''Batang Quiapo'' () is a 1986 Filipino

action comedy The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the America ...

film directed by Pablo Santiago and starring

Fernando Poe Jr. Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004), known professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., and often referred to by his initials FPJ, was a Filipino actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and politician. His long and s ...

and

Maricel Soriano Maria Cecilia "Maricel" Dador Soriano (born February 25, 1965) is a Filipino actress and television personality. Known for her intense acting style and versatility, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in films and telev ...

. The film is the first and only collaboration between Poe and Soriano, and was Poe's first film under

Regal Films Regal Entertainment Inc. (formerly and more commonly known as Regal Films) is a Philippine film, television production and distribution headquartered in New Manila, Quezon City. It was founded by Lily Monteverde on August 19, 1962. Regal Enter ...

. The film broke box-office records of its time. A television remake loosely based on the film and starring

Coco Martin Rodel Pacheco Nacianceno Jr. (born November 1, 1981), popularly known as Coco Martin (), is a Filipino actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Known for his performances in action and romantic drama, he is one of the most awarded Filipin ...

began airing on the

Kapamilya Channel Kapamilya Channel () is a 24-hour Filipino pay television network owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Its headquarters is located at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City and serves ...

in 2023.

Rez Cortez Res Septimo Cortez (born January 4, 1956), better known as Rez Cortez, is a Filipino film and television actor and assistant director. Acting career Cortez's film career began in 1974, when he was introduced in ''Daigdig ng Sindak at Lagim''. ...

, who played Tikboy, was the sole cast member from the film to return for the television adaptation, portraying a different character with the same name.

Plot

Maria and Tikboy are two friends in

Quiapo, Manila Quiapo () is a district of the city of Manila, in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Known as the “Old Downtown of Manila", the district’s most famous landmark is Quiapo Church, a Basilicas in the Catholic Church, minor basilic ...

who have made pickpocketing their means of living. They attempt to steal from Baldo, a former pickpocket who was just released from prison after six years, only to be outsmarted by him. Baldo goes to his friend Iska, the owner of a small restaurant where Maria and Tikboy are regular customers, and is informed that she fabricated a story of Baldo being an

overseas Filipino worker Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million ...

who just returned from

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

to cover up his disappearance. Maria and Tikboy arrive at Iska's restaurant, only to see Baldo eating at a table, upon which he returns the wallets he took from them. Baldo meets up with mechanic Momoy David, an old friend of his, to ask for help in finding a job, leading to his employment as a charcutier at a

lechon A suckling pig is a piglet fed on its mother's milk (i.e., a piglet which is still a " suckling"). In culinary contexts, a suckling pig is slaughtered between the ages of two and six weeks. It is traditionally cooked whole, often roasted, in ...

shop. Maria soon becomes friends with Baldo, joining him on a mission to help Miniong, a friend of hers, retrieve money he lost to counterfeiters and swap it with the fake gold bar they sold to him. Maria's boisterous antics nearly disrupt the mission for Baldo, but they eventually succeed. Baldo soon admits his criminal past to Maria, and tries to convince her to leave pickpocketing for good, to which she agrees. However, Maria sees Baldo continuously meet up with a woman, to which she becomes jealous. Maria vents out her resentment by drinking and working as an entertainer at a club, with Baldo getting irate for her doing the latter. Though Baldo begins confronting Maria about her feelings, their conversation is interrupted by Maj. Corrales, the head of police, who asks for his help in taking down a drug syndicate led by Kits that have made orphans Dodong and Caloy unwitting mules for illegal drugs. On a day when Dodong and Caloy are delivering a bird cage discreetly filled with drugs to Kits, Baldo intercepts them and removes the drugs from the cage before they send it to the syndicate. Upon the failed drug transaction, illegal drug seller Paquito decides to deliver the money he earned so far to his paraplegic boss Don Julian at his mansion, only for Baldo and others to catch them in the act and capture the two for the police. With the impending arrival of Iska's estranged daughter Katrina and her Canadian husband George, Baldo decides to temporarily use Don Julian's mansion to help Iska maintain the illusion that she has grown wealthy in the time Katrina was raised abroad. While the banquet at the mansion is being held, Kits and his syndicate kidnap Dodong and Caloy and calls Don Julian's telephone about their intention of bringing them there, to which Baldo answers with his voice disguised. The drug syndicate arrives at the mansion with Dodong and Caloy but are soon ambushed and summarily beaten up by Baldo's friends at the banquet. Meanwhile, Iska reveals to Katrina that the mansion is not hers, and that she is not actually wealthy, but Katrina is unbothered by this and accepts her for who she is. Katrina and George leave the banquet happy, and Momoy informs Iska that with Don Julian going to jail, the mansion now goes to her name. Ms. Ramos, a

child services Child and family services (CFS) is a government or non-profit organisation designed to better the well being of individuals who come from unfortunate situations, ''environmental'' or ''biological''. People who seek or are sought after to participa ...

woman whom Maria kept seeing with Baldo, arrives at Iska's restaurant to mention to Baldo that Dodong's papers as an orphan have all been settled, thus no longer needing to be placed in the care of social services, and that she will go to the United States soon. After Ms. Ramos leaves, Maria, who heard their conversation, excitedly embraces Baldo to the chagrin of Tikboy.

Cast

as Baldomero "Baldo" Dimaguiba *

as Maria *

Sheryl Cruz Sheryl Rose Anna Marie Sonora Cruz (; born April 5, 1974) is a Filipino actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Divina Ferrer in 2007's television drama series ''Sinasamba Kita'', Miss Minchin in '' Princess Sarah'', and as Valeria i ...

as Sonea *

Manilyn Reynes Manilyn Reynes (born Manilyn Villamor Reynes on April 27, 1972), professionally known as Manilyn Reynes, is a multi-awarded Filipina actress, singer and television presenter. She is regarded as a Philippine pop culture icon and dubbed as the St ...

as Mona *

Kristina Paner Kristina "Tina" Paner (born August 1, 1971) is a Filipino actress and singer. Early life At a very young age, Paner's parents noticed her interest in music. Her adoptive parents were prominent celebrities as well. Her father Manny Paner wa ...

as Caring *

Chuckie Dreyfus Charles "Chuckie" de Joya Dreyfus (; born August 7, 1974) is a Filipino actor, songwriter, and television personality. He received his first award as Best Child Performer 1984 at the Metro Manila Film Festival, won the FAMAS Award 1985 for Best ...

as Dodong *Christopher Paloma as Caloy *

Mel Martinez Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

as Totoy *

Anita Linda Anita Linda (born Alice Bueñaflor Lake; November 23, 1924 – June 10, 2020), was a Filipino actress whose career spanned nearly eight decades and had done close to 400 motion pictures. A romantic lead in her early years, she gained wides ...

as Francisca "Iska" Abubakar *

as Tikboy *

Dencio Padilla Esteban Buenvinida Baldivia (September 2, 1928 – October 10, 1997), better known as Dencio Padilla or Tata Dens (), was a veteran Filipino actor and comedian. Career He appeared in films as the favorite sidekick of Fernando Poe Jr. Known for ...

as Momoy "Lugaw" David *

Paquito Diaz Francisco Bustillos Diaz Sr. (May 28, 1932 – March 3, 2011), known professionally as Paquito Diaz, was a veteran Filipino actor and movie director. He specialized in antagonist roles for both action and comedy films. Biography Early life a ...

as Kits * Bomber Moran as Rading *

Bayani Casimiro Bayani Casimiro Sr. (July 16, 1918 – January 27, 1989) was a Filipino dancer who was among the leading stars of bodabil (vaudeville) in the 1930s and 1940s. He also appeared in musical films and later in life, in comedic roles. A tap dancer ...

as Mang Paquito *

Bella Flores Remedios Papa Dancel (February 27, 1929 – May 19, 2013), commonly known as Bella Flores, was a Filipino actress whose career spanned over six decades. Known primarily for her villainess roles in film and television, she has received eight FA ...

as Mila *Augusto Victa as Miniong *Tony Carreon as Don Julian *Tina Loy as Auring * Jose Romulo as Maj. Corrales *Karim Kiram as Minero *Rudy Meyer as Sgt. Lolomboy *Abbo dela Cruz as Daga *Geena Sablan as Ms. Ramos *Dedes Whitaker as Katrina *David Anderson as George *

Goons The Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOON) was an American paramilitary group established in 1972 by Oglala tribal chairman Dick Wilson under authority of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. It operated on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation during th ...

: **Nonoy de Guzman **Rene Hawkins **Eddie Tuazon **Belo Borja **Bert Garon **Bebot Davao **Renato Tanchingco **Boy Sta. Maria **Eddie Samonte **Romy Nario **Victor Bravo **Mario Caverio **Bebeng Amora **Jun Montano **Ernie David **Ronnie Olivas **Joe Estrada **George Wendth **Edgar Madriaga

Remake

On December 5, 2022,

was confirmed to star, direct, write, and to co-produce in the ''Batang Quiapo'' television remake as its lead character, Tanggol. The series began airing on February 13, 2023.

References

External links

* {{Jose N. Carreon 1986 films 1986 action comedy films 1986 romantic comedy films 1980s musical comedy films Filipino-language films Films directed by Pablo Santiago Films produced by Charo Santos-Concio Films about the illegal drug trade Films about theft Films set in Manila Philippine romantic comedy films Regal Entertainment films Films about orphans 1986 musical films