“MANO PO: My Family” was first made by Regal Entertainment in 2002. It was a big blockbuster and also a runaway winner in the Metro-Manila Filmfest Awards that year, winning a total of 12 trophies including best picture.
The story is about a Chinoy family and starred the late Eddie Garcia, with Boots Anson Roa as his wife and their three daughters are played by Maricel Soriano, Kris Aquino and Ara Mina.
The following year, Regal made a sequel, “Mano Po 2: My Home” with Susan Roces, Christopher de Leon and Lorna Tolentino.
It’s also a hit so in 2004, they made “Mano Po 3: My Love” with Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon and Angel Locsin.
In 2005, they released “Mano Po 4: Ako Legal Wife”, with Zsa Zsa Padilla winning best actress in the Metro-Manila Filmfest, supported by Rufa Mae Quinto and Cherry Pie Picache.
In 2006, they made “Mano Po 5: Gua Ay Din” starring Lorna Tolentino, Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin.
There was a lull for two years but in 2009, “Mano Po 6” returned in “A Mother’s Love” starring Sharon Cuneta in the first movie she did for Regal, along with Christopher de Leon, Heart Evangelista and Dennis Trillo.
The last “Mano Po”, the seventh in the franchise, was shown in 2016 starring Richard Yap, who’s a real Chinoy, with Jean Garcia and Janella Salvador. Sadly, it didn’t as well at the tills as its predecessors so the franchise stopped.
But now, exactly 20 years since the first “Mano Po”, Regal has teamed up with GMA Network to come up with a TV series entitled “Mano Po: Legacy”, meant to be shown on primetime television starting this January.
This is Regal’s second collaboration with the Kapuso station after their Sunday afternoon drama anthology, “Regal Studio Presents”, which is rating very well.
“Mano Po: Legacy” will once again revolve on the story of love, family and traditions among Filipino-Chinese communities.
The first feature is “Mano Po: The Family Fortune” starring Barbie Forteza.
Joining her are Boots Anson Roa, Maricel Laxa, Sunshine Cruz, Almira Muhlach, David Licauco, Rob Gomez, Nikki Co, David Chua, Cassie Banks, Dustin and Darwin Yu, directed by Ian Lorenos who is really a Chinoy and with Jose Javier Reyes as the head writer.
We ask Barbie what her role is.
“I play Steffy Dy,” she says. “I come from a poor family and naging scholar ako ni Tito Boots Anson Roa so nang nakatapos na ako, I get to work with their family.
"May power struggle sa family nila between two strong women, Tita Maricel Laxa and Tita Sunshine Cruz at maiipit ako sa kanila. I’m paired naman with David Licauco and Rob Gomez, na parehong heredero ng family. May love triangle kami rito.
"I’m very happy, proud and thankful na ako ang napili para gumanap sa unang ‘Mano Po’ story kasi napanood ko yung unang ‘Mano Po’ na ang ganda talaga and it feels so good na ngayong nasa TV na siya, I’m now a part of it.”
Roselle Monteverde of Regal says they will come up with new stories different from those already shown in the past movies.
“It’s still about Chinoy families but the treatment is very now,” she says. “Chinese families have already evolved from the traditional ones and we will deal with the younger generation of today’s Filipino-Chinese communities.”
