Mara Clara


Mara Clara is a Philippine television drama series broadcast by ABS-CBN. Starring Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes, it aired on the network's afternoon line up from August 17, 1992 to February 14, 1997, replacing Sebya, Mahal Kita and was replaced by Esperanza. It is the second longest running drama series of ABS-CBN.
The title is derived from María Clara, the mestiza heroine of José Rizal's Noli Me Tángere. It is a first release from Dreamscape Entertainment upon its establishment in 1992.
This series is streaming online on YouTube.

Premise

Book 1

The Switched Daughters: Mara and Clara

In a shocking turn of events at birth, Mara and Clara were secretly switched, a deception meticulously documented in the diary of hospital staff member Kardo.
The fateful day began with Almira and Susan giving birth. Tragedy struck when Kardo accidentally caused the death of one of Susan's twins. To conceal his grave error, Kardo covertly swapped Almira's newborn with Susan's deceased infant, leading Amanthe to mistakenly believe their own daughter had died. Seizing this opportunity, Gary took his surviving baby and placed her with the affluent Del Valle family.
This intricate web of lies resulted in Mara, Almira's biological daughter, being raised in poverty by Susan and Gary Davis. Meanwhile, Clara, Susan and Gary's true daughter, grew up in wealth under the care of Amanthe and Almira Del Valle, setting the stage for a life of mistaken identities and concealed truths.

A Twisted Fate

The benevolent Del Valle couple unknowingly take in their biological daughter, Mara, as a servant and fund her education. This act aligns with their family's reputation for generosity and extensive philanthropic work, particularly in supporting orphanages. Beyond their charitable endeavors, the Castillo-Del Valle family also prospers in their publishing and car manufacturing businesses.
Meanwhile, Gary, a notorious gang and syndicate leader, approves of Mara living with the Del Valles, intending to extort money from them. As Mara navigates her new life, Clara, the Del Valle's adopted daughter, makes her life exceedingly difficult.
Earlier, Enrico, Almira’s adopted brother, plotted against the Del Valle family. His malicious schemes were thwarted when his leadership of a gun-running syndicate was exposed, forcing him to flee to the United States.

Gary Davis: A Web of Deceit and Criminality

Mara's life was a torment at the hands of Gary Davis. He subjected her to suffering, even orchestrating her kidnapping and a fake rescue to appear heroic. Throughout this ordeal, her adoptive mother, Susan, remained a steadfast source of love. Gary was also unfaithful to Susan, engaging in an affair with Lenita, who had a past romantic link with Amanthe.
Gary's abuse led to Susan's repeated mental breakdowns, culminating in her living as a beggar before eventually recovering. Beyond his manipulative nature, Gary rose to power as a syndicate leader, relentlessly extorting the Del Valle family and even using their money to establish his own business. Even while incarcerated, Gary, alongside inmates Waldo and later Negro, continued his criminal enterprises. At one point, Gary and Lenita conspired to dismantle the Del Valle family through elaborate schemes.

Clara: The Spoiled and Manipulative Adopted Daughter

Clara lived a pampered life as the adored adopted daughter of Almira and Amanthe, who indulged her every whim. In stark contrast to Mara, Clara was arrogant and looked down on everyone, including the household staff and adopted family members.
During Almira and Amanthe's vacation, Almira's strict and conservative cousin, Marina, managed the household. Despite her nature, Marina was easily manipulated by Clara, who mirrored her biological father Gary's cunning. While Clara briefly showed signs of conscience after learning Mara was the true Del Valle daughter, she quickly succumbed to Gary's influence, letting greed and a craving for wealth and attention consume her.

Mara: A Life of Kindness and Shifting Identities

Mara, a kind-hearted and intelligent girl, was the antithesis of Clara. Despite Susan's initial coldness, she developed a profound maternal bond with Mara, a bond stronger than any she felt for Clara. Raised by Susan and her godmothers, Ninang CG and Ninang Lagring, Mara was instilled with strong values.
As fate would have it, the Del Valle family adopted Mara and even provided her with a college scholarship, leading to Mara and Clara living under the same roof. When Clara discovered her true identity as Gary's daughter and Almira learned of this, many assumed Mara and Clara were biological siblings. This revelation, however, plunged Mara into an identity crisis, making her question her own origins and suspecting she might be the true Del Valle heir

Unraveling the Truth in Book 1

Book 1 centers on the intense conflict between Gary Davis and Kardo, as Kardo vehemently opposed Gary's malicious plots against Mara and the Del Valle family. Gary, however, cunningly manipulated the truth, falsely claiming Mara's biological mother was his ex-girlfriend, Edna.
The pivotal piece of evidence confirming Mara's true Del Valle identity was Kardo's diary. After changing hands multiple times, the diary finally reached Jepoy, who placed it in Almira's room. Upon reading it, Almira discovered the truth: Mara was her real daughter. Kardo further corroborated this revelation in a phone call to Almira, leaving no doubt.
The plot escalated with Gary's mysterious death by an unknown assailant. Speculation pointed to syndicate leader Tamaguchi, with Nakamura of the Yakuza as a suspect. Tragically, Almira fell into a coma after reading the diary and uncovering the truth about Mara.

Louie's Vengeance and the Final Reckoning

With Gary's death, his half-sister, Louie, stepped in, determined to uphold his criminal legacy. Even more notorious than Gary, Louie, recently released from prison, continued his illicit activities with numerous henchmen, including Waldo and Negro. Believing the Del Valle family responsible for Gary's death, not the syndicate, Louie sought revenge.
Louie and her niece, Clara, conspired to destroy Mara and the Del Valle family. However, Lenita refused to partake in Louie's schemes. Louie then kidnapped Mara, demanding a staggering PHP 100,000,000 ransom from Amanthe, and accidentally shot Clara during the hostage crisis. Fortunately, the police, aided by Kardo, Berting, and Simeon, rescued them, leading to Louie's arrest and injury.
In the end, good triumphed. Damages were paid, Clara apologized to Mara for her actions, and Mara forgave her. All characters ultimately found their rightful place.

Book 2

A Twisted Homecoming: Enrico's Return

After years in an American prison, Almira's evil half-brother, Enrico, returns to Metro Manila. He has undergone plastic surgery, now assuming the identity of Henry Villafuerte, and is bent on revenge against the Del Valle family, particularly Almira.
He manipulates and brainwashes Clara, urging her to continue her wicked ways and resent the Del Valles. Meanwhile, dark flashbacks haunt Almira's nightmares, and Henry fuels her torment by making her believe she orchestrated Gary's death. However, it's later revealed that Enrico/Henry was the true killer of Gary Davis.

New Threats Emerge for Mara

The story opens with Mara shot by an unknown assailant at her welcome party as a Del Valle. She is saved by Derrick, an unlicensed intern doctor and son of wealthy Dr. Federico Villa, who performs surgery. Derrick, who is in love with Mara, has a complicated life due to a forced marriage to his girlfriend, Mitch, and is a rival to Christian for Mara's affections.
Despite finally living with her true parents, Mara faces new threats. Her uncle, Henry, along with Inggrid, conspires to destroy the Del Valle family, with Inggrid attempting to seduce Amanthe. Meanwhile, Susan confronts Roy, who seeks revenge for his brother Gary's death and Louie's imprisonment. Additionally, Clara secretly schemes to claim her right as a Del Valle heiress. Fortunately, Roy is captured by the police with the help of Jun.

Escalating Tensions and Deeper Betrayals

Chaos intensifies as Henry brainwashes Clara, convincing her that Almira orchestrated Gary's death. Clara, consumed by vengeance, vows to make the Del Valle family suffer and seize their inheritance.
Adding to the turmoil, a missing diary entry suggests Mara might be the product of Almira's sexual assault by Gary, rather than Amanthe's daughter. For Mara's safety amid the escalating chaos, Almira sends her back to Susan. This deeply saddens Mara, especially when Clara manipulates Susan into believing Almira caused Gary's death. Enraged, Susan turns against the Del Valle family, while Clara's hatred intensifies, fueling her determination to blame them for her father’s fate.

Henry's Blackmail and Almira's Ordeal

Captain Esguerra discovered that Henry Villafuerte was indeed Enrico Castillo, linking him to syndicate activities. He informed Amanthe, but Almira resisted exposing Henry's identity. Her hesitation stemmed from Henry's blackmail: he threatened to reveal Gary had sexually abused her, a dark secret Almira desperately wanted to keep hidden.
Following her kidnapping, orchestrated by Henry and Ingrid, Almira was involved in a car accident. One of the two fatalities was mistakenly identified as Almira due to her ring, which the culprits had forcibly taken. Miraculously, Almira survived and was rescued by wealthy elderly couple Dante and Alicia, who coincidentally had lost a daughter, Elena, who strikingly resembled Almira.

New Connections and Resolutions

After leaving the Del Valle mansion, Mara meets David, the son of Alicia and Dante, along with Mariel and their daughter Angela.
Following a tense confrontation with the Del Valle family, Henry is shot dead by the authorities. In a separate confrontation, Clara almost kills Mara. Mara fully recovers, while Clara is admitted to a mental institution due to her severe mental conditions. The Del Valles then depart for the United States.

Cast and characters

Protagonist

Book 1

  • Paolo Contis as Jepoy
  • Christopher Roxas as Erris Reyes
  • Naty Mallares as Lola Binay
  • Ading Noche as Dado
  • Jochelle Olalia as Karen
  • Agatha Tapan as Denise
  • Carol Magallanes as Carol
  • Debbie Espileta as Debbie
  • Rolly Padilla as Simeon
  • Mariche Marquez as Che-Che
  • Daniel Fernando as Jun
  • Carol Dauden as Marina
  • Roland Sanchez as Roland
  • Romeo Pacheco as Pacheco
  • Robert Perez as Berting
  • Vincent Cebu as Negro
  • Willy Delgado as Waldo
  • Yuichiro Enomoto as Nakamura
  • Myrna Castillo as Edna

    Book 2

  • Glydel Mercado as Inggrid
  • Angelika Dela Cruz as Joyce
  • Tom Olivar as Sgt. Esguerra
  • Dinky Doo Jr. as John
  • Pocholo Montes as Dr. Federico Villa
  • Piolo Pascual as David
  • Nikka Valencia as Mariel
  • Jackie Aquino as Atty. Buencamino
  • JR Herrera as Brando
  • Raquel Montesa as Alicia
  • Dante Castro as Dante
  • Bianca Aguila as Angela
  • Arnie Lazo as Nonong
  • Solomon Credo as Rambo
  • Joseph Reyes as Udoy
  • Baron Geisler as Temyong
  • Lucy Quinto as Aling Sepa
  • Cris Daluz as Mang Bino
  • Jake Tagaso as Tata Ponso
  • Anne Villegas as Barbara
  • Errol Dionisio as Tiyong

    Other Cast Members

Book 1

  • Eva Darren as Aida
  • Whitney Tyson and Jinky Oda as Kerubin
  • Jenette Fernando as Risa
  • John Salve as Lester
  • Edward Salvador as Joe Llamera
  • Bangkay as Praning

    Book 2

  • Erika Fife as Mitch Villa
  • Nita Grandea as Bridgette
  • Xenia Absalon as Dulce
  • Francis Enriquez as Jojo
  • Lorna Lopez as Gigi

    Production

After the cancellation of Ula, Ang Batang Gubat, director Emil Cruz Jr. conceptualized a soap opera entitled "Mara Clara" and was presented to ABS-CBN for approval. Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes were handpicked by the director for the titular roles. During the early years of the soap, majority of scenes, particularly the Del Valle mansion are shot inside the studio. It was around their second year that the series started shooting on an actual location.
On May 19, 1996, cast members Eruel Tongco, Ireneo Sevilla, Joy Clarise Cojuangco and Bienvenido dela Rosa died when their vehicle fell into a ravine in Palayan while driving home from a Nueva Ecija stage presentation. To fill in the sudden demise of the actor, they introduced Louie, the previously-unspoken sibling of Gary played by Maila Gumila to continue what could have been the storyline of Gary. However in the movie version which was shot the same year, they picked William Martinez to play the role of Gary. They eventually replaced Gumila's character as main antagonist during the end of Book 1 by Henry/Enrico, played by Jeffrey Santos on their second season.

Broadcast

Timeslot

The series originally aired at 2:30 p.m. as an afternoon drama series produced by its original director Emil Cruz Jr. from August 17, 1992, until September 30, 1994, after Anna Luna. It moved to a 2:00 p.m. timeslot on October 3, 1994, when its predecessor Anna Luna moved from the said network to RPN. The show's rights was later on purchased by ABS-CBN Entertainment and was moved to an evening slot on July 1, 1996 with its reformatted as a primetime drama series, after TV Patrol to challenge RPN's Tagalog-language dub of Mexican telenovela, Marimar and Villa Quintana of GMA. It ended on February 14, 1997, to make way for Esperanza as the replacement on February 17.

Reruns

The series re-aired in 2007 by affiliates Studio 23 and Kapamilya Channel through 2008. It aired internationally in 1994 until its series finale on The Filipino Channel when it first aired as same-day airings. It then re-aired in 2007–2008 for the first time on Kapamilya Channel. The series was uploaded on Jeepney TV's YouTube Channel.

Adaptations

Film adaptation

On September 18, 1996, a movie was produced based on the television series. This was the first television series created by ABS-CBN to be adapted by Star Cinema.
In the film, Gary Davis' character was changed. It was portrayed by Eruel Tongco in the series, while William Martinez played the role in the film due to Tongco's death from a car accident in 1996.
Additionally, Qureubin was originally portrayed by Whitney Tyson in the series but Jinky Oda portrayed the character in the film following a series of bullying cases to Tyson during shoots leading eventually to her withdrawal from the series.

Remake

During the ABS-CBN trade event held on August 24, 2010, at the World Trade Center Manila, it was announced that a remake of the series will start its production in 2010. Kathryn Bernardo is slated for the role of Mara, with Julia Montes as Clara. It aired on ABS-CBN from October 25, 2010, to June 3, 2011.

Difference between series and movie

Reception

The series had its highest rating of 45% in one of its episode in 1994, it is considered as one of the highest rating Filipino TV series of all time.
The TV series made waves through most of the Filipino audience and being called by ABS-CBN as, "Ina ng Pinoy Soap Opera" owing to the series' huge success.
The highly-overt antagonism of Gladys Reyes' main antagonist character, Clara, by way of her violent actions done throughout the series against Judy's character, Mara, had provoked a huge reaction on those who viewed the show's protagonist Mara, more favorably, such to the point that Gladys Reyes had earned the title "Bella Flores of the 90's".