If there’s one soap opera that is undoubtedly special for singer Angeline Quinto, it would be the newly-launched inspirational TV series “Huwag Kang Mangamba.”

Quinto regards the teleserye for two reasons: she sang its theme song and played a character in it.

“Actually, itong ‘Huwag Kang Mangamba,’ sobrang napakaa-espesyal ng kantang ito para sa akin. Bakit? Kasi ito talaga ‘yung pinakahuling kanta na naiparinig ko kay Mama Bob while nasa ICU pa siya,” Quinto said during the online press conference for the series, last March 15.

(Actually, “Huwag Kang Mangamba” is extremely special to me as a song. Why? It is the last song which I was able to let Mama Bob hear while she was at the ICU.)

Mama Bob is Quinto’s adoptive mother Sylvia Quinto who passed away in November last year.

Quinto recalled that Mama Bob was fighting for her life after her brain surgery when Deo Endrinal gave her the song to sing as a theme song.

“Nu’ng time na ‘yun, kagagaling ko lang ng chapel nung hospital kung nasaan si Mama ko. Tapos parang sa dinami-dami ng mga tanong, iniiyak ko sa itaas, parang ang bilis-bilis ng sagot dahil nga sa message ni Sir Deo na natanggap ko na ‘Huwag Kang Mangamba’ pala ‘yung kakantahin ko,” she recalled.

(That time, I just came from the chapel of the hospital where my Mama was. Then, after so many questions I was crying out to the Lord, it was like the answer came so fast, because of Sir Deo’s message which I received, that it will be “Huwag Kang Mangamba” which I would sing.)

angeline quinto IG — Angeline Quinto. Image: Instagram/@loveangelinequinto

She holds the song as special not only because it reminds her of her mother, she said, but also because it is timely, especially for people who are already losing hope now.

Initially, Quinto had second thoughts about playing the bubbly character of Darling in the TV series, as she felt she wasn’t ready for it, due to her grieving.

But working with the cast eased the burden of Quinto. She didn’t have a hard time adjusting, and her co-stars, veteran actresses Sylvia Sanchez and Eula Valdez, readily accepted her friendship. JB

Angeline Quinto misses ‘Mama Bob’ on first Christmas without her