The first grand champion of “The Voice Kids Philippines,” Lyca Gairanod, will share her touching life story in ABS-CBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya” this Saturday (August 16).

In preparation for the episode where she will be portraying herself, Lyca underwent an acting workshop under the supervision of “MMK” director Nuel Naval and veteran actress Malou de Guzman.

“In ‘MMK,’ viewers will see my life before I joined ‘The Voice Kids’,” said the nine-year-old singing champion, who was called the “Little Superstar” during the competition.

“Crying on cue was not so hard because Direk Nuel and Ms. Malou were there to guide me,” shared Lyca about how Naval and De Guzman helped her in her dramatic scenes.

Lyca, a small kid with big dreams from Tanza, Cavite, gained popularity for her heartfelt, amazing performances in “The Voice Kids” and humble background as a daughter of a fisherman. She would also sometimes help her mother scavenge for junk to sell.

Joining Lyca in her acting debut are Malou, Ronnie Lazaro, EJ Jallorina, Kokoy de Santos, Amy Nobleza, Jahren Estorque, Ian Galliguez, Marney Lapuz, Pepe Herrera, and Che Ramos. The episode is written by Benson Logronio and Arah Jell Badayos. “MMK” is led by business unit head Malou Santos and creative manager Mel Mendoza-del Rosario.

Capturing the hearts of Filipino viewers all over the world for the past 23 years, “Maalaala Mo Kaya” has legions of fans from different generations who cried, laughed, fell in love, and got inspired through the real-life narratives of the show’s letter-senders.

Don’t miss Lyca’s acting debut in the longest-running drama anthology in Asia, “MMK,” every Saturday, 8pm, after “Wansapanataym” on ABS-CBN. For more updates, log on to MMK.abs-cbn.com, follow @MMKOfficial on Twitter, and “like” Facebook.com/MMKOfficial. Tweet your thoughts about this Saturday’s episode by using the hashtag #MMKLyca.