Translations of the Filipino titles are in parentheses. Notable episodes • "
Rubber Shoes" :The first episode of
MMK which aired on May 15, 1991, starring
Robert Arevalo,
Romnick Sarmenta and
Vina Morales. •
"Regalo" (Gift) :
MMK episode topbilled by
Vilma Santos,
Ricky Davao, and
Maja Salvador and considered one of the most critically successful episodes. Originally aired on May 4 and 11, 2006. •
"Lobo" (Balloon) :The highest-rated episode in Mega Manila (47.9% as per AGB Nielsen). Starring
Regine Velasquez and
Piolo Pascual. :Regine won her first acting award at the PMPC Star Awards for TV in 2002 for this episode. •
"Pier 39" :10th Anniversary Presentation, starring
Judy Ann Santos and
Piolo Pascual. This was the first episode filmed outside the Philippines, shot in
San Francisco, California. The episode tells about a caregiver who falls in love with a wayward man, despite being beholden to her elderly, wheelchair-using employer. •
"Ferris Wheel" :A Christmas presentation of
Maalaala Mo Kaya which reunites ex-lovers
Jericho Rosales and
Kristine Hermosa. • "
Unan" (Pillow) :This episode, aired in October 2003, tells the life story of
Julie Vega, portrayed by
Angelica Panganiban. Michael de Mesa and Rio Locsin acted as Drs. Julio and Pearl Postigo, Vega's parents. This episode also showed original TV coverage of Vega's 1985 funeral. •
"Fried Chicken" :An episode about Maximo Gimenez, the founder of
Max's Restaurant, who was played by Albert Martinez. After the Second World War, Max and his niece Ruby opened a fried chicken restaurant at the suggestion of American troops. •
"Pendant" :A Valentine's Day special about first love, and how to let go and take risks. It aired on February 14, 2009 and starred
Jason Abalos,
Ryan Eigenmann, and
Toni Gonzaga. This was Gonzaga's first MMK episode. •
"Reseta" (Prescription) :A Mother's Day Special aired on May 9, 2009, starring
Jodi Sta. Maria and
Carmina Villarroel. Villarroel had not appeared on MMK since the 1990s. •
"Sapatos" (Shoes) :A Mother's Day Special aired on May 14, 2016, starring
Kris Aquino. Aquino had not appeared in an
MMK episode since the 1990s. It was based on the life story of Honey Grace Villarico. She managed the role of a single mother, facing all troubles alone, while also becoming a successful careerwoman. • "
Blusa" (Blouse) :A controversial episode starring
Angel Locsin and
Dimples Romana, aired February 28, 2009. It focused on a
UP Los Baños (UPLB) summa cum laude graduate who applied as a Guest Relations Officer (GRO). UPLB released a statement doubting the credibility of the facts presented in the episode. On March 10, 2009, ABS-CBN issued an apology for not verifying facts beforehand with UPLB. :Angel won
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Performance, given by the Philippine Psychiatric Association SiSA Award. •
"Ice Cream" :The life story of singer
Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco), aired in June 2008. Zyrus portrayed himself, and this was his first acting appearance.
Zsa Zsa Padilla played Zyrus' mother, and
Rhap Salazar played his younger brother. The story showed him growing up in a middle-class family before his successful singing career. •
"Teddy Bear" :This is the story of
comedian Pokwang, portrayed by herself. •
"Kwintas" (Necklace) :This is the first episode featuring
Sarah Geronimo, and also starred
John Lloyd Cruz. •
"Gitara" (Guitar) :This is the real-life story of Tara Santelices, who was in a coma for a year after being shot in the head by a mugger on August 6, 2008. She was portrayed by
Karylle. •
"Upuan" (Chair) :This episode featured former senator
Renato Cayetano, portrayed by
Ronaldo Valdez. It showed Cayetano's battle with
hepatitis and how his son helped him. The son, Lino, was portrayed by
John Lloyd Cruz. The episode was directed by Lino Cayetano himself. •
The Ninoy and Cory Aquino Story :On January 23 and 30, 2010, respectively, a two-part episode of the life story of former
Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former
President Corazon Aquino was aired for Cory's 77th Birthday. The first part was "
Kalapati" which featured the humble beginnings of the said couple, from their marriage up to their political conflicts. The second part was "
Makinilya" which depicted the latter days of Ninoy and the end of Martial Law. The series also featured real footage of the events that occurred during martial law and during Cory's success in the presidential race.
Piolo Pascual portrayed the role of
Benigno Aquino Jr. while
Bea Alonzo played the role of
Corazon Aquino. •
"Cupcake" :A story about an unforgettable friendship between two young girls. Daniela (portrayed by Abby Bautista), a rich girl who is usually content with playing by herself, has her life changed when she befriends her family's maid's daughter, Lira (portrayed by Amy Nobleza). With Lira as her new friend, Daniela gets exposed to activities outside her home, such as street games and carnivals. But their friendship is put to the test when Lira finds out that Daniela's dad has had an affair with another woman. The episode aired on January 29, 2011. •
"Tsinelas" (Slippers) :The story of two homeless brothers, 17-year-old Edgar and 11-year-old Dagul. The brothers suffered with no food or money while traveling from Manila to
Samar, trying to find a better life. This is the posthumous work of actor
AJ Perez, who died in a car crash on April 17, 2011. :In 2013, another episode was also titled
"Tsinelas." This was the story of the late
Jesse Robredo, portrayed by
Jericho Rosales. •
"Krus" (Cross) :The 2011 Mother's Day Special, featuring
Ai-Ai delas Alas,
John Arcilla,
John Wayne Sace and Lester Liansang. A story about a struggling mother whose kids were not blessed with perfect health. •
"Kuweba" (Cave) :A special episode about a Muslim family struggling through social and political turmoil. It reunited actors
Robin Padilla and
Vina Morales, who had not worked together for nearly two decades. This episode was aired on November 12, 2011. •
"Singsing" (Ring) :The love story of Etrona and Panyong, who found happiness in each other's company until their last breath. This episode, which was aired on November 19, 2011, is directed by Jeffrey Jeturian and stars Philippine veteran actors
Eddie Garcia and
Gloria Romero. •
"Lente" (Lens) :The life story of Claudio C. Cañedo, an aspiring model portrayed by
McCoy De Leon. This episode aired on August 9, 2012. Claudio faces the challenges of a person exploring the world, trying to figure out what and who he really wants. Claudio has an identity crisis and then realizes he is gay. He has had some same-sex relationships in the past, but when he meets a guy from
Laguna, he changed for good. •
"T-shirt" :This story is about Gigi, a girl who got pregnant at a young age due to being raped repeatedly by her employer.
Sharlene San Pedro, who played Gigi, was recognized internationally; she was nominated in the 17th
Asian Television Awards for Best Actress in a Lead-Drama Role. This episode aired on April 21, 2008. •
"Manika" (Doll) :A 15-year-old girl named Nene, portrayed by
Jane Oineza, was recurrently raped by her stepfather. Her world changed when her mother, portrayed by
Angel Aquino, even assisted the stepfather in the act of rape. Since then, Nene cursed the 'beauty' that she possesses. :The episode was slated to air on June 2, 2012, but was pulled after the
MTRCB gave it an 'X' rating due to its sensitive theme. After re-editing it was given an 'SPG' rating, and aired on June 30, 2012. :This episode is the show's all-time highest-rated episode (40% per Kantar-TNS, and 27.1% in Metro Manila per AGB Nielsen). Viewers praised the acting performances and the risky move by ABS-CBN to air such an episode. It was MMK's first episode nominated for Best Drama at the
International Emmy Awards. •
"Singsing" (Ring) :The life story of
TESDA Director General
Joel Villanueva, portrayed by
Diether Ocampo, and his wife Gladys, portrayed by
Maricar Reyes. Joel and Gladys had been married for seven years and could not conceive a child. But, through Joel's deep faith, they were given a baby. •
"Sanggol" (Baby) :The story of former
MTRCB Chairman
Grace Poe, portrayed by
Erich Gonzales. Grace Poe was elected as senator in 2013. •
"Lubid" (Rope) : The story of
Tourette syndrome victim Jerome Concepcion, portrayed by
Gerald Anderson. This episode aired on November 7, 2009. •
"Flash Cards" :Former teacher Fidel, portrayed by actor-singer
Ariel Rivera, survives a heart attack. Despite his doctor's warning, stressful activity causes him to suffer from a stroke. His comprehension and speech are affected, and his daughter, Jonah, becomes his own teacher at home. •
"Scrapbook" :The life story of Korean superstar
Sandara Park. •
"Red Envelope" : The story of
Lyca Gairanod, the first grand champion of
The Voice Kids Philippines. Lyca is a small kid with big dreams from Tanza, Cavite. She gained popularity for her heartfelt, amazing performances in The Voice Kid and for her humble background as a daughter of a fisherman. The episode aired on August 16, 2014. •
"Bintana" (Window) :The first episode of
MMK to be aired in
high definition as ABS-CBN HD in widescreen format on October 3, 2015. Stars
Tonton Gutierrez,
Agot Isidro,
Diego Loyzaga and
Sofia Andres. •
"Pasa" (Bruise) :This episode aired on May 21, 2016. It tells the life story of
Rommel, portrayed by
Raikko Mateo and
Diego Loyzaga. Rommel grew up in an unconventional family, with two mothers and a father. His family crumbles due to his father's abusive behavior and vices, but Rommel let the adversity in his life make him whole. •
"Kweba" :Aired on June 18, 2016, starring
Zanjoe Marudo as Mang Juan. Despite being illiterate, Mang Juan is a loving father who would do anything to raise his children. This episode became the show's second highest-rated episode ever, garnering 38.3% per Kantar-TNS. It became a social media frenzy, and made Marudo the most recently nominated Filipino at the
International Emmy Awards for television acting, as of 2024. •
"Korona" (Crown) :Aired on June 3, 2017, this episode tells the life story of
Pia Wurtzbach, portrayed by
Liza Soberano. Pia started working in showbusiness at the age of 12. After 3 failed attempts, her dream of becoming a beauty queen became a reality when she was crowned
Miss Universe 2015. She was the third Filipina to win. •
"Passport" :Aired on June 2, 2019.
Irma Adlawan portrays the teacher Nena, who retires and puts up her own business to spend more time with her family. She finds a high paying job as a caregiver in the U.S., hoping to regain everything she lost on an investment. But things do not go as planned when Nena learns that the person who recruited her is a human trafficker. The trafficker, portrayed by
Agot Isidro, forces her to work as a house help for an abusive Filipino family.
Award-winning episodes •
"Abo" (Ash) :
Roderick Paulate was awarded
Best Drama Performance By An Actor at the first
Asian Television Awards in 1996. He played the role of an indigenous Aeta, a victim of the eruption of
Mount Pinatubo. •
"Wristwatch" :
Roderick Paulate again won
Best Drama Performance By An Actor at the fifth
Asian Television Awards in 2000. •
"Rehas" (Jail Bars) :
Gina Pareño was awarded
Best Drama Performance By An Actress at the 12th
Asian Television Awards in 2007. •
"Pilat" (Scar) :
Angel Locsin won her first acting award,
Best Single Performance By An Actress, at the
22nd PMPC Star Awards for Television. •
"Lobo" (Balloon) :The episode stars
Regine Velasquez and
Piolo Pascual. Regine won
Best Single Performance By An Actress at the 16th PMPC Star Award for Television. This was her first MMK episode. •
"Sako" (Sack) :This episode, starring Jay Manalo and Joshua Dionisio, was awarded at the 17th
KBP Golden Dove Awards. It tells the story of an abusive father who keeps his children working while he spends all their hard-earned money. •
"Regalo" (Gift) :Starring
Vilma Santos with
Maja Salvador. This episode won the
Best TV Drama Program at the 15th
KBP Golden Dove Awards, and Vilma won
Best Single Performance By An Actress at the
20th PMPC Star Awards for Television in 2006. The story is about a boy that returns to a poor neighborhood in Bicol in order to make his sick mother's wish come true. •
"Basket" :Starring
Judy Ann Santos,
Caridad Sanchez,
Kier Legaspi and
Nikka Valencia, this episode won the 2001 Catholic Mass Media Awards for Best Drama and the 2001 KBP Golden Dove Awards Best Drama Program. In 2002 it also became a finalist at the Magnolia Award for Best Film for TV at the 9th Shanghai Television Festival. •
"Kotse-kotsehan"/"Litrato" (Toy Car / Picture) :A two-part special episode depicting two perpectives of a mother's love for her children. It starred
Angel Locsin and
Dimples Romana. Litrato was about Idai's (
Dimples Romana) quest to find her lost son, while Kotse-kotsehan is about Samina's (
Angel Locsin) point of view of the story, in which she found Idai's son and raised him. Samina was caught with her younger sister Aisah and charged with kidnapping. : :Angel won 5 Best Actress Awards in total for her performance (Gawad Lasallianeta, Edukcircle Awards, GEMS Awards, the 26th KBP Golden Dove Awards, and the 6th Gawad Tanglaw).
Best of MMK As listed on the official website of the show:
"Rubber Shoes" :*In this very first episode of aired on May 15, 1991,
Romnick Sarmenta plays Allan, a social climber who is ashamed of his impoverished state and pretends to be well-off to blend in with his rich friends in school. His father, a street sweeper, works very hard to meet his luxurious needs. Only when it is too late does Allan realize that money does not necessarily make a man happy.
"Sako" (
Sack) :*Miong (
Jay Manalo) and his entire family work as tenants for a sugarcane plantation in Negros Occidental. The eldest child, Giling (
Joshua Dionisio) is forced by his father to give up schooling to help in the farm. Giling suffers maltreatment not only from the abusive people in the plantation but from his own father, who is so consumed by his obsession for money and power. When their family is struck by a tragedy, Giling vows to rise above the oppression.
"Regalo" (
Gift) :*Daisy Hernandez (
Vilma Santos), a mother, must divide her time between work and taking care of her daughter April (
Maja Salvador), who has cerebral palsy. Daisy's heart is wrenched every time she sees her eldest child suffer because of her illness. But Daisy never loses hope, and April manages to live a normal life until she is 18. Just when Daisy thought things are doing fine with her daughter's disability, a tragedy will further test her faith.
"Pier 39" (
MMKs first out of the country episode aired on July 26, 2001) :*When Miguel (
Piolo Pascual) gets petitioned by his father to the States, he thought that his dad intended to make up for all the lost time between them. However, he is treated so badly that he would rather be homeless than live with his father and his nasty second wife. Miguel would have starved to death if not for Arlene (
Judy Ann Santos), who helps him pick up the pieces of his life. Together they are able to conquer their fears and create something beautiful out of their miserable past. "
Baul" (
Chest) :*Years after a heart-wrenching incident, Minda (
Charo Santos-Concio) returned to her hometown to make Letty (
Coney Reyes) pay for stealing her fiancé (
Ricky Belmonte) away from her. But it was not sweet revenge because their friendship mattered more than the man who came between them. Would Letty and Minda truly open their hearts and let the healing begin? "
Unan" (
Pillow) (portrayal of
Julie Vega's life story) :*
Angelica Panganiban :*Ever since she was young, people had noticed her talent. Her family called her Little Darling. Julie Pearl Postigo, better known as Julie Vega, began her show business career at the age seven. She was discovered by a talent coordinator and offered her a commercial stint. She personally felt the love of working for television. As a young child, she would pray that she get the roles she auditions for. Her first film project was
Ang Mga Mata ni Angelita. From then on, her popularity was irrepressible. She was dubbed as "the grown up little girl" due to her mature drama roles at a young age. The most tragic part of her life was the death of her brother. Julie deeply mourned. One day, she felt weak and weaker as the days passed. At the height of her career in 1985, Julie died on the May 6. Until now, her family never revealed her illness. "
Sing-along Bar" (portrayal of
Ai-Ai delas Alas's life story) :*When
Ai-Ai, played by
Maricel Soriano, was young, she was given away by her biological mom to her aunt. As she was growing up, she considered herself unlucky for always getting caught in a series of unfortunate events. She cannot also find a decent job to help her earn a living. Until one day, she was offered a job in a comedy bar. A famous person discovered her talents and offered her to sing in a concert. This paved her way to TV shows and films where she started very low. Later on, she will meet a man that she will marry and from then on, she considers her life a roller coaster. Amidst all the challenges she is facing, she made her way on top of her dreams. "
Sa Kandungan mo, Inay" (''My Mother's Lap'') :*Sisters Millet (
Janice de Belen), and Cielo (
Charo Santos-Concio) despised their mother (
Anita Linda) because of her cruelty towards them. Millet especially envied her sister Leslie (
Dina Bonnevie), because she was their mom's favorite and received special treatment. "
Retaso" (
Remnant) :*Since the beginning of her relationship with Dado (
Joel Torre), a widower, Anita (
Nora Aunor) knew that she would become a step-mother to his three children. It was hard for Anita to win the love of the children, but they felt Anita's genuine concern and eventually opened up to her. But just when things were slowly falling into place, she discovers that Dado has been cheating on her. Will she be able to turn her back on the children, whose lives now depend on her? "
Burda" (
Pillowcase) :*Lita (
Sharon Cuneta) has been taking care of Stephen (
Patrick Garcia) since he was a baby because his parents are always busy with work and going out of the country. Even though she is just his yaya, Lita looked after Stephen like a real mother. Stephen eventually reaches his teens and Lita is often caught in between her ward and his parents' differences. An incident makes Lita realize her limitations as yaya and instills in her the hard lesson of letting go. "
Lapida" (
Gravestone) :*Jan (
Phillip Salvador), a single parent, earns a living as a fireman. During a mission, he is able to save the lives of Annie (
Kris Aquino) and her son after Annie's husband, Tony, set their house on fire. Tony was then killed by an exploding bulb. But unbeknownst to him, his son sneakily followed him inside the burning house to help him after he gets passed through the firemen and dies. Annie in return helps him with his grief and they become close friends. As their friendship blossoms into love, will Annie and Jan be able to reconcile their differences and make their relationship work? "
Bisikleta" (
Bicycle) :*When Abel (
Dolphy) caught his wife cheating on him with his best friend Carding, he angrily drove them away and was left with a son to care for. He would have made amends with Liza for their son's sake, but an unfortunate circumstance got him imprisoned for 40 years. As soon as he got out, however, he sought his family again to prove his innocence to his son, whom he lived for all this time. ==Specials==