She started off as a child star who then grew to become a dramatic actress and even a comedienne. Without a doubt, her extensive resume is something that many artists in the industry could only hope to achieve.

Angelica Panganiban first entered show business at the very young age of six! She was born to a Filipino mom, who passed away in Singapore in 2008, and an American serviceman from Iowa, before her adoptive Panganiban family raised her. She grew up in Quezon City and attended a Catholic school in Teacher’s Village.

In an interview with Magandang Buhay, Angelica recalled how life was as a student.

WATCH: Angelica muling binalikan ang kanyang pagiging estudyante

While in school, Angelica served as Managing Editor of the school paper while playing for the badminton and varsity teams. She also became a two-year champion in cheerleading and hailed as Miss Intramurals and the batch’s prom princess, as seen in her high school yearbook.

WATCH Angelica, muling nakita ang kaniyang yearbook

This was while she already had a thriving career as a kid actress, appearing in child supporting roles in films as she debuted on the 90s kiddie gag show Ang TV. It did not take long for her to prove that she had more potential up her sleeves. In 1996, she was awarded as Best Child Actress by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) for her role in the movie “Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa.”

By 1999, she would portray one of her most iconic characters and begin a tandem, that to this day never fails to make all of us feel the kilig. As the spin-off series for Gimik, Angelica took on the persona of Jelai. It was also through this teen-oriented show that her love team with Carlo Aquino first bloomed.

Since then, she has only continued to impress both viewers and critics through roles on the big and small screens. Angelica won Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for “A Love Story,” courtesy of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), and another from FAMAS in 2012 for “Segunda Mano.” There has also been a handful of Best Comedy Actress trophies, most notably from the Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards.
 

Angelica’s last teleserye was Playhouse in 2018, before appearing in the iWant series “Call Me Tita.” She continues to provide laughter and good vibes by being one of the mainstays of Sunday comedy gag show, Banana Sundae.

“Isa ka sa mga artista sa industriya na binibigyan ng halaga ang trabaho. Kaya naman sobra sobra din ang balik sayo,” her close friend Camille Prats once said on Instagram. So, to celebrate Angelica’s success, let us look back at the childhood she spent in front of the camera.