A pin bearing the photograph of Sylvia “Mama Bob” Quinto sat fixed to Angeline Quinto’s graduation toga on Tuesday, a quiet gesture that explained much of what the day meant to the singer-actress. At 36, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Marketing Management at Immaculada Concepcion College in Caloocan City, walking with the rest of her batch at the June 16 commencement.
The tribute extended beyond the pin. Posting to her Instagram Stories, Quinto paired a childhood image of herself and her late adoptive mother with a short message: “As I have always promised, I will continue to make you proud, Mama.” Mama Bob, who raised her and shaped much of her path in music, died in November 2020 following repeated hospital stays. Quinto has spoken frequently in interviews about what her mother gave up for her.
For audiences who had followed her concerts, television guestings and recording work over the years, the degree came as a surprise. Few realized she had been carrying a full academic load alongside it. She closed the ceremony by performing “Patuloy ang Pangarap” for her fellow graduates and the assembled guests.
Quinto built her name in music after taking the top prize on “Star Power: Sharon’s Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar” in 2011, a win that launched a run of teleserye theme songs and the title that followed her since. Away from her career, she is raising two children with husband Nonrev Daquina, whom she wed at Quiapo Church in April 2024. Their son is named Aziel Sylvio and their daughter Azena Sylvia.
