Bayani () is a Philippine educational television series produced by ABS-CBN in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).
The show revolves around two Grade 4 to 6 school children who discovers a cave where they meet an old man who tasks them to go back in time to relive certain events to witness the heroism of select figures in Philippine history.
During its original run, the show airs every weekends (formerly Wednesday) on ABS-CBN from 1995 to 2001.
The Department of Education has endorsed Bayani, together with the other educational television shows developed by ABS-CBN Foundation (formerly ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation), as part of regular class activities.
Background
Bayani dramatizes historical events and the lives of Filipino historical heroes as well as their accomplishments from the perspective of elementary/middle school students named Noli, Aya, and Ana, and later Manuel, Rolan, and Lisa, who magically travel back in time to retrieve historical items for an elderly person. Their travels enable them to meet famous Filipino heroes including José Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Jacinto, Melchora Aquino, Antonio Luna, Diego Silang and his wife, Gabriela Silang, Teresa Magbanua, Josefa Llanes Escoda, Gomburza, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Gregorio del Pilar, Hermano Pule, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Lapulapu, Macario Sakay, Datu Ali, Jose Abad Santos amongst others.
The series also delved into the lives of leading lights in Philippine arts and literature, including Aurelio Tolentino, Francisco Balagtas, Juan Luna, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Atang de la Rama, Nicanor Abelardo and Francisca Reyes-Aquino. In comparison to other educational series, the show discussed the important contributions of contemporary heroes primarily on various aspects of civics education including Ermin Garcia on the freedom of the press, Sajid Bulig on the importance of the youth, Roselle Ambubuyog on the rights of persons with disabilities, Rhona Mahilum on the importance of family, and Fely Tatlonghari on the rights of suffrage (voting rights). The series also placed importance on the heroes and martyrs of the Marcos' martial law regime particularly on the episodes on Ditto Sarmiento, Remberto "Bobby" de la Paz, and Macli-ing Dulag. It has also featured several episodes on the collective heroism of people, including the Battle of Balangiga, the Mutiny of the Tayabas Regiment, the Women of Malolos, the Philex miners during the 1990 Luzon earthquake, Beth Baybayan's DSWD team during the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Main setting
The first episode of the show had Noli and his friend Aya, both fourth graders, hiding in a mountain cave while fleeing from a gang of bullies during their walk home from school. In the cave, a chains-bound elderly man (Rolando Tinio) meets them and presents himself as the hermit guardian of the cave which holds the memories of Philippine history and the spirit of the country. He then reveals that Noli and Ana were destined to discover the mysterious cave and are chosen ones of pure heart to access a heavy book known as "Aklat ng Kasaysayan" (Book of History). The Guardian then sends them on a magical adventure through time to retrieve various lost and stolen historical items from different time periods. At the end of each travel, the two schoolchildren return with the artifacts (in the case of the first episode, the first fan made by Andres Bonifacio) and presents them to the guardian, who later becomes a grandfather figure to the children.
Throughout the series, the main setting for the beginning and ending of each episodes is a cave and elderly person is a male. An elderly woman appeared in the next few episodes and also becomes a grandmother figure to the children. After Tinio's death in 1997, the elderly woman becomes a mainstay guardian to the children who regularly visit the cave and also becomes the cave's secret holder, while retaining the Book of History.
In the later episodes, the show departed from the cave setting to newer areas such as the Museo Pambata although the Book of History is still retained. An example of this change is reflected in the Rhona Mahilum episode; the show begins in a forest where Noli and Ana camp, while the adult guardian is an aunt of theirs and the ending is set in the hospital where the episode's title character is admitted.