Angeline on Alex’s ‘nega’ image: I wish people would just forget about what happened

Quinto (right) with fiance Nonrev Daquina and baby Sylvio.

Singer-actress Angeline Quinto has a lot on her plate at the moment, what with the first birthday of her son Sylvio later this month, the relaunch of her baby skin care products, and her latest film, “Single Bells,” scheduled for release next week.

“Time is passing by so fast. I can still remember when, after giving birth to Sylvio, my mommy friends advised me to enjoy motherhood as much as I can. Now, he’s almost a year old. We started preparing for his birthday party a month ago,” Angeline told Inquirer Entertainment over lunch recently. She said she only invited a few guests to the party that will be held in a farm in Lipa, Batangas.

“Sylvio is so curious about a lot of things around him,” said Angeline when asked to describe her son. “His personality is a good mix of mine and Nonrev’s (Daquina, her fiancé). He is shy around people who are new to him—a trait he got from his dad—but once he feels comfortable around them, he can be sociable. He got that from me. His dad is also convinced Sylvio will become a singer someday because he enjoys musical toys more than other toys, and that he has this distinct and high-pitched cry,” said Angeline, who tried to mimic Sylvio’s cry.

‘My priority now’

Just like most working moms, Angeline said she regrets not being able to spend more time with her son. She then recalled the exact moment she realized that her priorities had shifted.

“Last year, I accepted a job that required me to stay in Canada for over a month. While I would do video calls with them every day, I learned the hard way that this wasn’t enough. At the airport, I tried to hug Sylvio the moment I saw him but he pushed me away as if he didn’t recognize me. This shattered my heart to pieces. Sylvio was only five months old at the time,” she recalled. “I realized that, at this point in his life, he needs me to be with him physically. As much as possible, I don’t turn down offers to perform abroad since I won ‘Star Power’ [in 2011]. But Sylvio is my priority now.”

It was also motherhood that led her to create a baby skin care brand called Twinkle, which had its soft launch in 2022. “I created this in 2021 when I was forced to stop working because of delicate pregnancy. I had help from a team and I will be ready to post more details on social media soon,” she said.

Angeline said the more urgent matter now is the promotion of Fifth Solomon’s comedy “Single Bells,” which is an official entry to the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival, which runs from April 8 to April 18.

Angeline said she agreed to work on the project shortly after giving birth as a way to fight what she suspected were postnatal blues.

“When I was pregnant, ang losyang ko. I couldn’t color my hair or apply nail polish because these weren’t allowed. My nose looked swollen and I had dark lines on my neck. I was worried that they would no longer go away. I decided to accept work, so I’d feel I’m back in the game. Of course, I also made sure that I was already physically ready for it,” she pointed out.

Angeline Quinto as Rose Mae in “Single Bells”

Light and happy

Angeline said she liked the story and that she became close to her costar Alex Gonzaga during the latter’s stint as jury member of the talent search “I Can See Your Voice.” However, at the time they shot the movie, Alex has yet to receive public backlash over a viral video of her smearing cake on the face of an unsuspecting waiter. “When we were doing the promo pictorials, we just didn’t talk about the incident anymore,” she said.

Angeline, however, admitted that the incident has affected the movie’s promotions in a negative way. “Our movie is very light and happy. I just wish people would forget about what happened, especially since Alex has already said ‘sorry’ [to the waiter] and a lot of positive things have already happened after that,” Angeline insisted.

In the series, Alex and Angeline play Rose Anne and Rose Mae, respectively. While Anne has already decided to remain single after experiencing a traumatic heartbreak, Mae is always ready to date because she is convinced that Mr. Right is just around the corner.

When asked what pointers Angeline would like to share with Mae, being that she is no longer single these days, the singer-actress said: “People feel pressured when, for example, our elders would ask, ‘When are you going to start looking for a life partner?’ or ‘When do you plan to have kids?’ Do not rush into things because of these people. If you’re still single, it simply means the time is not yet right for you. Just be patient.”

“Single Bells,” which also features Aljur Abrenica, is produced by TinCan. INQ