Lolit Solis holds first Birthday party at 77
Manay Lolit Solis’ birthday is May 20 and the talent manager/entertainment news writer/talk show host turned 77 years old this year. The way she tells it, her recent natal day marked the very first time she had a birthday party, and it was only due to the insistence of her alaga, Sen. Bong Revilla.
The luncheon party was held on May 19 at the Oriental Palace Seafood Restaurant in Quezon City, and it was, of course, a star-studded event. Seated at the presidential table with Manay Lolit were her special guests, led by billionaire and philanthropist Alice Eduardo; beauty clinic owners Cris Roque of Kamiseta Skin, Ruby Coyuito of Flawless, and Rhea Tan of Beautederm; former alaga and current entrepreneur Nanette Medved; and Rep. Lani Mercado, who came without Sen. Bong (who was recovering from foot surgery).
The birthday gal’s many talents also came in full force, including Christopher de Leon and wife Sandy Andolong, Tonton Gutierrez and wife Glydel Mercado, Pauleen Luna-Sotto and her youngest daughter Mochi, Benjie Paras, Paolo Contis, Amy Austria, and Alfred Vargas.
Her former bosses from GMA Wilma Galvante (who is now with NET25 as TV Production head consultant) and Lilibeth Rasonable were also there to join in the celebration.
Wilma fondly recalled how she handpicked Manay Lolit to join “Startalk,” the showbiz talk show on GMA that was initially topbilled by Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda.
Wilma revealed that she was happy that Manay Lolit agreed to do the show even if her talent fee was low. Little did she know, Manay Lolit was charging everyone she greeted on the show at least P1,000 per greeting! To minimize all her “pabatis”, she instructed the show’s staff to limit Manay’s greetings to only one minute per episode but was actually just 50 seconds!
Of course, members of the entertainment press were also there to celebrate this milestone. Leading the pack was Gorgy Rula of PEP who was in-charge of organizing the party. Salve Asis of Pilipino Star Ngayon was also busy making sure everything was OK and that everyone got their loot bag from Beautederm. Joanne Maglipon of PEP was there, too, together with director Joel Lamangan. I also saw Ian Farinas, Anna Pingol, Jun Lalin, Allan Diones and Noel Ferrer.
The many celebrities who are not her alagas but came to greet Manay Lolit anyway included Tirso Cruz III and wife Lyn, Michelle Ortega and daughter Ysabel Ortega, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Ali Sotto, and Boy, whose “fast talk” with the celebrant was probably the most amusing part of the celebration.
During the “Fast Talk,” Manay Lolit unabashedly recalled her humble beginnings and made no secret of the fact that she would do a “Sharon Cuneta” (make “pabalot” food) during presscons just so she would have something to bring home for her mom and siblings to eat.
But it was when she was at her lowest during the Manila Film Festival scam that she realized that it was friends from showbiz who were standing by her and were determined to help her survive the crisis. For Gen Z’ers, the infamous scandal happened 30 years ago on June 22, 1994. During the awarding ceremony, Ruffa Gutierrez, her brother Rocky, Nanette Medved, and the late Mauritian beauty queen Viveka Babajee deliberately announced the wrong set of winners for the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. When the announcement raised suspicion, an investigation was launched by the then-mayor of Manila, Alfredo Lim. It was Gretchen Barretto’s testimony that nailed Manay Lolit as the instigator to favor her then-favorite alaga, Gabby Concepcion.
When I asked Manay Lolit recently why she masterminded the film fest scam, she replied that she just wanted to give Gabby a Best Actor award so she could command a higher talent fee for him and by extension, a higher commission for her.
Manay Lolit got sentimental so many times during the celebration that you could feel she was holding back tears. But she makes no excuse for the fact that she has even christened herself the “harbat” (to take without permission) queen because she loves to receive money. She is probably the only one in showbiz who does this so openly that her “victims” are only too willing to share their blessings with her.
But unknown to many, as many of the guests that day revealed, Manay Lolit is actually a softie at heart who gives generously to the less fortunate despite her stern looks and sharp tongue. She is very helpful to those who ask for her help and uses her connections when necessary to lend a helping hand. Someone even likened her to Robin Hood, who steals from the rich to help the poor. The comparison, however, isn’t totally accurate because Manay Lolit certainly doesn’t steal. She works hard and shares whatever she has with those she loves, including daughters Sneezy and Sloopy, and only grandchild Kinsey, who resides in the USA. Even Manay’s trusted assistant Mel is usually on the receiving end of Manay’s generous heart.
To our dearest Manay Lolit, a happy happy 77th birthday! If happiness is measured by the number of people who love you, then you are surely one of the happiest people I know. How blessed you are to be the recipient of such an abundant outpouring of love, and how blessed we are to have you in our lives!
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