From the awarded primetime series, Tayong Dalawa, veteran actress Agot Isidro, Mylene Dizon, and Jodi Sta. Maria also joined the cast of Tanging Yaman.[3] First time acting for a primetime series, director and actor Rowell Santiago will play as Juan Policarpio, the fireman turned 'future president' of the Republic of the Philippines.[3] Same as Rowell Santiago, it is also veteran actor Leo Martinez's first primetime series.[4]
Locations
Production started in October 2009 in different places in Manila and mostly the setting of the President was taken from the Coconut Palace, where it served as the President's home.
Tapings started from the beginning of November as a rush production before the launch of the 60th Year of Philippine Dramas at the ABS-CBN Christmas trade launch year-end celebration of 2009.
Story
Plot
Tanging Yaman tells a story about an incident that will ruin the lives and fortunes of two families. One family will prosper and the other will suffer. Fina and her sister Marina will grow up in poverty, whereas Isabel will be raised as the first daughter of the country. Fina resumes the responsibilities and privileges alongside being the daughter of the president. Things are not easy for Fina as she unites with her biological parents; she has to deal with Isabel and her mother Leona, who wants her position in the first family. Fina also has a crush on the son of the vice president, Jomari, who in turn is Isabel's best friend. As the story goes on Fina is discovered to be the real First Daughter and Leona goes out with Stian, Jomari's brother.
Synopsis
In the midst of a burning hospital, Marcela accidentally gives birth to a baby girl. Incidentally, Soledad also gave birth in the hospital, and dies shortly after. Commotion starts and Marcela is separated from her daughter. Her baby was lying beside Soledad, just as Marina arrives. Thinking that the infant is no other than her newborn sister, she whisks the infant to safety. Meanwhile, Leona asks Emil to look for her newborn child. Unfortunately, the event leads to Emil's rather untimely death, thus leaving Leona a widow, and Isabel without a father. While Apol brings other patients to safety, he sees bags of money on the corner. He thinks it will be a great help to his family, only to be caught by the police. After the fire, Solomon Buenavista shows his gratitude to the fireman, Juan, after thinking that he is the one who had saved the patients. Without hesitation, he awards Juan a brand new house together with a promise that he will do everything he can to save him from the hands of poverty. In contrast, Marina and Marcela's infant Fina suffer the worst luck in the world. Aside from being instant orphans, they also end up under the care of Epi's father.
Now that Juan's popularity is rampantly growing amongst the masses, Sol, who happens to be an aspiring successful politician, finally decides to take his game up a notch. In order to once and for all fulfill his dream of being one of the successful politicians in the country, he convinces Juan (who was then a senator running for presidency) to join him as his running mate. And just as Sol expected, their tandem is immediately grasped by the voters, thus making the former fireman the President of the Philippines. Despite the enormous power laid in his hands, he manages to stay humble and kind at all times. On the other hand, Fina and Isabel's paths meet once again. Both of them are accepted to the same university. Fina and Isabel became rivals, especially in Jomari's heart.[5]
Cast and characters
First family
President Juan "John" Policarpio (Rowell Santiago): The real father of Fina. Juan is the fictional President of the Philippines. He used to be a fireman, whereas he was assumed by Sol to be the savior of many lives at the burning hospital. Together with Sol, they decided to run for presidency and vice-presidency, which they won. Being the president, Juan manages to be kind and humble towards his family. However, Juan grows an enormous rage to his sister Leona.
First Lady Marcela Policarpio (Agot Isidro): Marcela is the fictional First Lady of the Philippines. Unbeknownst to her, she is Fina's real mother. During her pregnancy, the hospital sets on fire, in which she thought she lost her infant. Still, she has been kind to Isabel at all times, and usually comforts her as she treats her as her own daughter. When she finds out her real daughter is Fina, she feels jealous of Marina as she feels that Fina loves Marina more than her.
First Daughter Josefina "Fina" Policarpio (Erich Gonzales): Fina is a strong but poor girl who is Juan and Marcela's daughter that was thought to be dead. During her birth, a fire occurs in the hospital wherein she gets separated from her mother. She is saved by Marina, who thought that she is her newborn sister. During childhood, she becomes good friends with her adoptive cousin Epi, who instantly falls in love with her. Fina also has feelings for Jomari (Enchong Dee). Upon befriending him, she develops abhorrence towards Isabel. Also, she cares for her adoptive father Apol very much, even if Marina disgusts him later she became the first daughter of the Philippines President. In the end, she gets engaged to Jomari Buenavista.
Isabel Policarpio-Jacinto (Melissa Ricks): Isabel is a spoiled rich girl who is Leona and Emil's daughter. When she was born she lost her father after trying to look Marcela's daughter. She is abused by her mother often due to disobedience and impoliteness. She is willing to get everything she wants. She also likes Marcela more than her own mother. She is in love with Jomari, and frequently ignores Francis' feelings for her. Later, she will develop a feelings for Francis.She gets pregnant with Francis.
Attorney Leona Policarpio-Jacinto (Mylene Dizon): Leona is Isabel's loving mother. Due to her husband Emil's fatality, she starts to abhor Marcela. She always throws her tantrums to Isabel whenever experiencing problems. However, she becomes nice to Isabel and Marcela after a deal was offered to her by Sol. She gets pregnant with Diego at the same time as Isabel.
Emilio "Emil" Jacinto (Kier Legaspi): Emil is Leona's husband and Isabel's father. He died while trying to look for Marcela's daughter at the hospital fire.
Second family
Vice President Solomon "Sol" Buenavista (Leo Martinez): The show's primary villain. Sol is Jomari's abusive father. He was a congressman. He rewards Juan an award for his mistaken heroism, and forms a tandem with him for presidency. Winning the position of the Vice President of the Philippines, he becomes greedy and ruthless. Due to the betrayal of his son Jomari, he cooperates with Leona in destroying Fina's family.
Second Lady Trinidad "Trinity" Buenavista (Isay Alvarez): Trinity is Jomari's mother. She always agrees with her husband Sol at everything.
Second Son Diego Buenavista (Ron Morales): Diego is Jomari's successful brother. He is the favorite son of his parents Sol and Trinity, the cause of Jomari's envy towards him. However, Trinity starts to dislike him due to him having sex with his fiancée at their house. He is also the father of the child of Leona.
Second Son Jose Mari "Jomari" Buenavista (Enchong Dee): Jomari is the obedient son of Sol and Trinity. He is also abused by his father often due to disobedience, but becomes insurgent towards them after developing affection to Fina. Most girls, including Fina and Isabel, have crushes on him. He is considered as Isabel's best friend. He is also envious to his brother Diego. Arnel is the alter ego of Jomari to conceal his real identity to the public when his father disowned him when he came back to fight for his love for Fina. In the end, he gets engaged to Fina Policarpio, but he later dies while saving her.
Other main characters
Francisco "Francis" Salazar / Baltazar (Matt Evans): Francis is a member of the Presidential Security Group. He protects Isabel when she is troubled, even though Isabel always ignore his doings. Unknown to Isabel, Francis is attracted to her, He is also the father of Isabel's child.
Apolinario "Apol" Dimaguiba (Nonie Buencamino): Apol is Marina's father and Fina's adoptive father. He is also Artemio's brother and Epi's uncle. During the hospital fire, he saved many lives by carrying unidentified persons to safety, but is arrested for stealing money that he thought will be useful to his family's life.
Marina Dimaguiba (Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson): Marina is Fina's adoptive sister and Apol and Luna's daughter. She is also Epi's cousin and Artemio's niece. During her mother Luna's pregnancy, she mistakes Fina as her newborn sister. Due to his father Apol's arrest, she raises Fina by herself while experiencing poverty. She loathes her father because he leaves them alone with no one to hold.
Artemio Inciong (Nanding Josef): Artemio is Apol's brother and Epi's father.
Epifanio "Epi" Inciong (Ejay Falcon): Epi is Artemio's son who is considered as Fina's childhood best friend and adoptive cousin. He is attracted to Fina, and is willing to do anything for her, even if by hurting Jomari.
Luna Dimaguiba (Adriana Agcaoili): Luna is Marina's mother and Apol's wife. She dies after giving birth at the hospital.
Dra. Eva Fernandez (Jinky Laurel): Eva is the midwife of Luna, Leona, and Marcela. She is responsible for helping on Isabel and Fina's birth. She is the first person to discover the truth about Fina.
The theme song of the show is where its title was based. "Tanging Yaman", music by Fr. Manoling Francisco, S.J., words by Philip Gan, was originally sung by Carol Banawa for one of the most successful Philippine films. Tanging Yaman, was revived by one of the cast on the show Agot Isidro to provide the theme song for the program.
† - Other characters can be viewed in the word "YAMAN". They are (from left to right): Mylene Dizon as Leona Jacinto, Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson as Marina Dimaguiba, Nonie Buencamino as Apolinario "Apol" Dimaguiba, Ron Morales as Diego Buenavista, Leo Martinez as Vice Pres. Solomon "Sol" Buenavista, Enchong Dee as Jose Mari "Jomari" Buenavista, Matt Evans as Francisco "Francis" Salazar-Baltazar, and Ejay Falcon as Epifanio "Epi" Inciong.
Trivia
Rowell Santiago would later on portray once more as the fictional President of the Philippines in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano, which also airs on ABS-CBN.
