Once upon a time, Raikko Mateo inspired us to lead a life of sincerity through his portrayal of the titular role in Honesto (2013). He quickly became the wonder boy of his time, appearing in a slew of teleseryes including You’re My Home (2015), Born For You (2016), The Greatest Love (2016), and Bagani (2018).

Like most of his showbiz peers, he took a significant hiatus from the limelight during the pandemic. He was last seen on TV as Ponki in Pamilya Ko (2020), which was halted due to strict protocols at the time.

Last March, he surprised everyone with his dapper look on the ivory carpet at the first ever Star Magical Prom. Half a year later, we’re catching up anew with the former child star, who is shining beyond stardom.

Raikko welcomes us to their family home in Zambales, where he stays every weekend to take a breather from his busy student life in Manila. He opened up about how life’s been a decade since breathing life to the iconic character of Honesto and offered a glimpse of his future plans.

Raikko’s mother, Leneth, shared that she took the then-4-year-old Raikko to a casting call for Honesto. They lined up at the ABS-CBN compound along with many, many aspirants until there were only five kids left from where Raikko emerged as the best choice for the role.

The series, which championed the value of honesty, blessed Raikko with the golden privilege to act alongside screen veterans including the late Eddie Garcia, who he recalled was very pleasant and considerate. “Napapansin niya po, siyempre bata pa po ako nu’n, nabubulol po ako sa mga salita ko. Hindi ko rin po name-memorize ‘yung script ko. So, parang, tinatawag niya ako, ‘Raikko, halika rito tutulungan kita,’” he reminisced about the Philippine cinema legend, whom he fondly calls Lolo Eddie.

Ten years later, Raikko still carries traces of Honesto – genuine, God-fearing, and a good influence to the youth. “They look up to us, so kung gagawa kami ng mabuti, gagawa din sila,” he said of how he lives up to Honesto’s mission to spread good values in this modern age of social media. It’s also worth noting how his parents raised him a prayerful and humble young man. “Si Raikko, talagang pinalaki namin siya na dumaan sa normal na pagkabata. Kahit na nag-aartista na siya, napapagalitan pa rin, sinasabi namin kung ano ‘yung mga dapat at saka hindi dapat niyang gawin," shared his dad.

One might wonder why he decided to step out of showbiz. The answer is that Raikko dedicated himself to academics, which would’ve been harder had he continued acting with gruelling daily on-site shoots. Besides, he’s learned to embrace the quiet life outside stardom, “I always say na ang pagiging famous is also a curse. I want to be known as the person I am.”

Although a part of him misses acting, his main priority is to finish his studies to make his parents proud. Don’t assume that he’s all study and no fun, though. Outside of academics, Raikko proves himself to be a cool guy by dominating sports and outdoor activities; among his favorites are basketball and trail riding. He’s into online gaming as well.

In two years, he will step into college; likely to pursue law, entrepreneurship, or physiology.