PHILIPPINE DRAMA: Pangako Sa’yo
Brief Outline
Also known as: The Promise
Genre: Drama, Romance
Created by: ABS-CBN
Developed by: Star Cinema
Written by: Emman dela Cruz
Ted Boborol
Michiko Yamamoto
Directed by: Jerry Lopez-Sineneng
Tots Sanchez-Mariscal
Trina N.Dayrit
Rory B. Quintos
Creative director: Olivia M. Lamasan
Starring: Kristine Hermosa
Jericho Rosales
Eula Valdez
Jean Garcia
Theme music composer: Rey Valera
Opening theme: "Pangako Sa 'Yo" by Vina Morales
No. of seasons: 2
No. of episodes: 481
Executive producer: Ellen Nicholas Criste
Running time: 30-45 minutes
Production company: Star Creatives
Original network: ABS-CBN
Original release: November 13, 2000 – September 20, 2002
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About the Philippine Drama: Pangako Sa’Yo
Pangako Sa 'Yo (Lit: Promise to You / English: The Promise) is a primetime soap opera series
produced and broadcast by the Philippine television network ABS-CBN. It is dubbed the first
"teleserye" on Philippine television, as well as the first ever Philippine television series to be broadcast
outside of the country. It starred Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales.
The soap, which ran from November 13, 2000 to September 20, 2002, spanned 481 episodes
at 30 minutes each then replaced by Bituin. The show posted an all-time high rating of 64.9% during
its September 2002 series finale, posting the country's second highest rating for any episode by a TV
series next to Esperanza, and the highest rated finale episode for any Filipino TV series. A remake
was produced in 2015, starring Angelica Panganiban, Ian Veneracion, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel
Padilla, and Jodi Sta. Maria, who had also starred in the original series.
Awards and Recognitions
Asian Television Awards 2001: Runner Up - Best Drama Series
Asian Television Awards 2001: Highly Commended - Best Direction (Long Form)
15th PMPC Star Awards for Television: Best TV Series
15th PMPC Star Awards for Television: Best Actress - Eula Valdez
16th PMPC Star Awards for Television: Best Actress - Jean Garcia
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Summary
Amor de Jesus works as a maid at Hacienda Buenavista. The family is known to be elite as
they have wide influence to the mass and is prone for the politicians in order to gain votes. Doña
Benita has two sons who are Eduardo and Diego Buenavista. Later at time, it was proved that Amor
and Eduardo have an intimate relationship from which Doña Benita opposes since Amor was a
housemaid and because she wanted Eduardo to marry Claudia Zalameda for political reasons. And
so she plans how to separate the two with his eldest son, Diego. Diego who is also attracted to Amor
raped her and was seen by Eduardo. Broken hearted, he mistook it leading to the decision of marring
Claudia. The now pregnant Amor was banished from the Hacienda and decided to return to her
mother who was living at the Payatas dumpsite in Manila. After learning the marriage of Eduardo
and Claudia, she vows a revenge to Buenavista family.
After giving birth to her daughter, María Amor, Amor and her friend, Lourdes, survived by
working in clubs. Amor caught the eye of a rich American named James Powers, who brings her to
the United States. She leaves Maria Amor and her mother, Chayong, behind at the dumpsite and
sends money to them from time to time. James Powers proves abusive towards Amor, forbidding her
from returning home when a landslide hit the dumpsite. Amor, thinking that her mother and daughter
had died, and in retaliation for all his abuses towards her, does not get her husband medical help when
he suffered a stroke. James Powers dies and Amor inherits his fortune.
Going back to the Buenavista, Eduardo and Claudia have two children who are Angelo and
Lia Buenavista while Eduardo is the governor of the Punta Verde and Claudia has become the ever-
elusive queen of gambling in the same place. Angelo grew up as a rebel hating his father while his
sister is a sweet, devout Catholic teenager who cares for the feelings of her loved ones. Claudia thought
the forever happiness of her not thinking of the anomalies she committed in the past.
Unexpectedly, Maria Amor survives the landslide and is adopted by Isko and Belen Macaspac.
They named her “Ynamorata” upon seeing it as a signed at the drawings Eduardo made for Amor
near the body of Maria Amor. Isko and Belen later have other children: Caloy, who hates Yna, and
teenager Flerida.
Twenty years later, Yna and Eduardo accidentally meet, and Yna dreams of Doña Benita
showing her that her past lies in the Buenavista family. Before the death Doña Benita, she regretted
her decision in forcing her son Eduardo to marry Claudia for she turns to be cruel to her. On her
deathbed she tries to explain that she is the one who broke the relationship of Eduardo and Amor but
was not able to do so. As Yna was intrigued by her dreams, she gets a job working as a maid at
Eduardo’s house from where she later found the man of her life, Angelo. Claudia, feeling of much
frustration and annoyance, makes the life of Yna living in a hell.
Meanwhile, Amor turns back to the Philippines after making name for herself in the world of
business in U.S. She has this luggage full of plans in her revenge on Buenavistas who she blames for
her past sufferings as well as the assumed death of her daughter, Maria Amor.
Conflict arises when it was revealed that the father of Yna was Eduardo and so Angelo is her
half-sibling until later discovered that Angelo’s biological father was not Eduardo, nor Simon
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(Claudia’s former lover) but it is Diego (who was also revealed to be adopted), who fathered Angelo
with a poor woman named Thelma, who had died.
It also turns out that Claudia had a daughter with Simon. Claudia's father switched the babies
after Doña Benita demanded a male heir (the boy that replaced the girl was revealed to be Angelo).
The daughter was Clarissa and she was raised by an old woman named Puríng as Maria Amor. Puring
had Clarissa believe she was Maria Amor de Jesus, the daughter of Amor.
Thinking that Clarissa was the daughter of Amor, Claudia kills her and later finds out the girl’s
true identity and was deeply crushed. With this she develops much anger towards Amor. With her
servants and Coring, she planned to kill the entire Buenavista at Yna and Angelo’s wedding. She holds
a gun pointing the family but everyone especially Angelo and Lia made her realized how important
she is to them and how she should bring out the goodness in her. And so, upon realizing everything,
Angelo and Lia give her hug and with everyone at the wedding. People from the wedding especially
Amor and Angelo also asked forgiveness from Claudia, which she immediately accepted. While she
was kneeling in front of everyone, she sees Clarissa's spirit at the altar and begs forgiveness. Claudia
was forgiven by everyone but because of her past crimes, she was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment.
And a little while later, Amor gave her Clarissa's ashes.
After five years, major characters turned to be happy and reunited with their true loves. Yna
becomes pregnant and marries Angelo, Claudia meets her granddaughter from Lia and also she
marries Simon inside the prison. As for Amor and Eduardo, they married each other after 27 years of
unbreakable love.
Major Characters
• Yna Macaspac-Buenavista / Maria Amor de Jesus
(Kristine Hermosa)
Daughter of Amor and Eduardo. She lives with her grandmother at
Payatas dump site before the landslide happens. She was adopted by Isko and
Belen and grew up in a humble and simple lady. Her character remains a
mystery until Doña Benita hunts her in her dreams.
At the end of the story, she finds contentment and happiness in her
biological family and marries the man she loves.
• Amor de Jesus-Powers / Amor de Jesus-Buenavista (Eula
Valdez)
Maid of Buenavistas who fell in love with her señorito Eduardo where
she got pregnant. On her class status, she is not to love him and so take it
secretly and was revealed later at the story which sends her life in hell. Her
love for him will be crushed by greed, forcing her to live a life of misery
and an endless search for revenge.
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• Angelo Buenavista / Nathaniel de la Merced (Jericho
Rosales)
Angelo is a boy disturbed by his own principles and of his family's
disposition leading him to a consistent emotional battle with his parents,
governor Eduardo and Madam Claudia. But his life will take a drastic turn when
he meets Yna, a worker in the hacienda. In the end, he was revealed to be the
biological son of Diego (Eduardo's adoptive brother) with his mistress Thelma.
• Madam Claudia Zalameda-Buenavista / Claudia Zalameda-
Barcial (Jean Garcia)
The daughter of a political family whose wealth could save the falling
empire of the Buenavistas. Arranged to be married to Eduardo, Doña Benita
will soon taste the wrath of a bitter Claudia. In the end, it was revealed that
Angelo was not her son and instead was the mother of a girl named Clarissa
(sired with Simon).
• Gov. Eduardo Buenavista (Tonton Gutierrez)
Humble, supportive and obedient son of Doña Benita. He fell in
love with a housemaid and later blinded by misinterpretation, sacrifice his
love and marries a woman he never loves. His character can be
manipulated by wrong doings of people around him which is not
characteristic of being in upper class. At the end of the story, he finds
himself committed to his real love Amor after seeing her.
• Diego Buenavista (Jestoni Alarcon)
The eldest son of the Buenavistas. Although the first-born, he always
tries to win his mother's heart but is constantly rejected. He lives a life full of
envy and deep hatred for his brother Eduardo who always gets the best of
everything, including the love of Amor. In the end, it was proven that he was
an adopted son of Doña Benita and that he was the biological father of
Angelo with his former mistress Thelma.
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•Lia Buenavista-Mobido (Jodi Sta. Maria)
The kindhearted daughter of Eduardo and Claudia. Lia bears the pain
of being unloved by her own mother. She later falls for Jonathan, a young
catechist who gives her the strength to go on living. Lia later finds out that she
is in a terminal stage of cancer, which is why she and Jonathan confessed their
feelings for each other, then later got married. In the latter part, they bore a
daughter before she died peacefully.
Minor Characters
• Jonathan Mobido (Patrick Garcia)
In the awareness of the call of God, he was became caught between
saving souls and following his heart's desire, Lia Buenavista. At the end, he
was not able to fight his heart and later marries Lia and has a child before
Lia’s death.
• Bea Bianca Bejerrano / Electrika
Powers (Vanessa del Bianco)
A balikbayan who make the lives of Angelo and Yna miserable.
She will do anything to keep a man right where she wants him. She is
later found out to be the long-lost biological daughter of James Powers
(Amor's late husband). Later, she ended up in a mental hospital.
• Maria Amor de Jesus / Clarissa Barcial (Dianne dela
Fuente)
She was later revealed to be the biological daughter of Claudia and
Simon Barcial. She was manipulated by an old woman named Puring,
making her believe that she was Maria Amor, the daughter of Amor and
Eduardo. When she had her DNA tested, Mark faked the result, it came out
as positive to Amor and Eduardo. This prompted Claudia to kill her as an act
of revenge against Amor. Claudia later learns of Clarissa's true identity and is
deeply crushed with regret.
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• Belen Macaspac (Eva Darren)
Wife to Isko and mother to Caloy, Belen takes Yna under her wing
and treats her as her own.
• Francisco "Isko" Macaspac (Cris Daluz)
Isko is the father of two girls and Caloy who, in spite of their
impoverished state, still had the heart to adopt Yna. He is stricken with the
deadly Alzheimer's disease.
• Betty Mae Verseles (Evangeline Pascual)
Amor's trusted and kind-hearted friend who helps her every step of the
way. She is also Yna's helper and manager.
• Coring (Minnie Aguilar)
The faithful "pet" of Claudia who obeys all her "idol's" dark
commands just to please her. Despite Claudia being so rude and evil,
she still holds up with her along the way.
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Themes
Revenge
Story line opens by introducing a housemaid Amor de Jesus who got pregnant by his señorito
and later raped by his brother and accused of her unfaithful love to him. This is enough reason for the
character to lead into a revenge. Revenge in its word makes sense by the fact that she did things to be
successful and get back to give sufferings to the family who brings her life in hell in early part of the
story.
Amor de Jesus from “rags to riches” life was able to make revenge possible. She succeeded at
the end earning all the things they stole from her. This was portrayed dramatically in the scenes of
Pangako Sa’Yo by Eula Valdez who is a great actress and effective artist.
Family
All throughout the scenes of the drama, family has given utmost importance to the point that
sacrifices have been made in order to sustain the bond that makes the family tight. Up to the family of
Doña Benita to the family of De Jesus and Macaspac, family bond remains important and a priority.
Even the revenge made by Amor Powers, reason lies in her family. Because of family, she was
able to get into the place and deliver sufferings to another family.
Every character is driven to the fact that family is of importance and also no matter what it
takes, family should forgive and accept dues in order to continue the life they wanted. That is in nature
in the Philippine situation, Filipinos are known to be hospitable and family centered people.
Love
“Love conquers all” is the only thing visible to the love story of Angelo and Yna. No matter
what it takes, love takes risk. It is the fight that will conquer all. At the beginning of the drama, love
arises as the biggest factor for the existence of conflict. This leads to the major theme and message of
the story. Upon knowing that Angelo and Yna are siblings which is not true, the lovers suffer so much
and it has been ended when the truth was revealed which sets them free. In these scenes, love prevails
in the actions of the characters. It is all after all the actions in the story-that love has the power to
change everything.
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Socio-Feminist Analysis
OF THE PHILIPPINE DRAMA: Pangako Sa’Yo
Story evolves in the status quo among the characters and the gender of the lead character.
Amor De Jesus Powers is the great representation of a reborn female individual from being oppressed
to being oppressor.
At the beginning its nothing but her social status as a proletariat needed to be blamed of her
forbidden love to a bourgeoisie. Despite of their classes in the society they are able to define their
selves as in love with each other. Truly can be called love has no boundary. Due to this, as a mother,
Doña Benita needed to protect her business and politics involvement not letting her son Eduardo to
be blinded by his love to a housemaid Amor. She succeeded and obliges her son to marry a woman
whose status is the same with theirs – Claudia. This gives proof to the fact that rich is to rich and poor
is to poor. And that is what encircling to the society. Poor have no place in comfortable bed, they have
no place to live in a palace not being housemaids, gardeners, and drivers. Proletariat should be on the
garage and should eat the left overs. Indeed, these were experienced by many Filipinos all over the
world which was greatly portrayed by Amor.
Accusation kicks Amor out of the Hacienda. She was not given a chance to be heard by people
around her even Eduardo which leads to herself turning to someone unbelievable. She went home to
her mother at Payatas, leaves her daughter to them and work in clubs with her friend. She was abused
by her husband Powers but was able to win back not sustaining his medical health then suffered from
stroke and dies. This is the beginning that Amor Powers turns to a super woman from being a
housemaid.
What more interesting with this woman is that she has one word similar with the attitude of
man. This happens when she went back to Payatas and saw the wrecked house of theirs where her
parents die and assumes that her daughter also dies. This heart felting scene breaks each viewer’s heart
especially when she delivers “Matitikman ninyo ang batas ng isang alipin” referring to the Buenavistas.
This is the beginning of “revenge” as theme of the drama.
This drama gives opportunities for the sleeping women to wake up and live with the life they
should have. Women are not born to be treated this way; they are mothers not slaves forever; they are
not sleeping but awake; they are not blind but patient to put all things in tears; women should stand,
should fight, and must be reformed.
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