FPJ's ( / international title: Gangs of Manila) is a Philippine television drama action series airing on Kapamilya Channel. Based on the 1986 film of the same title, the series is directed by Malu L. Sevilla, Darnel Joy R. Villaflor, Richard V. Somes, Coco Martin and Kevin de Vela, it stars Martin in the title role. It premiered on February 13, 2023, on the network's Primetime Bida line up. The series concluded on March 13, 2026, with a total of 7 seasons and 799 episodes.
Premise A young man named Tanggol rises to be one of the biggest outlaws in the neighborhood while he navigates his way in life to survive in Quiapo, Manila. Hoping to earn the affection of his parents, his feat draws him closer to the truth about his identity.
Cast and characters
Final Main cast Coco Martin as Mayor Hesus Nazareno "Tanggol" Guerrero-Montenegro Lawrence Dela Cruz as young Tanggol Christopher de Leon as Ramon Montenegro / Alberto E. Frias Coco Martin as young Ramon John Estrada as PCPT Rigor Dimaguiba Ejay Falcon as young Rigor Cherry Pie Picache as Ma. Teresa "Marites" Asuncion/Guerrero-Dimaguiba Miles Ocampo as young Marites Maris Racal as Pat. Paula "Ponggay" Garcia Jake Cuenca as Former Mayor Miguelito Guerrero Angel Aquino as Former Congresswoman Jackie Guerrero Albert Martinez as Former Vice Mayor Roberto Guerrero Charo Santos as Matilde "Tindeng" Asuncion Precious Lara Quigaman as young Tindeng Elisse Joson as younger Tindeng
Recurring cast Perla Bautista as Lola Florie Allan Paule as PLT Armando "Mando" Mendoza Marlo Mortel as young Mando Joel Lamangan as Rodolfo "Roda" D. Alcantara Jojit Lorenzo as Renato "Enteng" Dimapilis Mark Anthony "Big Mak" Andaya as Alvin "Tanos" Garcia Sugar Ray "Mammoth" Estroso as Gabriel "Bulldog" Santiago Ryan Martin as Rodolfo "Dolfo" Agustin Via Antonio as Pat. Chona Vasquez Atong Redillas as Reporter Abet Capulong Loi "Mama Loi" Villarama as Loisa Francis Valle "Dyosa Pockoh" Suayan as Jessa Jegs Chinel as Patty Brenda Hernandez Lualhati as Lengleng Criza Taa as Dimples Sanchez Nicole Luna as Kitkat
Former Main cast Lovi Poe as Monica "Mokang / Monique" Dimaculangan-Frias Juharra Asayo as young Mokang Jaclyn Jose as Jail Chief Supt./BGEN Dolores Espinas Lorna Tolentino as Amanda Salonga Lara Fortuna as young Amanda Lito Lapid as Supremo "Primo" Medina Jomari Angeles as young Primo Celia Rodriguez as Doña Pilar Guerrero Louise delos Reyes as young Pilar Michael de Mesa as Rafael "Paeng" Benito Andrea Brillantes as Fatima Benito Dante Rivero as Don Gustavo Guerrero Jhong Hilario as young Gustavo Roi Vinzon as Brando Mondragon Rosanna Roces as Divina Juanillo-Mondragon Baron Geisler as Rockyboy Mondragon / Bernard Aguirre Aljur Abrenica as PLT Hector Victorino
Recurring cast RK Bagatsing as Greg Montenegro Marina Benipayo as Catherine Cheng Odette Khan as Aurora Cheng Toni Fowler as Chicky Ynez Veneracion as Marita Dinky Doo Jr. as Boston Deborah Sun as Yolly Dindo Arroyo as Severino E. Sabado Val Iglesias as Romulo "Mulong" Cordero Robert Seña as Jail Warden Col. Gerardo Balatucan Vandolph Quizon as Ronaldo "Bong" Pulido Donna Cariaga as Becky Neil Coleta as Obet Yce Navarro as Ruben Elijah Canlas as Pablo Caballero Niño Muhlach as Baste Ivana Alawi as Samantha Montenegro-Macaraig / Samantha "Bubbles" F. Zaballa Mona Alawi as young Bubbles Soliman Cruz as Celso "Mayor" Zaballa Jim Pebanco as young Celso Jean Saburit as Lourdes Lito Camo as Goodah Nikko Natividad as Guillermo "Emong" Z. Aglipay Kim Rodriguez as Jelly Deo "Diwata" Balbuena as Frida Yukii Takahashi as Camille Castillo Levi Ignacio as Gregorio "Gary" Ramos Dan Alvaro as Dante "Dan" Martinez Joel Saracho as Apo Manuel Jerald Napoles as Ato Kim Molina as Ima John Rendez as Juancho Caballero Lao Rodriguez as Jail Lt. Antonio Macasantos Malou Crisologo as Pacing Gil "Ate Gay" Morales as Elsa Tessie Tomas as Doña Bettina Caballero Ara Davao as Katherine Caballero-Montenegro Jaime Fabregas as Don Facundo Caballero Nonie Buencamino as Marcelo Macaraig Alex Medina as young Marcelo Luisito Espinosa as Roberto Renz Fernandez as Bullet Anjo Yllana as Michael Maverick Relova as Derek Barbie Imperial as Tisay William Martinez as Regie Raquel Villavicencio as Cecilia Lou Veloso as Ricardo "Noy" Panganiban Jr. Karl Medina as young Noy Yogo Singh as younger Noy Mercedes Cabral as PCpl. Lena Cortez Irma Adlawan as Olga Montenegro / Beng Ryza Cenon as young Olga Jeffrey Tam as Leroy "Roy" Tiu-Lee Ricardo Cepeda as Richardson Wu King Gutierrez as PLTCOL Manuel A. Suarez Joonee Gamboa as Harrison Co Cheng / Angkong Benzon Dalina as Turko Julio Diaz as PMGEN Augustus Pacheco Dominic Roco as young Augustus Gio Alvarez as Kaloy Benito Angeli Khang as Veronica Kwon Leo Martinez as Arthur Kwon Long Mejia as Peng Chris Ulo as Reporter McCoy de Leon as David Guerrero-Dimaguiba / Fake Hesus Nazareno "Tanggol" Guerrero-Montenegro Joey Marquez as PMSg Edilberto "Berting" Oliva James Caraan as Larry "Badong" Lora Jon Achaval as Jaime Ferrer Gerard Pizarras as Joaquin Navarro Archie Adamos as Diosdado Ilagan Cholo Barretto as Enrico Gomez Diana Opilac as Nati Dumlao Ahl Opilac as Totoy Dumlao Ahldrin John Opilac as Lito Dumlao Shamaine Buencamino as Gracia Benito Albie Casiño as Iñigo Montenegro/Guerrero-Torres Efren Reyes Jr. as PLTCOL Salvador Romero Vangie Labalan as Carmen Pangan Ping Medina as Edwin Dimaculangan Raymond Ronquillo as Raul Ramos Kim Domingo as Madonna Ihman Esturco as Lorenzo Ejada Chanda Romero as Vice Mayor Olivia Montenegro/Guerrero-Torres Renz Joshua "Baby Giant" Baña as Rowell "Oweng" Bulawan Nonong Ballinan as Nognog Dumlao Vince Rillon as Mark "Maki" Benito Susan Africa as Nonita "Nita" Dimaculangan Pen Medina as Marciano "Marsing" Dimaculangan Juan Rodrigo as Alfredo Pangan Joseph Marco as young Alfredo Aleck Bovick as Linda Sanchez Richard Quan as Pat. Mauro Garcia Art Acuña as Enrique Espineli Tommy Abuel as Don Julio Montenegro Raul Montesa as young Don Julio Arnold Reyes as younger Don Julio John Medina as Franco de Gallo Ronnie Lazaro as Lucio Libiran / Angkong Lucio Viggo Franco as young Lucio Gillian Vicencio as Erika Guerrero Jay Gonzaga as Emil Alfaro Paolo Paraiso as Jason Medea Ronwaldo Martin as Santino Guerrero-Dimaguiba Mark Lapid as Benjamin "Ben" Camacho
Guests
Episodes
Production Development After the success of the television adaptation of Ang Probinsyano, an adaptation of the 1986 film Batang Quiapo was named by various news outlets as the project most likely to be made next by actor-director Coco Martin. Rumors of the possible TV adaptation of Batang Quiapo began when the film's theme, Doon Lang, was performed by Martin in a "duet" with Fernando Poe Jr. as the clip of the scene from the film was being played; said scene originally featured Poe and Maricel Soriano singing in a duet. Martin had expressed interest in adapting more of FPJ's works for film and/or television, as he adapted another Poe classic Carlo J. Caparas' Ang Panday which was an entry into the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.
However, the adaptation became uncertain due to Ang Probinsyano'''s continued extension until its finale on August 12, 2022.
Casting On December 5, 2022, Martin was confirmed to star, direct, write, and to co-produce (the first in his showbiz career) in the Batang Quiapo remake alongside Poe's daughter, Lovi Poe and Charo Santos.
McCoy de Leon's role as David was originally meant to only appear in the pilot episode of the show but was extended numerous times due to the team being impressed with his performance.
On January 4, 2024, Lovi Poe left the show due to her marriage with her fiancée in England.
On January 23, 2024, Deborah Sun left the show after being injured in an accident on set.
On March 2, 2024, Jaclyn Jose died, leaving her role as Jail Chief Supt./BGEN Dolores Espinas. Bart Guingona replaced Jose as the new Jail Chief Supt./BGEN Oscar Duran.
On February 10, 2025, Lito Lapid left the show as he ran for a senatorial position in the 2025 midterm elections.
Filming Principal photography commenced on January 9, 2023, the same day of the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
The Binondo–Intramuros Bridge and Candaba Viaduct of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) served as one of the prominent locations featured multiple times in the show.
Release Broadcast The series, along with other primetime programs were pre-empted on A2Z from November 8, 2023, to February 9, 2024, and took effect every Wednesday and Friday to give way to the 2023–24 PBA season. It continued to air on Cine Mo! (as Saturday Marathon), Kapamilya Channel and TV5.
On January 2, 2026, the last 50 episodes of the series (749–799) and other remaining newly released ABS-CBN programs on TV5 were transferred to AMBS' All TV. This occurred two years after a licensing agreement between AMBS and ABS-CBN was signed in April 2024 marking the latter's return to channels 2 and 16 in Mega Manila and regional channels previously held by ABS-CBN until 2020, and TV5 Network's decision to cease broadcasting new programs produced by ABS-CBN on TV5 due to financial disputes involving blocktime fees which was subsequently settled.
On February 20, 2026, lead actor and producer Coco Martin announced that the series would conclude on March 13, 2026.
International On March 1, 2025, Batang Quiapo started airing internationally in 40 countries in Africa through StarTimes under the title, "Gangs of Manila".
Streaming A re-cut limited series covering the first story arc was exclusively released on iWant from March 16, 2026, to March 20, 2026. Episodes were subsequently released on YouTube.
Re-runs Individual TV episodes are also available for streaming on YouTube.
Soundtrack The series' opening theme song, "Batang Quiapo" (alternatively titled as "Matira Matibay" (Only the Strong Survive), is sung by various Filipino rap artists—Smugglaz, Bassilyo, CrazyMix, Flict-G, Kial, MastaFeat, Jonas, and Pistolero—and a cover of Rico J. Puno's "Kapalaran" (Fate) is sung by Gary Valenciano. "Pangako" (Promise) was originally sung by Moira Dela Torre.
Controversies Muslim stereotype controversy A day after its debut, the series' creators apologized to the Muslim community due to a scene where Martin's character Tanggol sought the help of his Muslim friend Abdul–portrayed by Rez Cortez–as he was being pursued by the police. Tanggol took refuge in the company of armed Muslim men whom the police were hesitant to take action due to fear of retribution. A number of Muslim Filipinos took offense and criticised the portrayal as reinforcing negative stereotypes against them, with some calling for a boycott of the series. Movie and Television Review and Classification Board later released a statement on the controversy and asked for cultural sensitivity from production houses. Senator Robin Padilla–a prominent Filipino Muslim–also issued a statement regarding the episode, assuring people that Martin did not have any "ill intentions" and appealed to fellow Filipino Muslims for understanding and forgiveness.
Reception Ratings