MANILA, Philippines?It was a mega-production that talent manager Douglas Quijano could?ve engineered himself.

?All-star cast,? filmmaker Elwood Perez described the week-long wake at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig for Quijano, who died of a heart attack on June 13. The star-maker was cremated yesterday.

?It was only fitting for all these celebrities to converge because, in his lifetime, Douglas helped many people?from Ms Rita Gomez to Richard Gomez, from Direk Artemio Marquez to Joey Marquez, from Charito Solis to Lolit Solis,? said Perez.

True enough, a virtual galaxy of stars turned out on the wake?s fifth night, which was sponsored by the Professional Artists Managers Inc. (Pami), a group that Douglas helped establish 15 years ago and headed for a spell.

The A-list

Spotted on Thursday night were, among others, Susan Roces and daughter Grace Poe, Maricel Soriano, Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez, Joey Marquez, Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres, Janice and Gelli de Belen, John Estrada, Gretchen Barretto, Nadia Montenegro, Sheryl Cruz, Pia Guanio, Richard Gutierrez, and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos.

Pops Fernandez, Erik Santos and Quijano?s first ?discovery? Tirso Cruz III rendered songs at the end of the Mass celebrated by Fr. Glenn Gomez of Christ the King Church.

Each day of the week was sponsored by a different show biz group or personality, said Quijano?s ward Janice de Belen. ?On Sunday, his talents took charge. Monday, ABS-CBN. Tuesday, Gov. Vilma. Wednesday, GMA 7. Thursday, Pami. Friday, (clothing company) Bench. And Saturday, Tita Annabelle Rama and Richard Gutierrez.?

Credit for the smooth flow of the wake goes to Quijano?s talents, said Regal Films producer Lily Monteverde. ?They were very organized. When I saw them after the meeting on Saturday night (June 13), everything was in place,? Monteverde recalled.

Favorite things

Today, Monteverde plans to hold a ninth-day Mass at her Imperial Palace Hotel.

During the Offertory at Thursday?s Mass, friends presented at the altar some of Quijano?s favorite things, including his iPod (for his love of music) and cell phone, his main tool as ?peacemaker? in the biz.

The most heartfelt speech was given by Pami member and close friend Lolit Solis?a stand-up routine filled with memories and mirth.

Solis recounted the day she met Quijano in 1968: ?He introduced his girlfriend to me. Then the girlfriend vanished and we started hanging out. His mom asked me to tell Dougs to get married. She didn?t know he was gay!?

Solis ended her spiel with a tearjerker: ?Daboy (Rudy Fernandez) and Dougs are next to each other in my cell phone directory. I will never erase their names from my phone because, for me, they will live forever.?

For Inquirer Entertainment, Solis recalled an amusing anecdote: ?The office of Sine Pilipino (where they worked as publicists in the early 1970s) was on Rizal Avenue. If we wanted free coffee and biscuits, we?d gate-crash the wakes in the different funeral parlors in the area?Paz, Nacional ... Once, a Chinese man asked us: ?Do you know the deceased?? We said yes and left hastily.?

Lucy Torres-Gomez told the Inquirer: ?The Pami night captured the essence of Tito Dougs. Amid the sadness and tears, there?s comedy and laughter.?

Movie queen Susan Roces: ?I?ll miss his heart-warming smile whenever we saw each other.?

Grateful kin

Gov. Vilma Santos: ?I starred in the biggest hit he produced (for Sine Pilipino), ?Lipad, Darna, Lipad? in 1973. I did two other movies (for the same production) and all my projects in Regal were with him, too. Until the end, he never quarreled with anyone. He was a gem.?

Quijano?s family expressed gratitude that the entire entertainment industry is exalting their brother. (Quijano, the eldest, is survived by four siblings: Alan, Roxy, Ivo and Mark. Youngest brother Edwin is also deceased.)

Mark said, ?Only one word could sum up Kuya Dougs: Good.?

Ivo, who is based in Los Angeles, said he?ll miss his brother?s jolly nature. ?He always cracked jokes about my latest jobs and business ventures.?

Roxy flew in from New Brunswick, Canada. He said Douglas doted on her. ?Even when we were kids, I was his favorite?maybe because I was the only girl?

She said she felt envious of Quijano?s show biz pals: ?I only spent the first 25 years of my life with him. But they were with him for four decades. Kuya Douglas found brothers and sisters in show biz and I?m touched by their care and support, and this overwhelming gesture of love and happiness.?

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