From Shelved to Spotlight: Elijah Canlas finally appears on MMK’s comeback as The Voice USA champ Sofronio Vasquez
At just 22, award-winning young actor Elijah Canlas finds himself at the center of a historic television moment: he’s leading the pilot episode of the returning “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (MMK) anthology, and the role is unlike any he’s tackled before.
From Shelved to Spotlight
“Well, the last thing I shot before the pandemic was an MMK episode, hindi na natuloy. It was about the Taal [volcano] eruption. Naka-one day, kami na yun, tapos nag-lockdown,” Elijah shared. “So, yeah, so parang I feel like also a full-circle moment right now na nabigyan ako ng chance to be in the pilot [episode] of MMK. And yeah, na-enjoy ko. Super. I hope we deliver.”
The honor, however, came with great pressure. “Yeah, yeah. Of course, MMK is iconic. MMK is part of the zeitgeist ng bansang ‘to, ng cultural identity natin. And it’s so iconic na when I was told that I was gonna do it, that I was offered to do it, prepare agad ako. Sobrang yung pressure was real.”
Stepping Into Sofronio’s Shoes
“First time ko rin gumanap ng isang tao na buhay pa. Kasi the other roles, I’ve done mga historical figures. So, at least now I had that reference to interview Sofronio, learn more about him, about the story. Sana nagawa namin nang tama.”
Asked what the highlight of the episode was, he joked, “‘Yung singing skills ko po,” prompting laughter. “Hindi,” he corrected himself. “Actually, ’yun po yung unang tanong before I accepted it, I asked kung okay lang ba na I can’t sing like him ha. I can admit naman na hindi ako biritero like Sofronio. I can sing, but not like him. Pero sabi po nila, okay lang daw. But when I read the script, meron dalawang kanta doon that I had to sing. Pero kaya naman. Pumasok naman sa range ko.”
“Salamat sa prod, kasi may isang Bisaya song. Eh, hindi naman ako besaya. Then they asked Sofronia to record it himself. Tapos siya ‘yung vocal coach ko.”
Personally Chosen, Professionally Challenged
Elijah was handpicked by Sofronio himself. “Opo, nanay ko po nagsend sa akin nun eh. I think a couple months ago. Tapos, nung sinend niya sa akin yun, sabi ko nakakakilig naman. Tapos nung sinabi nung handler niya, who’s a friend of mine, si Gio, na gusto daw talaga ako ni Sofronio to do it. Napressure talaga ako. Aminado kasi ako, hindi ko kaya kumanta katulad niya. Pero syempre, there’s more to his story than singing lang. So yun, yun yung i-explore nung episode.”
A New Era for MMK
As Charo Santos-Concio reflected, “Hindi naman siya [MMK] nawala sa consciousness ko. Never siyang nawala.” The show’s return is proof that stories like Sofronio’s still matter deeply in today’s culture. Charo added, “I guess they also saw the value of the program. Ako pinakanalungkot [when MMK was cancelled].” And she reminded us of MMK’s influence: “‘Di ba kapag medyo madrama ang buhay mo, maririnig mo, i-MMK na ‘yan o ‘Oy, pang-MMK ah!”
Catch the all-new, inspiring stories brought to you by “MMK,” streaming 48 hours in advance on iWantTFC starting April 24 (Thursday). iWantTFC is now also available via Chromecast and AirPlay.
“MMK” will also air on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z every Saturday from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, starting April 26.
