Charo Santos looks back on how "Maalaala Mo Kaya" was created

Asia's longest-running drama anthology is set to return to our screens.

After two years since its last story offering—the poignant “Scarlet Women,” which starred Kaila Estrada and centered on the harrowing journey of Filipina victims of human trafficking who were forced into prostitution in Cyprus—Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK) has delighted fans with a teaser for its much-awaited comeback.

In the short clip, the show’s iconic host, Charo Santos, is seen walking into a studio and settling into her seat, just like she used to in the old MMK setup. She smiles and says, “Dear Charo,” the unforgettable line that has opened every episode of "Maalaala Mo Kaya" for over 30 years. You can almost feel the nostalgia as she admits, “Na-miss kong sabihin ang line na 'yan, at na-miss ko rin kayo.” 

It was during the ABS-CBN Ball 2025 on April 4 that Charo officially delivered the exciting news about MMK's comeback starting April 24 as a limited series on iWantTFC, with episodes airing after 48 hours on A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and Kapamilya Channel.

According to ABS-CBN News, Charo hinted at some of the real-life stories viewers can look forward to, including that of Sofronio Vasquez, the first Filipino to win The Voice USA, and the inspiring journey of a BINI member.

As we count down to the premiere, Charo treated us to a little story time about “Maalalaa Mo Kaya”'s beginning, which was inspired by a simple paperclip. "It was in 1991. I was in a programming meeting. Our [former ABS-CBN] president [Freddie 'FMG' Garcia] asked me this question. 'If we will replace this program with another concept, what will you pitch?'" recounted Charo, or Ate Charo to MMK fans. 

Startled, she requested two weeks to plot her ideas, only to be told that she must give an answer right away, as television production works with speed, unlike films where release dates can be adjusted.

Feeling overwhelmed, she searched for inspiration found it in a piece of paper clip. "Kinuha ko 'yung paper clip sabi ko. 'Ito, napakasimpleng bagay, ni hindi ito pinapansin, pero maaaring may mahalagang kwento sa likod ng simpleng bagay. Dahil maaring ito ang ginamit niya pambukas ng pinto nu'ng tinanan niya ang kan'yang girlfriend."

The concept was to ask viewers to share real-life stories inspired by seemingly ordinary objects. That's why each episode invited the audience to guess which item was central to the story, with the object becoming the episode’s title.

Charo recalled that when FMG asked for the program's title, she initially suggested “Among My Souvenirs,” inspired by American singer Connie Francis' timeless hit. However, FMG felt that the title needed to be in Filipino, something that would resonate like a classic kundiman. And so, he baptized the show as "Maalaala Mo Kaya," also the title of a classic song famously performed by Dulce. 

"Doon po isinilang ang programang ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ which lasted on the air for 31 years and it became the longest-running drama anthology not only here in the Philippines but in the entire Asia," Charo looked back.