ACTRESS Candy Pangilinan has admitted that she wanted to take the blame for the condition of her teenage son Quentin who has special needs.
“Oh yes! Kailangan merong dahilan eh. So hahanap ka kung sinong may kasalanan. So nung time na ‘yun ang feeling ko, siguro kasalanan ko ‘to,” said Pangilinan, when asked who to blame for the condition of her son, during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS CBN.
Asked if she wanted to punish herself, the actress said: “I was about to do that but my doctor told me ‘Candy, tapos na ‘yun!’ Wala na tayong magagawa kung kanino man kasalanan yan. Genes ba ito? Hindi ba sakto ang hormones namin kaya ganyan?”
“He told me, ‘Candy let’s not go there! Punta tayo dun sa solution. If we dwell on the problem, walang mangyayari! Let’s go to the solution. This is your challenge,” she added.
Despite the challenging times, Pangilinan has said that she never questioned God.
“I never questioned God. I went to Him agad. You knew about this. Remember the interview before I just came from the hospital and then I went to you. Then you asked me ‘how’s your child?’ Bigla akong umiyak sa show mo.
“I went to God pero ang tanong ko lang is ano’ng gagawin ko? I was going through a lot of things during that time. I just got separated, I had no money. Nothing at all.
“May therapy, may bayad. San mo kukunin? So I was going through a lot. My only prayer was help me! And He did!” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan appeared on the late-night show to talk about her book entitled “Mommy Dear: Our Special Love.”
“’Mommy Dear: Our Special Love.’ This is about my journey with my son Quentin, the development, the milestone, actually ‘yung mga nangyari from pregnancy.
“Kasi some of the parents, they actually sinisisi nila ang sarili nila why their children are like that. I had also that feeling. So I had to go back and check ‘ano bang ginawa ko nung buntis ako? Ito ba? Ito ba? Does it really affect? So it’s all there.
“From my point of view, feeling ko meron. But sabi ng doctor ko, it’s not yet proven. Walang diagnose, walang ganun.
“I was very stressed when I was pregnant. I was emotionally stressed and physically stressed. So feeling ko nag-a-affect yun.
“Feeling ko nagsa-shut off ‘yung ibang parts ng brain ng bata kasi magkadikit ‘yung lifeline na ‘yan eh. So baka sa sobrang stress at emotional distress nya, baka mag-shut off ‘yung ibang parts.
Pangilinan discussed the highlights of her book. “It’s how the people look at your child, ‘yung discrimination, isa ‘yan sa mga highlight (ng book).”
She recalled how some people call his son Abnoy and even avoid him.
“Tapos pupunta kayo sa party hindi kakausapin ‘yung bata. Pagdalawa pa lang silang bata, nag-uusap sila pero pag-dumarami na, si Quentin na ‘yung humahabol. Iniiwan na sya ng ibang bata. Ganun talaga hindi sya naiintidihan. I just allow him to go through it because it’s part of life and he has to learn,” the actress added.
Now 14 years old, Pangilinan said that the motor skills of her son has improved. “Nakakapagsalita na sya, nakakalakad na sya. He could get some coins on the floor. Medyo may fine motor skills na po sya. Hindi pa rin sya ganun kaklaro magsalita pero nauutusan na.” (Robert R. Requintina)
