Angeline Quinto introduces six scholars at 15th anniversary concert

August 24 ------ At her anniversary concert AQuinse at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the singer introduced six students who will receive scholarships through a project she put together with her alma mater, Immaculada Concepcion College (ICC).

The show had plenty of surprises before that. It opened with visuals that turned Angeline into a superhero and a "sooper dooper star," and her set list ran through OPM classics and the teleserye theme songs that earned her the title “Queen of Teleserye Theme Songs”. But for many in the crowd, the most moving part of the night had nothing to do with the production numbers.

Angeline called the scholarship program "Sais Ang Pangarap" – a play on the line "sa isang pangarap" from her breakout hit "Patuloy Ang Pangarap," which fans have long teased her about because of how it sounds when she sings it. This time, the joke carried a purpose: six scholars, six dreams. The project aims to help students who want to finish college but do not have the means to do so.

It is a cause close to her. Angeline finished college only this year, at the age of 36, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Marketing Management, from the same school on June 16. She kept her studies a secret for years, even from her husband, and squeezed in her requirements between tapings, concerts, and raising two small children.

"Pinangarap ko po talaga na maging daan upang matupad ang kahit anim muna na pangarap, at sa tulong po ng Immaculada Concepcion College, mabigyang-katuparan ang anim na pangarap ng mga taong gusto rin pong makapag-aral at makapagtapos ng kolehiyo," Angeline said onstage. "Kaya ngayong gabi, mga kaibigan, dito mismo sa Araneta Coliseum, sa AQuinse concert ko, gusto ko pong special na i-announce ang anim na scholars na napili namin," she added.

She introduced them one by one. First was a security guard who wants to finish college so he can give his family a better life. Next was a young woman who sells ice candy to help pay for her schooling. "Ngayon, sigurado na po ang kanyang tuition hanggang sa makatapos," Angeline said. The third was a mother of two who wants to earn a degree so she can help her husband, who works as a delivery rider. "Para makatulong sa kanyang asawang rider, gusto pa rin niyang makatapos ng college degree," she said.

The fourth was a breadwinner who set aside her own studies to support her family. "Pinagpaliban niya po muna ang kanyang pag-aaral. Pero sayang po kasi napakatalinong bata," Angeline said. The fifth slot went to twins whose parents work as massage therapists. "Kambal din po ang pangarap nila na makapagtapos para matulungan ang kanilang pamilya," she said.

The last was a working student who juggles a job and his classes so he can pay for his education and look after his mother, who is ill. "May sakit po ang kanyang ina kaya kinakailangan niya pong pagsabayin ang pag-aaral at ang pagtatrabaho," Angeline said. She said she hopes to be there when all six of them walk onstage in their togas. "Ang pangarap ko, in four years, ay makasama ko rin kayo sa inyong graduation ceremony. God bless you guys. Patuloy ang pangarap," she said.

Angeline rose to fame in 2011 after winning the ABS-CBN talent search Star Power: Sharon's Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar. Her coronation song, "Patuloy Ang Pangarap," written by Jonathan Manalo, became her signature hit and turned her into one of the most in-demand voices for teleserye and movie theme songs. She has since been called the country's “Power Diva”.

Her success story has always been tied to her late adoptive mother, Sylvia "Mama Bob" Quinto, who raised her and pushed her to go back to school. Mama Bob died in November 2020.

Angeline has said her college diploma was the fulfillment of a promise she made to her, and she wore a pin with her mother's photo on her toga at the June graduation rites, where she also sang "Patuloy Ang Pangarap" for her fellow graduates. Offstage, Angeline married non-showbiz partner Nonrev Daquina in April 2024. They have two children, Sylvio and Sylvia.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com