Angelica Panganiban with fiancé Greg Homan and daughter Amila Sabine. Images: Screengrabs from YouTube/The Homans
Angelica Panganiban was emotional as she looked back on her bout with COVID-19, where she had to be isolated from her fiancé Greg Homan and baby daughter Amila Sabine for six days.
While Panganiban said she could fight through her sickness, she admitted on a YouTube vlog uploaded on Saturday, Jan. 28 that being away from her family is what hurt the most.
“Tinawagan ko ‘yung doctor ng anak ko asking kung ano ‘yung pwede kong gawin para hindi ko siya mahawaan and si Gregg. Sinabihan naman niya ako na magpump na lang muna ako at mag-bottle feed,” she said.
“Hindi ko maalagaan [si Amila Sabine]. Hindi ko mahawakan. Parang torture. Parang mas mahirap pa ‘to [kaysa sa] ‘yung nararamdaman kong sakit, pero kailangan magsakripisyo na ilang araw lang naman sana, na hindi ko makakasama ‘yung anak ko at saka si Gregg,” she added.
(I called the doctor of my daughter asking what I can do to prevent her and Greg from getting the virus. They told me that she can be fed through bottle-feeding or pumped breastmilk… I couldn’t take care of Amila Sabine. I couldn’t hold her. It felt like torture. This was harder than what I was feeling, but I had to sacrifice not seeing my daughter and Gregg for a few days.)
The actress also shared that she isolated herself in the guest room for six days. to protect her loved ones from catching the virus.
“Sobrang sama na ng pakiramdam ko, parang ang hapdi-hapdi na ng balat ko sa init. Nahihirapan akong kumain, nahihirapan akong umupo,” she said. “Baka this is also a reminder na nandyan pa rin talaga ‘yung virus, kailangan pa rin nating mag-take ng precautions, kailangan pa rin nating mag-ingat.”
(I felt so bad. My skin hurt because of the heat. I had a hard time eating. I had a hard time sitting down. But I guess that was also a reminder that the virus is still there. We have to take the necessary precautions and take care of ourselves.)
Panganiban also admitted that isolating from her loved ones was an opportunity to catch up on rest. By the end of the video, she was reunited with Gregg and Amila Sabine after testing negative on the sixth day.
“Siyempre kahit negative na ako, gusto ko pa rin mag-mask. Siguro hangga’t may nararamdaman akong parang sipon, hindi muna ako magtatanggal ng mask. Wala munang paghalik-halik sa baby, ikokontrol ko pa rin ‘yung panggigigil ko,” she said.
(Even if I tested negative, I would still want to wear a mask. Until I feel like I have my colds, I’m not going to remove my mask. I won’t kiss my baby for the meantime, I have to control myself from doing so.)
The celebrity mom announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, prompting fellow celebrities to show some support. She recovered a few days later, and was spotted on a yacht date in Zambales with her family.
Panganiban, who welcomed Amila Sabine in September 2022, announced that she got engaged to Homan a month later. EDV