MANILA — Screen veteran Lotlot de Leon marked her long-time friend and co-star Nadia Montenegro’s 50th birthday with a heartfelt greeting and a bonus throwback photo of one of their earliest projects together.

On Instagram, de Leon also posted a more recent photo of them together, to compare with the vintage snap.

“Today we celebrate you my golden girl! My sister and my friend! The love and kindness you have shared with me has been nothing but a blessing!” de Leon wrote.

Montenegro reached her golden year on April 21.

Referring to the lyrics of the Dionne Warwick tune “That’s What Friends Are For,” de Leon said: “Feeling ko Ikaw lage ang kumakanta sa akin nyan.. kase totoo.. never mo akong iniwan in good times and bad times you have always been available and never absent. You have this gift of making the people around you feel confident that whatever happens in the end everything is going to be okay.

“You have always taken that extra mile to listen and to help without asking for anything in return.. Kaya thank you kase ikaw ang ate ko na grabe mag mahal at mag aruga.”

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A post shared by Lotlot de Leon (@ms.lotlotdeleon)

De Leon then jested that she is only older than Montenegro by one month; she is actually older by a year.

“Kaya nga ginawa kitang ninang namin ng asawa ko para hindi halata,” de Leon quipped, referring to her current husband, Fadi El Soury.

Turning serious, de Leon told Montenegro: “Mahal na mahal kita Nadine! And I wish you be blessed with more than you have prayed for! Because you truly deserve all the wonderful gifts this world has to give.”

Montenegro was equally sentimental in her response to de Leon, seen as a comment on the latter’s post.

“Mahal na mahal na mahal kita,” Montenegro said. “I know in my heart na we will grow old together. Tayo ang may forever! Mahal kita inaanak!”

“Ok na?! Masaya ka na?!” she joked. “Tinanggap ko na! Hahaha kahit ano pa maging papel natin sa mga buhay natin alam ko walang makakatibag. Thank you for everything!”