The Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (MOWELFUND) paid tribute to the late Lily Monteverde through a touching tribute letter shared by Boots Anson Roa Rodrigo, its Chairman.

In a letter dated Aug. 9, 2024, and sent to Regal Films, Inc. along Valencia Street, Quezon City, Ms. Rodrigo wrote:

“To the Heirs of Father Remy and Mother Lily Monteverde:

No death could keep them apart. One could not be without the other.

Your parents’ love story beats “Maalaala mo Kaya," “Magpakailanman” and even “Regal Presents,” all renowned Anthology series. Their quintessential love is the stuff that makes for the ultimate “Mano Po,” Mother’s lifetime passion project.

The Movie Workers’ Welfare Foundation - Mowelfund – is blessed to have been one of Mother’s own passion projects, perhaps because the Foundation’s 50-year mandate resonated with her own love and care for the marginalized, underserved and underpaid workers of the movie industry that she lived for.

Mother seemingly adopted Mowelfund as her own advocacy. We did not need to solicit attention and funding from her. She would contact us seasonally for our needs. She would give generously, always more than what we expected. On one of her birthdays, without prodding, she announced to her well-wishers that she was donating 1,000,000 pesos to Mowelfund. Two years before, she surprised us with an unsolicited 500, 000 pesos that she delivered personally to our office.

Thank you, Mother, for your overwhelming support of Mowelfund. We hope to have been worthy of your patronage.  We shall abide by its mandate of providing for and safeguarding the general and health welfare of our members and beneficiaries and sustaining subsidized film training, the latter through our education arm, the Mowelfund Film Institute.

On behalf of our Founder, former President Joseph Estrada, our President, Rez Cortez; Board members Gina Alajar, Director Boy Vinarao, Jim Baltazar, Julius Topacio, Alden Richards, and Dingdong Dantes; our stakeholders, Management, and staff, and our beneficiaries, Mowelfund pays you singular homage as we offer prayers and well wishes for your continuous Peace and everlasting happiness in God’s embrace."