Dreams can be complicated. They excite you, frustrate you, and sometimes even break your heart. But for Sofronio Vasquez, the pursuit of his dreams was never about instant wins. It was about holding on during the waiting season, trusting that the universe was quietly weaving something extraordinary for him.

As the beloved drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (MMK) returns after two years off the air, it brings this message to life in its comeback episode featuring the inspiring journey of “The Voice USA Season 26” Grand Champion, Sofronio, portrayed by Elijah Canlas. Joining him is Dustine Mayores, who plays Sofronio’s brother. 

Sofronio proved once again that manifesting works, as another one of his wishes just came true. In a past press conference, he was asked who he’d want to play him if his life story were ever adapted, and he quickly picked Elijah, making the actor the first and only choice for this “MMK” episode.

However, Elijah himself doubted if he could portray Sofronio's life story effectively, considering he's not a belter like him. But the “MMK” creatives explained how the scenes would be handled, and assured him that he could manage the songs they planned for the episode. So, like what he often does for his other roles, he decided to take the plunge, trust the team, and just go for it.

This marks Elijah’s first “MMK” appearance. But interestingly, it's not his first time filming for the show. He was doing an episode just days before the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed in 2020. Unfortunately, they didn’t get to finish shooting because the lockdown started, and the story was shelved. 

When Elijah is given an assignment, you can always expect him to pour his heart and soul into it. For this episode, he personally requested to talk to Sofronio before filming to address his questions. But since Sofronio was in Los Angeles at the time, they made do with a Zoom meeting at 8:00 in the morning, which was earlier than Elijah’s usual routine, but he did it as he was really determined to connect with the Kapamilya singer. Elijah shared that during the meeting, he and Sofronio were coincidentally wearing the same cap, which made him feel like fate was at play and that he was truly meant to tell the story of the former “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contender.

Elijah explained how important it was for him to have that conversation with Sofronio to bring authenticity to his portrayal. "I don't want to impersonate when I portray real people. I want to play them with the   truth."  He joked that it felt like he was doing a “slambook” interview with Sofronio, asking about his likes, dislikes, and other personal details to fully understand Sofronio’s character and weave it into his own performance.

As for the singing scenes, Elijah put in a lot of effort to learn the songs he would perform, pushing through the doubts as he wasn't initially confident in his singing abilities.  "I want to portray Sofronio in the best way that I can but the singing part, baka ma-let down lang siya," he admitted. But with diligent preparation, he was able to pull it off and realized that he could actually sing better than he thought.

"Malaking karangalan 'yun bilang batang nanonood lang dati ng MMK," Elijah said when asked about top-billing “MMK” comeback episode. It's a recognition that Dustine shares as well, as he’s taking on his first “MMK” role. He’s fully aware of the show’s reputation as a litmus test for actors, which is why he feels both honored and excited. Dustine also mentioned how lucky he feels to have been hand-picked for the role of Sofronio's brother. 

Elijah and Dustine were relaxed during their interview on Kapamilya Chat, which somewhat mirrors the vibe they witnessed on the MMK set. Elijah thought the atmosphere would be intense, considering the drama-heavy scenes. But much to his surprise, the set was much lighter than he expected. The good energy made it easier for them to work together, although he knew he had to step up his game, especially in his scenes with Romnick Sarmienta, who plays his father in the story. The two actors had worked together before in a movie and were both part of the Kapamilya series "High Street," but, of course, their dynamic on the “MMK” set was completely different.

Also part of the cast is Janice de Belen, who Elijah actually met when he was just an infant. As Elijah shared, his parents ran into Janice at a mall one time, and she was so warm and friendly that she ended up carrying him as a baby. After their first scene together on set, Elijah told Janice about it, and she joked that it was probably because he was so cute as a baby that she picked him up. After all, she doesn’t just carry any kid. It's crazy how the universe works. Baby Elijah meeting Janice was like a little premonition that years later, she would be playing his mom on screen.

It’s also a full-circle moment for Dustine, who has always looked up to Elijah. He considers Elijah as his role model in acting, and now, they're playing brothers on "MMK."

Like many other "MMK" stories, this episode is packed with inspiration and lessons that really resonated with the actors themselves. Elijah related to Sofronio's grit in chasing dreams, which is the highlight of this episode. There was even one whole day when they filmed at the ABS-CBN compound because that’s where Sofronio’s dreams really started—first as a “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contender who kept coming back to the competition as a ‘resbaker,’ and eventually requesting to be hired as a vocal coach for the “It’s Showtime” segment. 

"Nakaka-relate ako kasi, bilang aktor, it’s not always rainbows and flowers, especially when I was starting," Elijah shared. "Siguro mga one out of one hundred auditions lang ako matatanggap. Gets ko 'yung 'never giving up' na aspect."

As a newcomer himself who’s been through some tough auditions, Dustine agreed. "As an actor, hindi natin alam kung saan tayo pupunta... pero hindi ka mag-gi-give up 'pag gusto mo 'yung ginagawa mo at mahal na mahal mo 'yung passion mo."

Just like Sofronio, both Elijah and Dustine have experienced their fair share of rejections in showbiz, something they both admit is incredibly painful. But with a growth mindset, Dustine faces it with the belief that if it’s meant for him, it will come. So whenever he faces rejection, he uses it as a reminder that there’s always another door waiting to open. Maybe he just knocked on the wrong door, but eventually, the right one will open.

Elijah also shared, "Magpe-prepare ka, eh, gagalingan mo. 'Pag feeling mo maganda 'yung ginawa mo tapos hindi ka natanggap, parang 'Ano pa bang problema sa akin?'" But he’s learned how to handle rejections, thanks to his mom who taught him to just go with the flow of life.

The two also gave some really interesting answers when asked what the title of their story would be if it were featured on "MMK." For Elijah, it would be “Shuttlecock” because badminton plays such a big part in his family. He also sees the shuttlecock as a perfect metaphor—just like how it needs a strong hit to fly high, you also need to put in that effort to reach your goals.

For Dustine, he chose “Wheels.” As he puts it, "Tayo ang nagmamaneho ng buhay natin." He added that through Sofronio’s story, he learned just how powerful a support system can be in a person’s journey.

Catch the MMK comeback episode this April 26, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and A2Z, at 8:30 pm.