EMMAN ATIENZA'S ENDURING LEGACY: HER LIGHT FOR OTHERS

Our role is not to fix the pain, but to stay present in it — reminding the young that God’s plans are always for hope, healing, and a future.

- DR. RAFAEL R. CASTILLO

The tragic passing of 19-year-old influencer Emmanuelle “Emman” Atienza, daughter of TV host Kim Atienza and Taiwanese educator Felicia Hung, has shaken the nation — not just as news, but as a wake-up call.

Behind the bright smiles of today’s youth lie unspoken battles with depression, anxiety and hopelessness. What can families, schools, and faith communities do to prevent more lives from fading too soon?

A NATION IN MOURNING — AND A CALL TO COMPASSION

The death of Emman has left a deep ache in the Filipino soul. She passed away last Oct. 22 at their home in Los Angeles. The Atienza family announced her death that Friday, expressing gratitude to God for the 19 precious years they had shared with their daughter.

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. Thank you for the 19 years of my dearest little Emmansky, Lord,” Kim Atienza posted on social media, quoting Job 1:21 as he shared a video of Emman singing.

When a netizen criticized his statement and accused him of being at fault, Atienza responded firmly, calling the commenter an “evangelical bully” and clarifying that his daughter had been clinically depressed. His words, though borne of grief, highlight an urgent truth: mental illness is not a failure of faith, nor a reflection of weak parenting. It is a medical condition that demands compassion, not condemnation.