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Lolit Solis
Lolit Solis spent practically her whole life giving her opinion on showbiz matters, some of which landed her in hot water. Some agreed with her, some did not. Many loved her, while others hated her. Despite all of this, she remained fearless.
When asked why she wrote a certain piece, whether for her column or an Instagram post, she would answer "Naughty ako.”
Her views were often naughty, amusing, and controversial. When she got sick, her voice toned down. She even declared a possible Instagram exit due to health difficulties, but it never happened. She was unstoppable.
At the age of 78, Manay Lolit (a name given to her by the showbiz industry) continued to write showbiz stories. “Hayaan mo na dahil takot ako magkaroon ng memory lapse at maging ulyanin kaya yata sinasamantala ko na ang pagsusulat,” she wrote on IG.
Writing gossip was her kind of getaway. Her writing style was too sensationalized in a hilarious way, occasionally shading celebrities. Even though she had many critics, they continued to read what she had to say. She was a significant voice in the entertainment media.
Her name was up there — alongside veteran showbiz writers Ricky Lo, Alfie Lorenzo, and Isah Red. They were the entertainment experts while also being the stories themselves. In Manay Lolit’s case, she never backed down.
“Dapat panindigan mo ang sinusulat mo,” she once said in an interview. However, Manay Lolit has had to apologize to a number of celebrities, including the latest one Bea Alonzo during businesswoman Rhea Tan's birthday.
Her presence at celebrity press conferences was always felt. During events, she would just sit next to her assistant, and every press member would approach her, greet her, and kiss her. Sometimes she would jokingly say, "Nasaan na ang raffle?”
Manay Lolit adored gifts. She had no idea she was a gift to the entire entertainment press. She popularized showbiz PR in the celebrity world. She put showbiz columnists on the map, proving that artists should value them.
Her value? She was a force in show business. If a celebrity was Manay Lolit-approved, they were going to make it big. Her approval was much sought after. However, she did not require everyone to seek her approval.
Solis approved the message that she would leave the world with no regrets.
“Salve, every day I wake up [na] talagang parang miracle na sa akin. Kasi nga, usually ‘pag natulog ako, I feel so weak, na hindi ko na alam kung saan ako dadalhin ng tulog ko. I am very thankful pero admitted ko na medyo pagod na ako,” she wrote on IG before she died.
She added, “I have so many things to be thankful for. Para sa akin, tama na ang journey ko sa buhay. Been there, done that. I feel complete and grateful to my GOD.
"So if I will leave now, no regrets. Life was good to me, people [were] nice, things worked mostly in my favor, what more [could] I ask [for]? Basta, thank you to all, my apologies to some, and if ever, just remember me with fondness. I love all of you, and thank you, my God.”
On July 3, she died, accepting all that she had done and accomplished.