Charo Santos-Concio shares secret of success of ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ as it marks its 30th year

Concio on the set of “Maalaala Mo Kaya”

Actress and media executive Charo Santos-Concio attributes the success of her being the host of the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” for 30 long years to her ability “to listen to every person who has a story to share.”

To be able to break down emotional walls, Charo said in a recent interview: “You have to be genuinely and sincerely interested in the person you talk with. For me, they aren’t just faces in the crowd. Every one of them is going through an important journey, one that’s uniquely theirs. This uniqueness is what you get and share with the audience.”

Charo said a lot of the subjects she has interviewed over the years would “put the interest of their family members above their own. This is what you call delayed gratification,” she pointed out.

“I remember when my father died, I would always consider the wants and needs of my mom and siblings as my priority. Whenever I’d travel, I don’t mind if I don’t get to buy anything for myself but I make sure to get them ‘pasalubong,’” Charo said in a recent virtual chat with reporters.

Hard work

“One pair of shoes, for example, would last me for the whole year. I also didn’t mind wearing hand-me-downs from my older siblings.” she recalled. “I value hard work. I want to be able to achieve something in life, that’s why I work for my future and for those I love.”

Charo then shared these nuggets of advice with those who are only starting to save up at present. “Do it while you’re still young. Save up even while you’re still in high school. Don’t spend all of the money your parents give you. It’s called financial discipline,” Charo explained. “Each week, you save 10 percent of your allowance, this could be P100 or P500. When you are able to do this, you’ll tell yourself, ‘Kaya ko pala!’ Then you start saving 15 percent and so on.”

Charo continued: “For example, you would often reward yourself with a cup of coffee each week. Try to forgo buying that favorite cup, let’s say, for 52 weeks or a year. I don’t think it would be too hard especially when you know that you’re doing it for something far more important; for you to be able to save up for your future. This is just a small thing, but you will bring that financial discipline with you even when you already have a family of your own.”

Charo Santos-Concio

Research

When it comes to investing, this was Charo’s advise: “Never put your eggs in one basket. Do your research. Discover different ways to invest your hard-earned money. You start by first making sure you and your family have a roof above your heads, and then you can put some on mutual funds and time deposit accounts.”

She further said: “You will be able to enjoy the little luxuries of life when you’re financially stable. However, it’s important that you stay content. Ask yourself, ‘how much foie gras can you eat? How many luxury cars can you actually drive?’ If you feel that you are able to experience good things in life, then you should already be OK with that.”