Lorli Villanueva is master of multi-tasking

We no longer can remember the decades Lorli Villanueva and I have been friends, but she never fails to surprise us even now. From being an active character actress from the ’70s to her US sojourn in the late ’90s, Lorli was also founding member of PETA, did numerous theater outings and commercials, appeared in about 60 movies megged by the likes of Lino Brocka, Peque Gallaga, Celso Ad Castillo, Lav Diaz, Olivia Lamasan, Emmanuel Borlaza, Maryo J. de los Reyes and Laurice Guillen. She tags Oro Plata Mata as her most memorable film, Bituing Walang Ningning as her most popular movie, and Maxima Labandera as her iconic commercial. Had she been around in 2000, she would easily have bagged lead roles in cutting-edge Pinoy indies now gaining notice all over Europe. Even as she now moves around in a wheelchair and a walker, she continues her multifarious activities.

As director, she megged the ground-breaking Flordeluna starring ingénue Janice de Belen, historical dramas for the Education Department, and was dean of Student Affairs at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. It was, therefore, a smooth career transition for her as Lorli Dima-ala into Touro College in Manhattan as deputy chair for Graduate and Special Education. She was even recently awarded by the prestigious Filipino Teachers of America the Ulirang Guro Award.

Lorli being assisted in an Iloilo pier to board a pump boat to Guimaras island

For a month on a recent visit to Manila and Iloilo, she went about her multi-tasking — meetings for a fundraiser for Asilo de Molo’s homeless children and seniors; a visit to Guimaras with mom on a pump boat despite her dual kneecap replacement and spinal vertebrae surgery; a trip to Lucena for tax issues; interminable calls to daughter Princess in New York, now neck-deep with the Filipino-run Soho International Film Festival coming up; bonding with old friends resurrected from the ’80s; searching for music arrangers, recording studios, concert venues for revived love for singing (as a child, Lorli was undefeated Tawag ng Tanghalan Iloilo champion for 16 weeks); and searching for a publisher for her first book of short stories. The list is by no means complete. “One month just isn’t enough,” Lorli says.

Although now a disabled senior citizen, Lorli’s spirit remains unyielding. If anything, she is determined to open up new avenues to propel her interests. She is aware acting in teleseryes with long taping hours involved and often held in remote areas would now be a no-no for her condition. “But there are still other things I can and would like to do,” Lorli tells us. First of all, she would like to continue singing, maybe do some hosting, be involved in various advocacies, and shuttle between New York and Manila for her projects. We have read her stories and find them distinct, involving and fresh. We have similarly listened to the Reminisce CD she produced as a fund-raising tool for Asilo, and wish more pitch-perfect, technically adept professionals had Lorli’s soul and compassion in the likes of I Wish you Love and Send in the Clowns.                    

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The nuns of Asilo de Molo in Iloilo receive the donation of walkers from Lorli (leftmost)