Moms and Dads

“Living On God’s Time:” Angeli Pangilinan Reflects on Gary Valenciano’s Extended Lifespan

by Kevyn Gohu
August 13, 2025

In a world where parenting often means hoping for tomorrow, Angeli Pangilinan’s celebration of Gary Valenciano’s extended lifespan reminds us that every extra moment with our loved ones is truly precious.

Some diseases, like Type-1 Diabetes (also known as Juvenile Diabetes), have a clear prognosis of how long someone has to live. And if our children and partners had such an inevitable diagnosis, we would do everything to beat the odds. In the case of Angeli Pangilinan and Gary Valenciano, Gary was told he’d only live up to 44 years old. This year, he’s 61.

The extra seventeen years—Angeli considers each of them a “bonus” from God. “We praise God for this miraculous, special life who has inspired millions of lives through his songs and his life! Glory to God!”

She marked the celebration with a Facebook post on August 7, while looking back on her husband’s 20th birthday in 1984.

Love fuels the fight

While Death is inevitable, that doesn’t mean we won’t try to fight it off. Love powers us to achieve a lot of things, including placing hope in technologies that were only a part of a person’s imagination.

Type-1 diabetes demands round-the-clock sugar monitoring and insulin use, and back then, they didn’t exist. Today, diabetes patches, monitors, and even glucometers are easily bought online shopping websites for better maintenance. According to Angeli, those technologies are what helped Gary “extend his lifespan.”

“Today,” she proudly shares. “He can check his sugar levels every hour through a gadget attached to his arm, plus we have what we call Glucagon, like an Epi-Pen, for first aid!”

However, fighting Type-1 diabetes was a team effort for both her and Gary. While he committed to staying healthy, Angeli learned about the disease as much as she could. And during that time, there was no internet or Google. With nothing but grit, she powered through reading every book and encyclopedia she bought.

Their efforts were rewarded. 41 years of marriage, and now Gary’s eyes are glaucoma-free? Now, that’s something worth celebrating.

The power of fighting for one another

Sometimes, that’s what we all need. The commitment to fight for one another, especially family members and loved ones, can make us achieve feats nothing short of miraculous.

For families raising children or caring for spouses with health challenges, the Valencianos’ story is a living testament to what faith, medical discipline, and unwavering love can do. It’s a reminder that parenting isn’t just about preparing for tomorrow—it’s about treasuring the gift of today.