Anna Marie Lukban

Team Hanie impressed by Kyle and Kai’s portrayal of their love story in “MMK”

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

Makeup may have started it all, but it was love that made everything glow. That&#x27;s the story of couple and content creators Hajie Alejandro and Lenie Aycardo, or Team HaNie to their fans, featured in the latest episode of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/maalaala-mo-kaya">&quot;Maalaala Mo Kaya,&quot;</a> portrayed by Kyle Echarri and Kai Montinola. Lenie already thought Hajie’s life story was “pang-MMK” when she first heard it back in high school, where their love story began. And now, they&#x27;re watching their own journey unfold in an actual &quot;Maalaala Mo Kaya&quot; episode, which first streamed on iWant last Thursday and has since been applauded for the kind of encouragement and hope it gives to those who see themselves in their journey.  “Sobrang happy kami na nakakapag-serve kami ng inspiration lalo na sa mga kabataan na gustong i-express ang sarili nila sa iba&#x27;t ibang klaseng form of art, gaya ko sa makeup, na nahihiya na i-judge sila ng mga tao,” said Hajie, grateful that the episode helped amplify his and Lenie&#x27;s advocacy on normalizing self-expression and pushing back against toxic masculinity.  And beyond self-expression, the couple is also proud to represent small content creators who started from the bottom, just like they did, and to show that there’s space for everyone online. &quot;Huwag silang mahiya. Gawin lang nila kung ano &#x27;yung gusto nila at maging consistent sila sa gusto nila,&quot; said Lenie to aspiring content creators, to which Hajie added, &quot;Lahat ng paghihirap nila magbubunga din,&quot; a reminder grounded in their own experience.  The couple has always been transparent about their journey, hoping that they could somehow inspire others by sharing what they’ve been through. It was actually one of their viral before-and-after videos (showing what their lives looked like then versus now) that the &quot;MMK&quot; team took notice and reached out to ask if they’d be open to having their story featured in an episode. “Sino ba kami?” was Hajie’s reaction when he found out about “MMK”’s interest. Things moved quickly from there and the episode was finished in just around two weeks. They were present on set as Hajie did Kai&#x27;s makeup himself, while Lenie guided her through the transitions and movements for the recreated versions of their trending Catriona Gray and Cleopatra makeup transformation content. The couple is proud of how Kyle and Kai brought their story to life. Lenie, amazed by Kai&#x27;s performance, shared, &quot;Sobrang galing ni Kai. First ‘MMK’ at first lead role niya pero sobrang galing niya, as in kuhang-kuha ni Kai &#x27;yung emo era ko no&#x27;ng 2012, &#x27;yung mga pa-cute era, pabebe girl, kuhang-kuha niya... Tapos ginaya rin ni Kai &#x27;yung boses ko, sobrang galing!&quot; Hajie added that the production team paid close attention to every detail using all the reference photos they had provided, “‘Yung styling ng hair, kopyang-kopya, pati ‘yung towel ko sa likod...lahat ng detalye. Kahit &#x27;yung mga paintings ko before kuhang-kuha nila.&quot; Everything was recreated so accurately that while watching the filming, he felt like he was reliving everything they&#x27;d been through, &quot;Nakikita ko talaga &#x27;yung sarili namin sa kanila.&quot; Breaking the seriousness a little, Lenie joked that Kyle even captured Hajie’s handsome charm, “Habang pinapanood ko, ang gwapo pala ni Hajie.” Hajie and Lenie&#x27;s love story is like a makeup palette filled with colors that blended beautifully over time, glowing because of how much love they’ve poured into each other and into the life they’ve built together. Looking back, they&#x27;re grateful that they’ve always stayed a team in chasing their dreams. &quot;Lahat ng pangarap namin noon natutupad na nang magkasama kami until now,&quot; Hajie reflected. &quot;Sobrang layo na pala talaga ng buhay namin compared noon kasi hindi namin siya nare-realize hangga&#x27;t hindi namin nakita sa MMK.&quot;  “Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako na nandito pa rin si Lenie, na hindi siya sumuko at sinamahan niya pa rin ako,” he expressed, and when it was Lenie’s turn to speak, with so much love, she said Hajie hasn’t changed one bit from the boy she fell in love with back in high school—only now, he’s also her husband and the father to their two-month-old baby Marco and she’s seeing how fatherhood is making him even more protective and mature.  Their lives have changed in many ways, but they also helped each other grow. Lenie used to struggle with self-confidence, but Hajie&#x27;s makeup brush, and his love, transformed her into the version of herself she was always meant to be. “Naging reyna pa siya sa TikTok dahil nagtiwala siya sa akin na kaya ko siyang pagandahin, na kaya ko siyang i-push sa kakayanan niya na maging limitless.&quot; Looking at his high school sweetheart and now wife, Hajie said, “Ito ka naman talaga dapat noon pa. At nagpapasalamat ako na ako &#x27;yung naging instrument para maging ganyan ka.” Be inspired by Team HaNie’s story this Saturday at 8:30 PM on &quot;MMK: Makeup Story,&quot; airing on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and A2Z.

Hajie Alejandro and Lenie Aycardo talk about MMK “Makeup Story”!

Hajie Alejandro and Lenie Aycardo talk about MMK “Makeup Story”!

“Kopyang-kopya!” Team Hanie impressed by Kyle and Kai’s portrayal of their love story in “MMK”

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

TV

“Kopyang-kopya!” Team Hanie impressed by Kyle and Kai’s portrayal of their love story in “MMK”

Liezel Dela Cruz

Published Jun 20, 2025 12:04 PM PHT

Read More:

Maalaala Mo Kaya

MMK

MMK Makeup Story

Hajie Alejandro

Lenie Aycardo

Team Hanie

Team Hanie MMK

Kai Montinola

Kyle Echarri

Charo Santos

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.