Nova Villa’s star-studded 80th birthday bash

A grand dame – when she turns 80 – is usually feted at the grand dame of venues: the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel.

Nova Villa may be the grand dame of Philippine comedy, but she is not one to throw away good money partying in a swanky ballroom. To her, there are a hundred and one ways to enjoy life without spending a fortune. No, not even on her birthday. Donating to charity is gratifying to her, for example.

And to be called grand dame? Hah! Let the title be damned. Just call her Nova. Or maybe Tita Novs, which is how this writer calls her.

Nova had always been a no-fuss and no-nonsense person. Maybe because – even as a child – she had always been down-to-earth. And very prayerful.

She was actually raised in the more gentrified section of Sampaloc, Manila. The legendary Chichay, the original grand dame of local comedy, was a neighbor. Born Amparo Custodio, Chichay married into a mestizo family – the Moyas, who lived in one of those grand Antillean homes that was typical of Sampaloc houses of old.

Although she did not grow up rich, she had some exposure to the refinements of life. She was therefore able to adjust quite well to the various intricacies of show business.

Nova can dine with kings – actually, leaders in government and the private sectors. But she will always be at ease in the company of paupers, especially since she regularly serves in a religious community. Nova will always be one of the most level-headed people in entertainment. A rarity in the topsy-turvy world of showbiz.

She can be fiercely independent, too. And self-sufficient. Unlike some of her pretentious showbiz contemporaries who are chauffeur-driven, she goes to her appointments by booking a Grab ride. Or even hailing a regular cab.

In the kitchen, she moves fast and will put to shame culinary graduates while prepping food. Oh, she hates wasting food. She will eat anything laid out on the table. Her favorite dishes? Pinakbet and other Ilocano specialties. Nova enjoys basically simple-to-prepare and nutritional food. Simplicity is her key to happiness.

And now that Nova turned 80 – last 13 April – surely you didn’t expect her to behave like some pampered doyenne to be honored in a lavish feast at the Manila Hotel. She partied instead in an unpretentious drinking joint called Pier Juan along Roces Avenue in Quezon City.

Nova discovered this watering hole when she decided to watch the performance of Gloria Romero’s daughter, Maritess Gutierrez, who sings with a band that plays every Wednesday at Pier Juan. Last year, when Nova’s only child, Jenny, came to visit from the US, mother and daughter decided to dine at Pier Juan. Even Jennifer fell in love with the place.

It was decided then that Nova would hold her 80th birthday there. No luxurious hotel for her where the food portions are small – with the price per head ultra-expensive. Jenny would have gladly suggested a more elegant venue for her mother’s birthday party. But she knows Nova too well. Nova would want her guests to simply relax and enjoy the night away.

And have fun we did. Jenny flew in early in April to start preparing for her mother’s birthday. She came home with her four children – to the delight of grandma Nova.

The guests were a mix of relatives, people from Nova’s religious community (the nuns were in habits) and only about 15 friends from show business. Jenny took charge of the event – and it was a success.

Former Senator Grace Poe arrived to represent her parents. Nova, of course, was discovered by Grace’s father, the great Fernando Poe, Jr. (Nova actually did bit roles prior to her launch by FPJ Productions). Grace’s mom, Susan Roces, was Nova’s close chum. When Susan was still around, what a sight she and Nova made. One was queenly, while Nova — being Nova — was rambunctious. It was only Nova who could make Susan get out of her prim and proper zone.

Grace also had a happy reunion with Evangeline Pascual on the night of Nova’s birthday party. Grace played the young Evangeline (then fresh from her Miss World triumph) in FPJ’s now-classic film, Ang Pangalan: Mediavillo in 1974. The former MTRCB head was also pleased to have been reunited with one of her board members, Tessie Villarama.

One guest who took time to give her personal felicitations to Nova was another grand dame of comedy, Ai-ai de las Alas. Always the life of the party, Ai-ai didn’t want to steal the spotlight away from the birthday celebrator and so she quietly positioned herself in one table and ate her dinner.

While most of the guests were senior stars, the young crowd was also represented — in this case by Sheena Halili, who was a member of the original Starstruck reality program. I wanted to discuss with Sheena the controversial social media posts of her Starstruck batchmate Alvin Aragon, but I knew she would be very protective of him. Aragon and Mark Herras may be bumping heads on Facebook these days, but I know that they basically rally behind each other.

The biggest surprise that night was the arrival of Maricel Soriano – to the thrill of Nova. Maricel rarely attends events and the “Diamond Star’s” presence that evening truly made Nova’s birthday celebration extra special.

Nova’s 80th birthday bash only proved how well-loved she is as a person. Everyone she invited was there. Yes, even her celebrity friends from the south: Marissa Delgado, Eva Darren and Marita Zobel. They went to extreme great lengths to celebrate Villa’s special day.

With the oil crisis hanging above us, Nova would have understood if her friends from Alabang skipped the affair. But they will do anything to make Nova happy — regardless of the cost of gas.