Lily Monteverde

Filipino film producer and businesswoman (1938-2024)

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Yu, the birth surname or paternal family name is Chu, and the marital name is Monteverde.

Mother Lily
Lily Yu Monteverde

楊莉華

Monteverde (left) with Loren Legarda (right) in 2008

Born|

Lily Yu Chu

(1938-08-19)19 August 1938

Manila, Philippines

Died| 4 August 2024(2024-08-04) (aged 85)

Manila, Philippines

Resting place| The Heritage Park, Taguig, Philippines
Other names| Mother Lily
Occupation(s)| Film producer, hotelier
Years active| 1960–2024
Spouse|

Leonardo "Remy" Monteverde

(died 2024)​

Children| 6, including Goldwin
Parent| Domingo Chu (father)[1]

Lily Yu Chu-Monteverde[1] (19 August 1938 – 4 August 2024), known as Mother Lily and professionally credited as Lily Yu Monteverde, was a Chinese Filipino film producer and businesswoman.

Monteverde was one of the first Filipina movie producers who produced many local blockbuster films under different genres in the 1970s and 1980s.[citation needed] She produced movies with Alma Moreno, Lorna Tolentino, Maricel Soriano, Snooky Serna and Dina Bonnevie starring as lead stars during that time. She also propelled Richard Gomez and Aga Muhlach's careers to greater heights in the early 1990s.

## Career

[edit]

The mausoleum of Monteverde's father, Domingo Chu

Her father Yu Chu did not provide her with dowry after she decided to marry Leonardo, a San Beda University basketball star. In 1958, her brother Jesus granted her a loan to finance Regal Entertainment as distributor of Hollywood films, starting with her ₱7,000 film rights to All Mine to Give, which hit the ₱500,000 mark in the box office. In 1961, Monteverde, as adventurer earned ₱200 per day of work with her parent-in-law at Montemarte Department Store. With her two popcorn makers costing 3,000 pesos, she started her business as popcorn hawker at a Cherry Foodarama in Mandaluyong and at Good Earth Emporium at Rizal Avenue.[2]

Her very first 1974 Magsikap: Kayod sa Araw, Kayod sa Gabi sold P4 million from a P400,000 cost. Monteverde revealed that her top films include Sister Stella L., Shake, Rattle, and Roll and Mano Po.[3]

Monteverde produced nearly 300 films in the Philippines from the early 1960s. She operated Regal Entertainment for many years. The Mano Po film series, which began in 2002 and was produced by her filmmaking firm, paid tribute to her Chinese Filipino roots and became a hit in various local markets.[4]

In August 1996 she invested much of her wealth into hotels in Quezon City.[5][dead link‍] She opened the Imperial Palace Suites on the site of an old gasoline station at the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Timog Avenue in Quezon City.

In 2000, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cinemanila International Film Festival.[citation needed] She also received the Fernando Poe, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award in the 37th Luna Awards in 2019, the Ina ng Pelikulang Pilipino Award in 2017 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 from the Film Development Council of the Philippines.[6][7]

My Future You was one of the last films greenlit by Monteverde. Her daughter Roselle Teo stated that the romantic comedy will honour her mother and father Leonardo "Remy".[8]

## Personal life and death

[edit]

Monteverde was born in Bicol to Domingo Yu Chu, a copra magnate, philanthropist, educator, and founder of the Shang Yi Zhong Xue Chinese school and Profetiza Buban Yu. She was the youngest of 12 siblings. She was the mother of five children, including UP Fighting Maroons men's basketball head coach Goldwin Monteverde.[9][10] Her husband, Leonardo "Remy" G. Monteverde (born December 21, 1936) owned several Art Deco theatres in Manila. He died of pneumonia on July 29, 2024, aged 87-88.[11]

Domingo Yu Chu (尚一中学 Tondo)

She studied at St. Scholastica's College, Manila and Miriam College. Monteverde and her family resided in Greenhills, San Juan. She had seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild.[12]

Monteverde was a devout Roman Catholic, crediting the success of her company's films to God, stating in 1986 that "I pray hard, I don't believe in psychics and fortune tellers anymore. I have befriended my enemies and helped those who need help.... And now I'm positive about life. If I have personal problems, I keep them to myself and I pray hard to God."[13]

Monteverde died in Manila on August 4, 2024, at the age of 85, less than a week after the death of her husband and 15 days before her 86th birthday.[14] She was buried at the Heritage Park in Taguig.[15]

## Awards

[edit]

Year  | Award-giving body  | Category  | Work  | Result

|
|
|
|

2002 | Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Original Story (with Roy Iglesias) | Mano Po[16] | Won
2003 | Mano Po 2: My Love[17] | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "The Magic of Mother Lily and her "kamison"". pep.ph. Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP). October 23, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
2. ^ Grana, Rhia (August 4, 2024). "From Popcorn Seller to Movie Mogul: The Life of Mother Lily Monteverde". esquiremag.ph. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
3. ^ Plaza, Gerry (February 10, 2013). "Is Mother Lily a fool for love?". yahoo.com. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
4. ^ Yu, Anson (November 26, 2019). "Tsinoys in Pinoy cinema". Tulay. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
5. ^ Philippines News – Manila Standard Today – Lily Y. Monteverde: The movie producer is also a hotelier- aug18_2006
6. ^ "Mother Lily at Nova Villa, pinarangalan sa 37th Luna Awards". PEP.ph. December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
7. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (August 4, 2024). "Mother Lily Monteverde, Regal Entertainment matriarch, dead at 85". Inquirer.net. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
8. ^ Tomada (December 17, 2024). "Roselle Monteverde honors Mother Lily in 50th MMFF entry 'My Future You'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
9. ^ "Lily Monteverde and her Midas touch in show business". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
10. ^ "New UP coach Goldwin Monteverde's 32-year wait is finally over". ESPN.com. August 15, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
11. ^ Antonio, Josiah (August 4, 2024). "Movie mogul 'Mother Lily' Monteverde passes away". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
12. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (August 5, 2024). "Mother Lily Monteverde honored by politicians, celebrities, filmmakers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
13. ^ Salazar, Oskar (February 6, 1986). "Questions for showbiz voters". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. 6.
14. ^ Cruz, Marinel (August 5, 2024). "Lily Monteverde, pillar of PH film industry; 84". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
15. ^ Pasajol, Anne (August 10, 2024). "Mother Lily Monteverde laid to rest in Taguig". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
16. ^ "Metro Manila Film Festival:2002". IMDB. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
17. ^ "Metro Manila Film Festival:2003". IMDB. Retrieved April 9, 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Lily Monteverde at Wikimedia Commons
* Lily Y. Monteverde at IMDb