KULAY pula, puti at itim ang mga kasuotan ng mga bisitang dumalo sa bonggang 77th birthday party ng Regal Entertainment matriarch na si Mother Lily Monteverde sa Valencia Events Place nitong nakaraang Biyernes ng gabi.

Pinaghandaan nang husto ng lady producer ang kanyang kaarawan, base na rin sa nakita naming post ng kanyang publicists na sina Jun Nardo at Ian Fariñas na ilang beses nagmiting para sa mga mangyayari sa party.

Kaya naman organisado ang event, may assigned table na nasa garden ang bawat entertainment writer na dumalo samantalang ang mga artista at iba pang bisita ni Mother Lily ay nasa loob naman ng venue.

Nakaka-touch ang speech ni Mother Lily dahil ang party daw niyang ito ay iniaalay niya sa entertainment press.

“I celebrate 77 years of my colorful life for the unsung heroes of Mother Lily’s life and Regal Films. My dear editors, reporters as it is for me and my family. As you very well know, my love affair with the entertainment press is a very good material for a movie.”

Inamin din ng Regal Films producer na kung minsan ay may mga hindi pagkakaunawaang nangyayari sa kanya at sa entertainment press.

“Through the years our relationship may be compared to Romeo and Juliet. Other times naman parang si Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible.

“What I’m trying to say is hindi laging smooth ang pinagdadaanan ni Mother Lily as a producer trying to keep up with the times, but you my friends from the media have always stood by me through thick and thin.

“Mother Lily has not forgotten. I will never forget all the help you have given me and Regal Films.

“Kung wala kayo, wala rin si Mother Lily at ang Regal. That is why I dedicate this party to you.”

“Sana magkasama-sama pa tayo ng another 77 years magloka-lokahan, chika-chikahan at okray-okrayan. As I always say, I may not be a Taipan but I am definitely rich in terms of friends from in and out of showbiz,” malamang sabi ni Mother Lily.

Samantala, ang celebrities na dumalo sa 77th birthday ni Mother Lily ay sina Ai Ai de las Alas na nagsilbing host kasama si Katotong Jun Nardo, Janella Salvador, Derrick Monasterio, Mowelfund Chairwoman Boots Anson- Rodrigo.

Nagbigay ng isang milyong donasyon sa Mowelfund si Mother Lily bilang pandagdag pondo para sa pangangailangan na maliliit na trabahador sa showbiz.

Namataan din sina Sam Milby, Billy Crawford, mag-inang Susan Roces at Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Sen. Dick Gordon, Annabelle Rama at Eddie Gutierrez, Lance Raymundo, Direk Mac Alejandre, komedyanteng si Atak, Direk Joel Lamangan, kapatid ni Gerald Anderson na si Ken Anderson, mag-asawang Direk Carlo Caparas at Donna Villa, Direk Elwood Perez, Direk Jun lana at Percy intalan, Eat Bulaga executive Malou Choa-Fagar, Kiray Celis, National Bookstore at Swatch owner Virgie Ramos, Direk Manny Castaneda, Christopher de Leon, Ms. Lyn Cruz at Tirso Cruz III at anak, GMA executives na sina Joey Abacan, Gigi Santiago, Reggie Magno, IC Mendoza, MTRCB Chairman Toto Villareal, Kean Cipriano at Chynna Ortaleza at kilalang mixed martial artist na si Brandon Vera.

Bukod sa Mowelfund ay nag-donate rin si Mother Lily ng karagdagang tig-P100,000.00 pondo para sa Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC), Entertainment Press Society (Enpress) at SPEED na samahan ng entertainment editors.

Hindi na siguro kataka-taka ngayon sa non-showbiz people kung bakit mahal na mahal ng media si Mother Lily, dahil nga mahal din niya ang aming hanay. (Reggee Bonoan)