It has been a little over four months since the passing of Regal Entertainment’s matriarch, Mother Lily Monteverde. Her daughter, Roselle Monteverde, now the CEO of the movie company, admits she misses her mother deeply.
During a recent media gathering at Kamuning Bakery Café, Roselle reminisced about Mother Lily’s vibrant presence in the entertainment industry. She shared how her mother always had her “ears on the ground,” staying updated and brimming with information about the latest showbiz happenings.
“Parang ang dami niyang alam,” she said. “Kasi ang routine niya every morning is to call everyone na isa-isa. Walang tigil. Kaya ang bilis niya makakuha ng balita.”
Roselle also gave an update on her brother Keith, Regal’s executive vice president, who is adjusting to his role in the company.
“Nandun ‘yung puso niya kasi, since he was a kid, he was with Mother Lily. Nakita na niya a lot of people kilala na niya, but a lot of people mga bago hindi na niya masyadong… [Pero] nag-effort naman siya talaga.”
Seeing her mother’s name appear in the Regal-produced Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “My Future You,” was an emotional moment for Roselle.
“Naiyak ako,” she said.
The film, along with Jodi Sta. Maria’s “Untold,” were among the last projects approved by Mother Lily before her passing.
“Those are the last three movies na I discussed with her, the story and director and casting, inapprove niya lahat,” Roselle revealed.
Roselle expressed her satisfaction with how “My Future You“ leads Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin have been promoting their first movie together.
“We know they’ve been doing their best and nakikita ko naman ang sincerity nila and it’s not just because they want to make it. They have a natural charisma together.”
However, she admitted that securing theater slots for the film has been challenging, with only around 40 cinemas currently onboard.
“We’re trying our best to increase our number,” she said.
Looking ahead, Roselle shared Regal’s plans for the coming year, which include a mix of movie and television projects.
“We’re working on a series. We’re working on two. And iniisip na rin namin ‘yung film festival for next year, plus we wanna work on siguro a total of about four to five movies next year.”
When asked about a potential biopic on Mother Lily, Roselle was noncommittal but acknowledged the possibility.
“Pag-uusapan pa namin,” she said. “Iba ‘yung documentary, iba pa ‘yung film.”
