Lily Puyod's 90th: Breezing Through the Decades
Saturday, July 9, 2011
ANOTHER five years, another celebration. Hers is a story 90 years in the making as Marcela Luisa Ledesma – Puyod’s friends and family gathered once again to celebrate her birthday.
Born on June 21, 1921, “Mommy Lily” turned 90 this year. She was joined by her ten children: Sonny, Myrna, Dayday, Cynthia, Byen, Jojo, Sylvia, Sonya, Jackie and Mao and her only surviving sibling, Sr. Concepcion Ledesma. On June 25, 2011, a bigger party was held at the Marco Polo Davao Grand Ballroom where more friends and family came together and Mommy Lily proudly donned an Alfonso Gino-o creation with a peacock designed sequins.
The guests were treated to good humor and great food all night long beginning with cocktails at 6 o’clock in the evening. Family members mingled with them, the Puyod ladies clad in aqua- colored gowns and the Puyod gentlemen in black coats and matching ties. Mommy Lily’s granddaughter, Johanna Yulo, with co- host Donn Gonzales then opened the ballroom to everyone as live band music welcomed the guests with a couple of the King’s songs. Sashaying to their seats, guests were escorted by more of Mommy Lily’s grandchildren and great grandchildren.
For the pumped and hyped opening act, Mommy Lily’s danced to Chubby Checker’s “Let’s Twist Again.” The three sons were up next for the grand entrance and they escorted “the woman of the evening” Mommy Lily with “In the Mood” playing in the background. The guests, both family and friends, honored her with a standing ovation while her daughters waited for her to reach the dance floor and have their family photos taken with her. That was just the start of the party.
Dinner was served by buffet, but the most special and closest of guests were treated to personal service by 17 of Marco Polo Davao’s chefs marching to Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest.” Add to that, all guests were also given a little challenge - to jiggle it and wiggle with the Sinagtala Dancers trooping to Mommy Lily for their photo opp with her. The family wouldn’t shortchange on incentive as those who broke out the best moves on the floor went home with trophies and gift certificates from Starbucks Coffee for the Best Party Spirit. Raffle Prizes were also given away throughout the party, handed out by Barbara Puyod- Leclerc. A little after dinner, Mommy Lily’s ten children presented their mother with words and gifts only they could give best. Honoring their mom, they gave the special lady a very heartwarming gift: a blanket with their family photo taken during the previous grand celebration for Mommy Lily’s 85th.
And then came the big production. For years, the Puyods have put a stamp on partying the way Davao and its old families only know it. Theirs will surely be bookmarked, inspiring those other 90th birthday celebrations to follow. It was honest and intimate and indeed exclusive and the clan was ready for the show. All put together by the Puyod women, from the daughters to granddaughters and tagging along the great granddaughters, it was a show to remember for the fairest of them all, Mommy Lily. Of course, don’t forget the sons, grandsons and great grandsons.
Edward Puyod’s multimedia presentation lit up the huge white screen with videos coming in from the “White House,” celebrities’ mansions and somewhere in L.A. as those who couldn’t make it to the party made sure to send their love. The guests couldn’t stop laughing as they listened to Oprah Winfrey greet Mommy Lily in Cebuano and Angelina Jolie greeted in Ilonggo. A stream of photos, pieced together by Stephanie Puyod, accompanied the narrative of Mommy Lily’s life story. The guests ooohed and aaahed, nodded and light- hearted laughter filled the venue as they remembered “The Garden,” the Tango and got off their seats to learn the Chicken Dance.
The show was divided into decades highlighting the special events in Mommy Lily’s life. Her birth in the 1920’s revealed her own family background: she hails from Binalbagan, Negros Occidental and comes from a family of lawyers and statesmen. The 1930’s revealed about her love story with her one and only, the late Federico Puyod, when they met at UST and were thereafter separated by World War 2. Fate could have done more to quell their love though, for in the 1940’s Fred and Lily were reunited. They wedded on May 3, 1947 in Manduriao, Iloilo. From there, Mommy Lily and Sir Fred’s family grew from two members to four in the 1940’s to nine in the 1950’s to eleven in the 1970’s. But that’s just the immediate family as the 1970’s was also the year when grandchildren were added to the brood until the 1990’s when the total number of grandkids reached 23. This ever growing family and support group was such a boost of energy for Mommy Lily that it carried her through the most trying ordeal that was Fred’s death, when he succumbed to cancer in 1985.
That same family and support group came out last June 25, 2011 to be a reminder to Mommy Lily and everyone present that life should be lived to the fullest. Members of her extended family, Idaho and Roserene Ledesma from Bacolod City danced the Tango for their Tiyay Lily during the 1940’s segment. Ms. Isabella Clarice Gabucan then captivated the crowd as she performed a Puyod favorite, Doris Day’s “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” for the 1950’s before the Sinagtala dancers stepped in for their own version of the of “Rock Around the Clock” Boogie and Mommy Lily’s granddaughters and great granddaughters (Marsee Ouano, Maricar Divina, Johanna Yulo, Niña Divina and Gelai Santos) took the catwalk for a mini- fashion show of 1950’s- inspired pieces.
The 1960’s, on the other hand, featured a dance number to the tune of “Boys,” a cameo by Elvis (a.k.a. Mommy Lily’s eldest great grandson, Ashley Ledesma) singing “Blue Suede Shoes” while grooving in his popular white, rhinestone decorated jumpsuit and another ramp modeling run this time by mother and daughter tandems, Cheche & Anika Ledesma, Leng & Isabella Gabucan, Wowie & Alex Puyod and Ms. Bea Puyod. Capping off the showcase of fashion pieces in the 1970’s were granddaughters and great granddaughter, Tetet Santos, Steph Puyod, Kristine Puyod and Thea Ledesma, after a short interpretative dance number of “Day-O,” a farmhand’s song about a day on the banana plantation.
Continuing the production in the 1980’s, dancers interpreted Fred and Lily’s theme song, “Usahay.” The rest of the family took the stage after as Mommy Lily’s grandchildren piled in to deliver their usual song number “Build Me Up Buttercup” and the great grandchildren trooped in with yellow roses in their hands and “It’s a Small World” playing in the background. These fifty or so members of the Puyod clan, beamed for the cameras while the guests watched in awe at how big the family has really grown. Finally, to close out the production numbers, Mommy Lily’s daughters returned to the dance floor for the last two dances, mixes of the ChaCha Slide, Achy Breaky Heart and The Conga Line. The guests laughed all the way to the end as daughters, Myrna Puyod Solski and Concepcion “Dayday” Yulo gave a heartwarming, humorous speech to acknowledge the people behind the scene. Indeed it was a labor of love—not to mention the 30 guests who came all the way from Bacolod, Manila, and Iloilo to celebrate with her.
The party was never boring and definitely entertaining as the family made sure that all sorts of dances and songs were kept streaming. It was nostalgic and it will definitely be memorable. The Puyod Family’s very own production team made sure of that. The Puyod children pooled together their resources: talent, finance or human, to make this program run. Two people who were mainly responsible for the event concept were the Mommy Lily’s daughters, Sylvia Puyod- Rieta, based in Davao, and Sonya Puyod-Gehrlein who came all the way from L.A., California. They had been planning this whole event since October last year utilizing Facebook, Skype and Magic Jack; even talking till the wee hours of the morning. Their sister, Dr. Cynthia Maguire, came out to support the event with her generosity to make sure only the best are hired for this event. Evelyn Puyod- Pagcaliwagan and Jackie Puyod- Marcelino, helped out in their own special ways as well.
The daughters of youngest son, Mao, also played big roles. His eldest, Chai, developed the program and the script, as well as helped coordinate the events’ production needs. His second daughter, Steph, put the multimedia presentations together on top of co-heading and joining the modeling segments. Dayday’s daughter Marsee Yulo-Ouano made sure everyone came to the meetings and practices, connecting with suppliers and cousins via her cellphone and email, even when she was back home in Cebu. Other family members who also assisted in a big way were Lullette Pagcaliwagan, Maricar and Dennis Divina, and Tetet Santos.
The team of Noel Tanza decorated the ballroom with lovely white tall flower arrangements complimenting the very striking backdrop created by Clarice and Christian Gabucan together with Chai. Noel’s team also made sure to cue the family members as they readied for the respective production numbers. Nothing was spared for a celebration such as this, the family made sure of that.
Indeed, there was only nothing but the best for Mommy Lily’s 90th year.
