ANGEL Aquino (left) got to meet the real Veronica de Guzman, whom she plays in an episode of “MMK.” Photos by Alanah Torralba
For actress Angel Aquino, who has two daughters of her own, imparting to women the importance of taking care of themselves is a noteworthy cause.
“We would like Filipino women to live good-quality lives for their families’ sake and, more importantly, for themselves,” said Angel, who plays a cancer survivor in Saturday’s episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” on ABS-CBN.
Before taking on the role, Angel said she first read articles to learn more about cervical cancer. “The number of Filipino women afflicted with it is alarming,” she said. “My doctor briefed me about the illness when I got the vaccine against the virus. I also prepared my two daughters for it.”
Angel is mom to Iana, 22 and Thea, 20.
“Not everyone is as privileged as we are. Not everyone can afford to have shots. What we had was a gift,” Angel pointed out. “This (episode) is for those who have a hard time dealing with the illness. This will give them hope.”
Angel plays Veronica de Guzman, a mother of five who was in her late 40s when she discovered she had cervical cancer.
“Her husband, Lito (played by Tonton Gutierrez), worked as a company driver. He wanted a son so much. Finally, their fifth child was a boy. This is an important piece of information because one reason a woman gets cervical cancer is having too many pregnancies. Veronica had seven pregnancies … (and) two miscarriages. This made her susceptible to the virus.”
Veronica experienced bleeding, but ignored it—thinking it was due to menopause. “She bled for a month and then she started feeling weak and suffered fever. She went to a doctor for check up, and found out she had cancer,” Angel shared with Inquirer during a visit to the MMK set at the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City.
Surviving it
“The story is about Veronica’s struggle with the illness,” said Angel. “She kept it a secret from her family for a long time because she didn’t want to burden them. In the process, she also
THE ACTRESS (center) considers the role “challenging” and the woman she portrays “strong” and “inspiring.”
lost her husband to another woman. She had to deal with the illness on her own. It was good that she had her kids with her—to love her and help her. She survived it. She’s now in remission for 17 years.”
Angel met Veronica for the first time when the latter visited the set on the program’s second taping day. “I can tell that she’s a fighter. She’s very strong, especially for her kids who are now all married and have families of their own. She never thought she could travel abroad. She just came from a trip to Singapore where she gave a talk to other cancer survivors.”
Angel added: “I know some women who have the same ailment. I’ve also attended support groups. I’m lucky that my friends are strong and are survivors in life. They don’t want to be defeated by this kind of sickness. They inspire me. I would like to share their stories to other people.”
Angel said she was glad to portray Veronica and found the material “very challenging.”
“I did it for my Nanay (mother) and other women out there,” she related. “My mom is a fighter. Thankfully, she hasn’t gotten sick. I admire her for raising five kids on her own. She had a hard life. This is my tribute to her.” (mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)