Zaijan Jaranilla shares old story about people believing in his healing touch as 'Santino'

• Zaijian Jaranilla recalled his role as Santino in the hit teleserye May Bukas Pa
• He shared a touching story about a blind grandfather who believed Santino could heal him
• The moment made him realize the deep impact of his character on viewers
• Jaranilla also said the experience still stays with him today

Former child star Zaijian Jaranilla looked back on his iconic role as Santino in the popular teleserye May Bukas Pa, which aired in 2009.

In the latest episode of Ogie Diaz Inspires, he shared a memory about a grandfather and grandson who once approached him. He said the grandson suddenly held his grandfather’s hand and placed it on his own. The boy then told his grandfather, “Lo, this is Santino.” The blind grandfather responded, “Santino, heal me.” Zaijian explained that the old man only listened to his voice on TV since he could not watch.

According to Zaijian, that moment left a lasting mark on him. He admitted he often thinks back to it because it made him realize how powerful his role was. He said, “It’s true that I made an impact. That was really intense.”

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'May Bukas Pa' is a 2009 Philippine television drama series that aired on ABS-CBN. It starred Zaijian Jaranilla as Santino, an abandoned boy who was raised by priests in a monastery.

The show followed Santino’s journey as a child with a pure heart and strong faith, who had the special gift of being able to talk to Jesus Christ, whom he called “Bro.”

Using this gift, Santino helped people in his town by offering hope, guidance, and healing during their struggles. The series became one of the most popular teleseryes of its time, praised for its inspiring themes of faith, kindness, forgiveness, and second chances.

It ran from February 2009 to February 2010 and left a lasting cultural impact, with many Filipinos remembering its heartwarming message that no matter how difficult life gets, there is always hope for tomorrow.

Zaijian’s reflection shows how the teleserye touched not only audiences but also shaped his own life as an actor. Even years later, the memory of that grandfather and grandson reminds him how strong and meaningful his role was.

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Watch Zaijan Jaranilla's interview with Ogie Diaz in the video below:

Zaijian Jaranilla is one of the most well-known former child stars of ABS-CBN who first rose to fame as “Santino” in the teleserye May Bukas Pa. He is known for being private and for staying away from controversies in showbiz. Recently, he has also become more active on social media and more vocal about his opinions, which sometimes lead to online discussions—such as the recent issue involving Dustin Yu.

In a previous report by KAMI, Zaijian Jaranilla apologized after receiving backlash from Dustin Yu’s fans. On his IG story, he clarified that his comment was only a joke and asked not to drag his friends into it. The issue started from a live video where he was heard telling people not to vote for Dustin. The matter, which began inside Pinoy Big Brother’s house, is now trending on TikTok and X.

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Xyriel Manabat and Zaijian Jaranilla’s recent posts for each other also amused many netizens. On Instagram Stories, Zaijian posted a funny birthday greeting for the young actress. He shared a throwback photo of them and wrote, “I’m too lazy to think of a caption.” The birthday celebrant then reposted Zaijian’s greeting along with her hilarious reply.

Source: KAMI.com.gh