CANDY Pangilinan shared that the reason her son Quentin, who is on the autism spectrum, is active in church now is that she used to bring him there often, as it was the only place where she felt her son was most “welcomed and accepted.”
Pangilinan and Quentin were featured in the recent episode of Ivana Alawi’s vlog, where Alawi gifted Quentin clothes and gadgets. At one point in the vlog, Alawi asked why Quentin requested clothes that he could use for church, where he actively serves.
“Because when he was growing up, it was the place I always went to because I felt it was the only place he was accepted; most of the time, in the places I brought him, we were always asked to leave,” the celebrity mom admitted.
Pangilinan noted that there were also churches from which they were “kicked out” until she found a parish near their home.
“Now it’s better, but before, Quentin was unruly. We also experienced discrimination in some churches. But in our parish, there is a community; I volunteered to lead the activities so I could include my son,” she shared.
Pangilinan stressed that she holds no ill feelings toward the people who discriminated against her and her son, as she understood where they were coming from.
“I’m not at the point where I get angry with those who discriminate because I realize they don’t know; they don’t understand. I, too, didn’t understand what was happening at first,” she explained.
“And I’m also at the point where I crave allyship. I want inclusion. I can’t get angry. Sometimes you’ll just cry it out at home,” added the celebrity mom.
The 53-year-old actress also extended advice to moms in the same situation as her, stating, “Learn how to chill. If you embrace the situation, you will be creative in how you deal with it.”
Meanwhile, aside from Pangilinan and Quentin, Alawi also featured Katrina Halili’s daughter, Katie, who’s also part of the autism spectrum in her previous vlog. (Jessica Ann Evangelista © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
