The Megastar Sharon Cuneta and husband, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s adopted son Miguel has been with them since he was just one day old.
But the couple chose not to keep it a secret from their now 9-year-old “macutelit” (cute and makulit) son that he was adopted.
In Sharon’s recent YouTube vlog, the Megastar discussed a sensitive topic about adoption, where she also opened up about how lucky she has always felt about becoming the adoptive mother of Miguel, her unico hijo.
Sharon revealed through a video she uploaded last July 18, that it happened in the most casual way possible, she also detailed how she was able to tell the truth to Miguel at a very young age.
As seen in the video, which is the first installment of her Q&A with fans on her YouTube channel, Sharon started by stating that she will choose one topic to discuss for the meantime, which is about adoption.
This YouTube video has a title: “My thoughts on adoption. Is it better to tell your child early on or later?”
The sender of the question asked her thoughts if when is the right time to tell the child that he/she was adopted:
“Kung sasabihin niya ba daw agad habang maliit pa ang baby niya na siya ay adopted, or, kung hihintayin niya na lumaki pa ng konti bago pa sabihin.”
The Megastar replied,
“Kiko and I decided kasi na maliit palang si Miguel namin ay sasabihin na namin para wala nang question. Tapos lumalaki siya na, sa isip ko, alam niyang special siyang bata.”
In her own opinion telling the child earlier is better, but she also stressed that it varies from child to child.
Sharon went on to share stories from some of her friends, who also adopted a child and had to prepare for the time when they would tell him/her the truth.
“Mayroon rin akong friends na nag-adopt na hindi muna sinabi na, ‘You’re adopted.’ So lumaki ang mga bata na knowing a different kind of reality ‘tapos noong nalamang adopted sila, iba-iba yoong reactions, e.
“Meron akong kaibigan na imbes maging thankful ang bata, ni-resent na parang, ‘Bakit ngayon lang sinabi?’
“Meron naman akong kaibigan na nag-adopt ‘tapos sinabi nang maaga or later, ‘tapos yoong bata very thankful.”
The 53-year-old celebrity mom narrated how she broke the news to her son that he was adopted.
At that time, Sharon wasn’t really planning to tell the truth to him, however, it became a sweet surprise.
“Nagkataon naman si Lord, kung mag-orchestrate ng kanyang grand design, mayroon talagang hindi ko alam kung…
Alam ko lang He’s a great God. So He really will lead you.”
Sharon said that her whole family, including Miguel, enjoy watching the show, “The Little Couple”, a series which is currently airing on American TV network TLC.
The story of this series revolves around the day-to-day experiences of the married couple Bill Klein and Dr. Jen Arnold, who are both midgets or little people. This couple then adopted a Chinese boy named Will who, like his adoptive parents, also has dwarfism. Later on, they also adopted a little girl from India.
One day, while they’re in their farmhouse in Tagaytay, Sharon and Miguel were snuggling in bed when all of a sudden Miguel asked her in a casual manner, “Am I adopted, Mama?”
The Megastar gasped and prayed,
“Lord, please guide me. How will I answer?”
“Kasi I wasn’t prepared,” she recalled.
But then she replied: “Yeah. Look at Will, he was the little boy at The Little Couple show.
“So ngayon, kung tinanong mo siya, ‘Who gave you to you mommy and daddy? Sasabihin niya, ‘Jesus.'”
Prior to this, the Megastar shared in an interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about the call that led her to Miguel, who was then a baby boy ready for adoption.
In her vlog, Sharon also recounted the time when she was still shooting for the film “Mano Po”.
“Ang akin was it was the right time kasi I was shooting ‘Mano Po’ and ‘yung anak ko doon na baby, patay na patay ako sa kanya. I really said na, ‘Sana akin na lang ‘tong baby.’ I was ready for a baby boy. So when someone said that there was a little boy, sabi ko lang, ‘That’s my son’,” she said.
“I don’t know, it was the right time. This is meant for me.So when Miguel came, we fell in love with him right away,” she added.
She went and to share that since the day she had her firstborn, KC, she had always wanted to have a son.
“First baby ko pa lang, gusto ko na boy dahil mga pamangkin ko, puro mga boys, e. So medyo sanay ako sa boy. ‘Tapos, nung girl, never mind, the next one. I lost two babies before Frankie. ‘Tapos noong si Frankie, girl na naman.
“Noong si Miel, umiyak na ko. Sabi ko, ‘Lord, baka di na ko magkaroon ng baby. Sana boy… Binigay niya si Miel. Sabi ko, okay.
“Nung dumating si Miguel, parang, it answered all my questions. Siya ang dumating na boy. I really feel Miguel is for us.”
When it comes to Miguel’s biological family, Sharon said that she’s saving the sensitive details like their family background until he gets old enough to understand all these details.
“I always tell him, mahal siya ng biological mother niya. Pero hindi ko kinekuwento yung background. Yun yung sine-save ko when he’s able to understand the details,” she explained.
source: pep