In every “Maalaala Mo Kaya” episode, it's not just the story we look forward to, but also the title that’s revealed at the end. The title is usually a single word object related to the letter-sender's life story. 

In a video shared on social media, “MMK” host Charo Santos herself revealed that the show’s concept was inspired by a paperclip, as she realized every object, no matter how small or big, has a story behind it. Thus, the program features real-life stories inspired by seemingly ordinary objects. 

As “MMK” returns after a two-year hiatus, the comeback episode will feature Elijah Canlas, joined by Dustine Mayores, as they bring to life the inspiring journey of “The Voice USA” champion Sofronio Vasquez.

Taking a break from the emotional rollercoaster of their roles, Dustine and Elijah had some fun on Kapamilya Chat by playing games, such as the "Guess The Title" Challenge. Here, they were shown short clips from past “MMK” episodes and had to guess the title based on those clips.

In the first round, they were shown a scene from an episode featuring Alessandra de Rossi as a mom driving a pedicab, and Elijah got it right with "Pedicab" as the title.

Things got a little trickier in the next round. The reel showed young Marco Masa taking apples and juice at a wake, and while Dustine guessed "mansanas," Elijah thought of "juice." They were so close, but the correct title was "Mansanas at Juice."

Next up was a clip from an episode starring Janella Salvador and Elmo Magalona. In the scene, Elmo's character visits Janella’s boarding house and brings green mangoes, which he mentions were their childhood favorite. Dustine went for the obvious, "mangga," while Elijah decided to mix things up and chose "dorm." But the correct answer was, of course, "Mangga."

For the next reel, Sofia Andres and Diego Loyzaga are seen talking about their dreams while enjoying 'balut' and soft drinks. Elijah guessed "balut," while Dustine went with "soft drinks." However, they missed a crucial detail—the scene was shot at a port, which led to the episode title "Pantalan."

In the end, it was a tie between Elijah and Dustine for the game. Catch them in the “MMK” comeback episode this April 26, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and A2Z, at 8:30 pm.  

Category Questions Challenge 

As “Maalaala Mo Kaya” makes its highly anticipated return, fans are once again treated to heartwarming stories that tug at the heartstrings. But what if we told you that Elijah Canlas and Dustine Mayores, stars of the MMK comeback episode featuring the life of Sofronio Vasquez, also have touching personal 'hugots' to share?

In this fun challenge called "Category Questions" on Kapamilya Chat, Elijah and Dustine picked from a series of colorful cards filled with questions from different categories that ranged from insightful to playful. 

Dustine kicked off the game by picking a card from the "Would You Rather" category, and the question was whether he'd rather have a rewind or pause button in life. He went for the rewind, and if he could go back in time, he'd choose to relive his childhood. He wishes that he could enjoy his childhood more since it wasn’t as carefree as he’d hoped, plus he was already working as a teenager. 

Interestingly, his next card was about what phase of his childhood he thought was the happiest, but Dustine admitted that his childhood was "lonely" for the most part. However, he’s in a much better place now, especially after resolving some family issues that used to weigh him down.

When asked about a recent accomplishment on his bucket list, he proudly shared that getting to be part of an “MMK” episode was definitely a highlight. He also checked off another big dream of his–driving to Baguio. 

Elijah got pretty excited when he picked a card asking what book he'd like to write if given the chance. There are a lot of topics he’d love to write about, but at the top of his mind was a book about the movies and music that influenced the person he is today.

Then, when asked about something he wouldn’t repeat, Elijah didn’t mention any specific scenario but said he would definitely be more mindful of his decisions moving forward.