'Ang Babaeng Hindi Humayo': Charo Santos-Concio reflects on 'Maalaala Mo Kaya' return, acting projects, and quality storytelling
Charo Santos-Concio may have starred in the 2016 Lav Diaz film Ang Babaeng Humayo, but for the comeback of Maalaala Mo Kaya, she's the woman who never leaves.
MMK, Asia's longest-running drama anthology with over 1,300 episodes, is returning on free television and digital streaming platforms on April 24 after bidding farewell to generations of fans in November 2022.
The ABS-CBN show aired its supposed final episode, "Passport," on Dec. 10, 2022, but this April 24, MMK is back with a vengeance with its ever-iconic and dearest host, Charo.
In a roundtable discussion with select media, including PhilSTAR L!fe, Charo said the management "kind of" talked to her about MMK's comeback sometime last year.
"Pero naghahanap sila ng tamang panahon, tamang pagkakataon, tamang platform," she said.
In February, she said ABS-CBN Chief Operating Officer Cory Vidanes called her to say MMK was already greenlit as a limited series on iWantTFC, the company's over-the-top media service.
After two days, MMK will be shown on TV's A2Z and Kapamilya Channel and on YouTube via Kapamilya Online Live. iWantTFC will also have a director's cut of the episodes.
Charo noted that though the opportunity came recently, she's been thinking about it always.
"Di nawawala sa consciousness ko, but I didn't have to nag people," she said. "You just have to allow universe to make all the elements align. Tama lang 'yung pagtanggap mo. Di naman ako, 'Sige na, kailan ba.' Nakakapagod 'yun. Pero noong andiyan na, the fire and the commitment is there."
Bolder and braver
Charo said MMK will be bolder and braver moving forward.
"MMK is a story is a story is a story," she said. "Now, we're welcoming the stories of Gen Zs, the social issues and challenges that these young people and their parents are facing now... We hope that the older generation will be appreciative of the young."
She said viewers must expect changes in her hosting style, noting that in the age of social media, one is often in the moment and tends to have no script.
"When I taped for the first and second episodes, I noticed my delivery was different from the usual formal and traditional kind of hosting (I did) in the '70s," she said. "Ngayon, 'Kuwentuhan lang tayo, casual lang, huwag kayo matakot, magkaibigan tayo.'"
Concio highlighted the importance of keeping the youthful spirit in life and maintaining that desire for something fresh and positive.
"Marami pa akong gustong matutuhan, magawa, maexperience. 'Di lang sa larangan ng pag-arte kundi sa buhay. You never stop growing," she said, playfully adding that she's in her "Forever Young era."
The pilot will feature the life of Sofronio Vasquez, the Filipino dental assistant in the United States who made history as the first Asian to win the reality singing competition The Voice. The award-winning Elijah Canlas will portray Sofronio.
"Maganda 'yung kwento ni Sofronio. It's a story of resilience, patience, and never giving up," Charo said. "He's our pride. His story should be celebrated."
The pilot of MMK 2025 couldn't also be more poetic; Romnick Sarmienta, who starred in the 1991 pilot "Rubber Shoes" as the son of Robert Arevalo and Vina Morales' characters, will portray Sofronio's father.
"Grabe ang serendipity dito," Charo said. "May alignment, ang ganda. Natutuwa ako (sa full circle moment)."
The second episode, meanwhile, will feature the life of Sheena Catacutan of the P-pop girl group BINI. Sheena lost her mother in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown while BINI was still undergoing training before becoming the "nation's girl group" with legions of fans and all-time billion streams.
Charo's years without MMK
Charo recalled the final day of taping for "Passport."
"Pinakamasakit," she said. "Siyempre, noong sinabi sa iyo na mag-eend na (ang MMK as) the company is going through a lot of challenges, tanggap mo naman 'yun. You're a good soldier kahit masakit."
"Talagang sagad sa buto 'yung pain when I said my final 'Nagmamahal, Charo,'" she added, referring to her iconic closing line in the show.
As the first Saturday without MMK came, Charo said she had already let go of everything.
"You have to be accepting of life," she said. "'Di mo idedeny ang sarili mo at magtatapang-tapangan ka. Okay lang, namnamin mo 'yung lungkot."
While allowing herself to grieve over MMK's end at the time, like what most stories of the show impart to viewers, she must have grit.
"Di dapat tayo manatili doon. Galaw lang, tuloy lang ang buhay," she said.
Acting comeback
Months before MMK's farewell, Charo joined FPJ's Ang Probinsyano as Ramona, the leader of a rebel group and a mother figure to the protagonist Cardo of Coco Martin.
Eventually, Charo would star in Coco's next project, FPJ's Batang Quiapo, as Tindeng, the grandmother of his character Tanggol.
After all, Charo has always been an actor, with her heyday kicking off in the '70s through her debut movie Itim. She would later star in other critically acclaimed titles such as Kakabakaba ka Ba?, Brutal, and Kisapmata.
"You just have to allow life to happen," she said.
Ahead of the MMK comeback announcement, Charo is reported to be starring with Dingdong Dantes in the romance movie Only We Know, which will be in theaters on June 11. Her last movie was in Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine) in 2021.
"And now we're back. We're talking again and we're sharing these beautiful stories," she said.
Charo noted that it's a different experience being the MMK host who narrates the stories of others compared to her being a part of those stories herself.
"As an actor performing a character, kinakalimutan ko lahat ng everything about Charo and become, (for example), Tindeng. Ibang-ibang experience," she said.
Quality storytelling
Behind MMK are Charo's "very able staff" who she says "do all the work."
"The credit goes to them," she said. "When I was much younger, when I had more time, I was the one of the people reading the letters. Sako-sako ang dumadating sa ABS-CBN, at isa ako sa mga tagabasa. Through the years, dumami na ang trabaho ko at tumaas ang stress levels. We've trained the production staff enough that they can do it with their eyes closed."
Charo noted that the stories featured in MMK define who they are, and it's their job to deliver, especially since she "always knew" that the show would return one way or another.
"Masayang-masaya ako kahit limited series lang, mabibigyan kami ng pagkakataon na maghandog ng kuwento sa ating mga manonood," she said.
She expressed hope that MMK, in its new limited series format, will receive positive feedback. After all, she shared it's in the mindset of the series' team to treat each episode as the last.
"Every episode should be the best episode," Charo said. "Everybody has to give their best. We owe the best to our audience."
