Angeline Quinto. ABS-CBN News
Singer Angeline Quinto revealed that she managed to keep one major part of her life a secret from almost everyone around her, including her husband, Nonrev Daquina, as she quietly worked toward finishing college for nearly four years.
In an interview on “Oh My Gan!,” Quinto opened up about her journey as a student while juggling her career, marriage, motherhood, and two pregnancies.
The singer recently graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration, major in Marketing Management, from Immaculada Concepcion College.
Quinto said finishing her education was a longtime dream of her late mother, Mama Bob, who repeatedly encouraged her to return to school before she passed away in November 2020.
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“Lagi niyang sinasabi sa’kin, ‘Gie, magtuloy ka ng pag-aaral mo pag kaya ng oras’,” Quinto recalled.
She said Mama Bob even told her to seek help from her manager in finding a school where she could continue her studies.
Quinto first set aside her education when singing became a way for her to earn money and help support her mother. After joining amateur singing contests and eventually entering showbiz, work took priority.
But following Mama Bob’s passing, Quinto decided it was time to fulfill the promise she had made.
She returned to school in 2021 — the same year she learned she was pregnant with her first child, Sylvio. In 2024, she was again studying while pregnant with her daughter, Sylvia, and working on the series “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim.”
The singer said her graduation was originally supposed to happen last year, but she had several incomplete requirements that pushed it back by a year.
What made her story even more surprising was that almost nobody in her family knew she had gone back to school.
Quinto revealed that even her husband was unaware. “Hindi niya alam. Kahit si Nonrev hindi niya alam,” she said.
For almost four years, Quinto would wait until her work was finished and her husband and children were asleep before doing schoolwork.
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“Pag-uwi ko ng bahay, pagtulog na ang mga bata, at tulog na rin si Nonrev, saka ako babalik. Saka ako pupunta sa isang kwarto,” she shared.
Whenever Nonrev asked what she was doing, Quinto would simply tell him that she needed to study a song.
“Ang sinasabi ko sa kanya, ‘Wait lang, babe, mag-aaral lang ako ng kanta, ha?’”
According to Quinto, only her manager knew the truth.
She explained that she wanted to surprise her family and avoid putting additional pressure on herself in case she was unable to finish.
Despite the challenges, Quinto said she remained determined because completing her education was something she had promised Mama Bob.
She believes her late mother was with her when she finally walked across the stage to receive her diploma.
“Malamang kasama ko talaga ang Mama habang nasa stage ako na tinatanggap ko 'yung diploma ko,” she said.
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For Quinto, her story is also proof that putting one dream aside does not mean giving it up forever.
“Minsan may mga pangarap talaga tayo na kailangan natin maisantabi dahil kailangan nating tuparin 'yung isang pangarap natin. Pero hindi ibig sabihin nun kakalimutan natin 'yung isang pangarap natin,” she said.
“Baka kailangan lang natin bigyan ng time. So pag natupad natin itong isang pangarap natin, pwede nating balikan ’to anytime.”