Even before plant parenting became a quarantine fad, Angelica Panganiban has long been a certified ‘plantita.’ She now has a growing plant collection of almost a hundred pieces. For Angelica, her plants are like babies that make her look forward to coming home. They brighten her mood and bring her calm, especially during this pandemic.
The quarantine re-introduced Angelica to her many strengths like discipline and independence. She realized that she can also do things alone. She was in Dubai for work when the first week of lockdown was announced. Coincidentally, their flight was scheduled the next day.
Apart from being lauded for her acting genius, Angelica is also admired for being a true friend to many of her showbiz colleagues. She defies the notion that genuine friendship can never be found in the industry.
One of her besties, Glaiza de Castro, made an appearance in the interview and asked Angelica three burning questions. Glaiza would like to know if there’s something Angelica would like to tell her but she didn’t have the guts to.
Angelica shared that Glaiza is a ‘baby,’ someone who is used to being taken care of. On a trip to Japan, Angelica, being naturally affectionate as well, looked after Glaiza throughout the travel. But there came a point when she silently hated tending to all her needs. “Ako ‘yung may bitbit ng bag niya tapos gusto ko talaga siyang kausapin na, ‘Ilang araw na kitang inaasikaso, pwede bang asikasuhin mo naman ‘yung sarili mo?’ Nasabi ko rin naman ‘yun sa kanya pero siyempre pagkatapos na,” enthused Angelica. She simply joked about her sentiments not to offend her friend.
Angelica believes that nothing can break their friendship. She only has three closest female showbiz friends. Apart from Glaiza, she’s also best friends with Kim Chiu and Bela Padilla. Most of her other buddies are gays and males. Thus, Glaiza serves as the ‘kikay’ friend that adds balance to her being one of the boys.
Angelica can’t really put their friendship into words. She thinks they are different and when they’re together, their little quirks just combine into the right blend. They just get each other’s weirdness. Angelica considers Glaiza as the sister she never had. She’s also close to her family.
For Angelica, authenticity is the key to finding true friendships in the industry. She would admit that its easy to always be up for competitions. And this kind of mindset only blocks genuine relationships.
Angelica started in the industry at the age of 6. Her first Star Cinema movie was the Maricel Soriano starrer “Separada” that made her win her first FAMAS trophy as Best Child Actress. But her most iconic works as a child star would have to be “Sarah: Ang Munting Prinsesa” where she played the role of the good-hearted, poor girl Becky.
Looking back on her rich filmography after 28 years in showbiz, Angelica is happy and proud of her works. For her, just finishing a whole project is already an achievement. The recognition is just a bonus. Angelica is currently working on a new teleserye.