''Once Upon a Time in Manila'' is a 1994

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

action comedy film co-written and directed by Tony Y. Reyes. The film stars Vic Sotto, who co-wrote the story, and Cynthia Luster.

Plot

Vic Sotto plays a

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

tanod who always seems to have a knack for saving the local folks from dangerous situations, just in the nick of time. Cynthia Luster is Lt. Cynthia Wang, is a

Royal Hong Kong Police The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the t ...

on the look-out for Nikita, the infamous gang leader. Amparo Lagman (

Gloria Sevilla Gloria Sevilla (January 31, 1932 – April 16, 2022) was a Filipino film actress. Career Sevilla was heralded as the "Queen of Visayan Movies" for her screen portrayal legacy in Visayan-made movies in the Philippines during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

), working as a domestic helper, becomes the unwitting target of the Nikita's gang when she comes into possession of some important documents and papers. Nikita follows her to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, along with Lt. Cynthia Wang who is in pursuit of Nikita. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as everyone gets swept up in a tale of international espionage with a dash of love and romance thrown into the crazy mix.

Cast

* Vic Sotto as Jet Lagman * Cynthia Luster as Lt. Cynthia Wang *

as Amparo Lagman *

Tiya Pusit Tiya Pusit (born Myrna Villanueva; March 23, 1948 – October 2, 2014) was a Filipino movie and television actress and comedian. She is best known for her role in the 1980s sitcom ''Eh, Kasi Babae''. Personal life Pusit was the sister of actre ...

as Panchang *

Ruby Rodriguez Ruby Rodriguez (born January 10, 1966) is a Filipino actress and one of the former hosts of the Philippine noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!''. Career Rodriguez originally started her career as a preschool teacher, later appearing in a recu ...

as Carnap Victim * Babalu as Carnapper *

Rio Diaz Rio Díaz-Cojuangco (; born Rosario Aspillera Díaz; 14 August 1959 – 4 October 2004), was a Filipino beauty queen, television presenter, actress and politician. The sister of former Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Díaz, she was diagnosed with stag ...

as Supermarket Cashier * Yoyong Martirez as Dong * Val Sotto as Sgt. Beltran *

Larry Silva Hilarion "Larry" Cuenca Silva (October 21, 1937 – April 27, 2004), also known as Pipoy, was a Filipino comedian, film actor, television personality, boxer and politician. He started as an amateur boxer before being discovered in the show busi ...

as Chairman Shepherd * Ritchie Reyes as Tom Crus * Yoyoy Villame as 'Bai *

Mely Tagasa Abimaela Palomo Tagasa (April 16, 1935 – March 24, 2018), better known as Mely Tagasa, was a Filipino actress, screenwriter and dubbing producer. She was widely known for playing Miss Tapia in the sitcoms ''Baltic & Co.'' ( GMA) and ''Iskul B ...

as Salome Yu *

Romy Diaz Jose Romeo Bustillos Diaz (November 28, 1940 – May 10, 2005) was a Filipino actor. He performed in films such as ''Ang Maestro'' (1981), ''The Impossible Kid'' (1982), ''Gising Na... Ang Higanteng Natutulog'' (1995) and ''Si Samson at Si Deli ...

as Mario *

Charlie Davao Charles Wahib "Charlie" Valdez Davao (October 7, 1934 – August 8, 2010) was a Filipino actor known for roles in film and television. Early life Born Carlos Wahib Davao y Valdez in Iloilo City of a Filipino mestizo of Spanish and Arab descent ...

as Luigi

References

External links

* {{Tony Y. Reyes 1994 action comedy films 1994 films Philippine action comedy films 1990s Tagalog-language films Harvest International Films films M-Zet Productions films Films directed by Tony Y. Reyes