production outfit Regal Films has more or less dictated the trends in movie genres since its inception in the mid ‘70s.
Regal has churned out almost all the genres: drama, comedy, romance, fantasy, action, the family-oriented as well as the titillating films, the critically-acclaimed and the good-for-cheap-thrills, the serious and the slapstick. Even the so-called "pito-pito" flicks shot in only seven days. Name it, she did it.
Because of the company's success and the string of stars that it has made famous, not a few have speculated—seriously or half-heartedly—on Regal's true source of strength. Is there magic involved?
In the same vein, has Mother Lily concocted a brew to make a simple chemise magical? That kamison, or "magic kamison" as it is known now, has catapulted to stardom several actresses.
Young Lily's vision. "I have always been a movie fan," Mother Lily affirmed. Those few words basically explain how Regal Films came about.
Looking back, success did not come easy to the Filipino-Chinese lady.
A self-confessed black sheep of the family, the young Lily would skip classes and visit the Sampaguita and LVN studios. She would not be able to finish college despite excelling in both math and science. Her focus was always elsewhere.
Since age 10, movies have been her passion. One story goes that Lily was shooed out of a movie studio by a security guard. That incident made her vow to return and make a name for herself in the industry.
She belonged to an affluent family, being the daughter of copra magnate Domingo Chu. But for all her father's wealth, the young Lily was not able to see a cent of it after she decided to marry half-Chinese and not-her-father's-choice, Remy Monteverde, then a popular basketball player of San Beda.
After marrying Remy, Lily Chu-Monteverde worked for her father-in-law. Her end goal was to save enough so that she could start her own business. And save she did.
From her salary, she was able to buy two popcorn machines. Her small business eventually earned cash big enough for her to buy the rights to show a foreign film locally. That was in the early ‘60s and the movie was All Mine to Give.
It was the start of big things to come for Lily Monteverde.
Soon enough, from merely getting the film rights and distribution, she moved up to producing her own movies. Regal Films was born.
Regal's first production venture was in 1974, with the film Kayod sa Umaga, Kayod sa Gabi. The cast was led by Elizabeth Oropesa, Ronaldo Valdez and Gina Pareno. Although it was not immediately followed by another production that same year or even the next, Regal would eventually churn out movies by the dozen-and that's yearly. In 1990 alone, Regal boasted 36 films!
Over the decades, Regal Films produced many box-office hits, as well as socially-relevant and critically-acclaimed films that veered away from commercialism.
To name a few: Under-age (1980), City After Dark (1980), Summer Holiday (1982), Relasyon (1982), Broken Marriage (1983), Daddy's Little Darlings (1984), Sister Stella L (1984), Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (1985), Scorpio Nights (1985), Isang Araw Wala ang Diyos (1989), Pido Dida: Sabay Tayo (1990), Iisa Pa Lamang (1992), Batang X (1995), Bayarang Puso (1997), Live Show (2000), Bahay ni Lola (2001), Zsa Zsa Zsaturnah Ze Moveeh (2006), Tiyanaks (2007), Desperadas (2008), et cetera. The list includes movies with sequels like Shake, Rattle and Roll, Starzan, Mano Po, and more.
It took the local film industry's financial nose-dive to slow down Regal's film production.
"The condition now is, well, it is very critical," the 69-year old Regal producer intimated. Although Regal continues to come up with film after film every year, Mother Lily admitted that her production has petered down due to the high cost of filmmaking and considerably low returns of ticket receipts, compared to previous years.
But, yes, she promises to valiantly march on. She remains positive in the face of the dismal state of movie affairs. "[The] solution is... I do believe it's the system. It's the belief system. We just have to change the system."
"I still believe that as long as you have a positive approach, God will not fail us," she affirmed.
And there lies the magic of Regal: the tenacity of Mother Lily Monteverde.
Mother Lily's secret. One would be surprised as to how passionate she still is about her work and how youthful she has remained. "I exercise everyday!" she said, revealing her secret. "I exercise two to three hours. I'm a runner. I run. I run 12 to 14 kilometers a day. It's my daily routine... since 30 years ago."
As much as possible, she stays away from fatty foods, but confesses: "I eat a lot."
What keeps her young?
"I take all these leadership seminars to be in a gathering with young people," she enthused. "And I play drums and piano. I really do it all the time.
"And of course I go to church everyday. I go to mass."
Surprisingly candid and confessing to enjoying the light topic, she then shared her fondness for musicals and the more entertaining movie genres. "I seldom watch the special effects, eh. Di ako masyado mahilig diyan...where everything is not real."
"The last movie I watched was Mama Mia, very entertaining," she remarked.
With her joie de vivre, it is hard to imagine Mother Lily in retirement as a movie producer. And she agreed, "I don't think so, as long as I live. [The movie industry] makes me more alive and still kicking."
"I'm a businesswoman," said Mother Lily. Aside from Regal, she also runs Century Imperial Palace Suites.
"I can say that I always show my heart when it comes to work [and] when it comes to friends, to family. My theme in my life is ‘loving'... and I can always feel that...
"My declaration in my life: I am the empress of love."
The Magic of the Kamison. In the early days, people privy to her story would know that Mother Lily skipped meals just to save enough money to come up with a film.
It has also been written that she would forfeit luxuries or her own kids' (Meme, Dondon and Roselle) allowances just so she could give money to her wards, her movie talents. That is how Mother Lily runs her empire. That is how she has become the success that she is.
She has made Regal survive the ups and downs of the movie industry. That's business savvy for you, if not magic altogether.
When asked about her very popular magic kamison (so popular that it even brought forth a TV series once), the Regal matriarch laughed. "Oh the kamison... it's very lucky, that kamison."
It started out as just an ordinary lady's undergarment, the kamison, she narrated. The kamison is worn, like a virtual crown, by the actress Regal would launch to full stardom. Being a sexy scanty garment, wearing it would automatically attract more interest for the actress-giving away the fact that it is, basically, a marketing ploy.
The kamison had been worn by Cherie Gil in Problem Child, Rio Locsin in Disgrasyada, Gina Alajar in Diborsyada, Dina Bonnevie in Katorse-and the list goes on: Alma Moreno, Lorna Tolentino, Snooky Serna....
Through the years, the magic kamison has acquired a mythical quality, as it has—without failure—given stardom to actresses who wore it onscreen.
Mother Lily agreed: "It is generated years and years ago... with just one kamison. [Even] I wore it (laughs) and then... from Alma down to everybody, where, during the pictorial they wear it. It's called ‘magic' kamison because (of) how the picture hits because of that."
Not one picture, with the Regal actress wearing the kamison in the film and in pictorials, lost in the box office. Not one.
Rumor has it that the next to wear it will be sexy Katrina Halili. Will she continue the kamison's winning streak?
"It's a very lucky kamison," Mother Lily quipped.