Paul Christian Ocampo

Here are some good reasons why Tanggol deserves to be placed on Santa’s “nice list” this year!

Article (news)

Mary Ann Bardinas

<p>He may often get himself in trouble or even be the one to initiate conflicts but it cannot be denied that Tanggol—a.k.a. the main hero of “<a href="http://batangquiapo.abs-cbn.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>FPJ’s Batang Quiapo</strong></a>”—has a big heart, just like how the brilliant actor-director portraying him, Coco Martin, is in real life.</p><p>And in 2025, we got to witness a lot of Tanggol’s heroic deeds not only towards his beloved family and friends but also strangers, especially the underprivileged and the underdogs. As this year wraps up, let’s look back on some of his benevolent acts—ones that would surely earn him a spot on Santa Claus’s “nice” list.</p><p>Let us begin when Tanggol risked his own life to save people who were in danger when a fire razed the barangay that he and his running mate, Olivia Montenegro (Chanda Romero), visited to convene with the personalities whom he had chosen to be part of their slate as councilors.</p><p>Being the ever selfless, valiant, and kindhearted man that he has always been, his initial response was to search the entire area to find out who needed his help. He helped several people get out of their burning houses, including a baby who he courageously rescued from their house located on the uppermost floor of a shabby apartment.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l0RHHuz4k_A?si=y8_JUCySzZ7zRuaS" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Although rescuing the baby from danger was a struggle, Tanggol ultimately succeeded because of his immense faith, courage, and determination. With a multicolored blanket draped around his shoulder, he was able to bring him and the baby out of the burning housing complex by jumping off the rooftop and landing on his two feet over a jeepney—like a true superhero. This unbelievable heroic deed of his prompted the people’s clamor for him to run as mayor of Manila.</p><p>As he entered his “politician era,” our primetime hero encountered the Benito family, who resorted to abducting him in order to obtain money that they used to bail out their family member, Maki (Vince Rillon), from jail. Despite what they’d done to him, especially Fatima</p><p>(Andrea Brillantes), who hurt him and even threatened his life when she kidnapped him, Tanggol still fulfilled his promise to help them with their financial woes.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yv0KIlacnxw?si=BE17LdYiYsFZjfQE" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>He indeed came back to their house and brought them a bag of cash, which they didn’t only use to pay for Maki’s bail but also to settle their debt to Badong (James Caraan), who was pestering Fatima to go on a date with him.</p><p>But it was not only by providing them financial aid that Tanggol was able to help the Benitos, as he and his friends also helped them escape from the Guerreros and their henchmen, who were coming after them to prevent Fatima from exposing their crimes.</p><p>They might not be able to take their entire family out of danger, yet Tanggol managed to save Fatima from being killed by PLTCOL Salvador Romero (Efren Reyes Jr.), an ally of the Guerreros, via his clever and astonishing fighting skills.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KAXnj0AHTJw?si=PI_jNtLC-d-29mPQ" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>In his pursuit of justice and vengeance for the deaths of the Benito family and one of his longtime friends, Oweng (&quot;Baby Giant&quot; Baña), he and his remaining barkada were able to find allies in the Garcia family, which started when they saved its padre de familia, Mauro (Richard Quan), from being beaten to death by a group of men to whom he owed money.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LkyZiMg_K3w?si=26ej4f39A2kHxMYS" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>After that, it was Mauro’s daughter, Patrolwoman Paula “Ponggay” Garcia (Maris Racal), whom Tanggol saved from harm by helping her escape from the man who attempted to sexually assault her. As we all know, he was at the same hotel at the time for his personal mission when he heard her begging for help from one of the rooms.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D8t26AwoP9o?si=pTFSy5hB-3k5E14K" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Without knowing who it could be or what was happening, he didn’t hesitate to help her get away by tackling the perpetrator and shooting down its henchmen who tried to harm and stop them as they escaped from the scene. And that’s when the unlikely friendship and team-up between Ponggay and Tanggol started.</p><p>A few weeks later, we then saw Tropang Tanggol help Rockyboy (Baron Geisler) upon seeing him lying unconscious at a dumpster. In spite of his friends’ warning against helping someone they didn’t know, especially in that condition, Tanggol still insisted on helping the wounded stranger. They brought him to the house of Mang Donato (Director Richard V. Somes) for him to be treated and then went back the following day to check on him.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AxzdXp2ot_Y?si=QKa9qqPkzcAJ5rxf" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Little did he know that the man he saved is none other than Rockyboy (Baron Geisler), whom he assaulted after attempting to do something lascivious to Ponggay. And we could just wonder what will happen once Tanggol learns about it.</p><p>Several months after the first time that he saved a baby, Tanggol once again astounded everyone with how he was able to rescue another one in a recent episode. It happened when the ambulance that a baby and her parents were in suddenly lost control and rammed everything and everyone on its way. Upon learning that there was a family aboard, Tanggol did all that he could to chase and keep up with the vehicle, as he attempted to stop it from bringing more trouble.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdVqIw_A6kk?si=_j9zUVkpjsYg2BC9" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>The driver and his companion tried their best to control the defective ambulance, but to no avail. Thus, Tanggol decided to take over the steering wheel and eventually managed to save not just the parents but, most importantly, the baby from getting into a more serious and deadly problem.</p><p>And his latest good deed as of this writing was when he and his friends helped Nita (Susan Africa) and Marsing (Pen Medina) after they were mobbed by the furious people who were affected by the food poisoning caused by the expired goods that they offered to the Guerreros as part of the relief packs that they distributed to the fire victims.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sA3dJkTJFgc?si=UBflYhYOJ7iDQx-m" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>In spite of being scorned by them before and being blamed for the death of their daughter, Mokang (Lovi Poe), he still chose to forgive them and show concern for them by suggesting that they go somewhere far away to spare themselves from the ruthlessness of the Guerreros.</p><p>May Tanggol serve as inspiration for us to always choose to be good not only this Christmastime but all year round, as well as to spread kindness regardless of the bad things that life will throw at us.</p><p>Don’t miss an episode of “<a href="http://batangquiapo.abs-cbn.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>FPJ’s Batang Quiapo</strong></a>,” weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, <a href="https://app.iwanttfc.com/dFR6MWHAcVb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>iWant</strong></a>, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).</p>

<p>As 2025 wraps up, let’s look back on some of Tanggol’s benevolent acts in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” that will get Santa Claus put him in the “nice” list!</p>

As 2025 wraps up, let’s look back on some of Tanggol’s benevolent acts in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” that will get Santa Claus put him in the “nice” list!