MANILA — Aiming to create broader avenues for emerging writers in the country’s growing performing arts scene, the newly established Teatro Panalo has announced the 12 finalist plays selected for its debut staging.
Chosen from a massive pool of 373 submissions nationwide, the official roster features eight straight plays and four musicals. Each finalist playwright is set to take home a ₱100,000 talent fee, while one winning straight play and one winning musical will secure additional funding to develop into full-length productions.
The eight straight plays tackling distinct narratives include Rhain Arabella Alcoriza’s “The Girl Scout Law,” which begins with a discovery at camp that changes a young scout’s life; John “Sweet” Lapus’ “True to Life,” exploring LGBTQ+ emotional struggles; and Marjay Manalastas’ “Trahedya ng Kamote,” a story of poverty and anger centering on municipal workers.
Other featured straight plays are Dolly Dulu’s “The Boy Foretold By The Stars (One Act Play)”; Ricardo C. Novenario’s “Nothing But Dreams”; Jerom Andrei M. Canlas’ “Youngstunna”; Joshua Lim So’s “Walang Maliit na Bagay”; and “@HOME,” a collaborative work by Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, Wenah Nagales, and J. Victor Villareal.
Meanwhile, the four musical finalists offer equally diverse plots: Jude Thaddeus M. Gitamondoc’s “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista”; Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio’s rap-infused “Baka Mali ang Tamaraw”; Steven Hotchkiss and Jay Pangilinan’s family inheritance comedy “Manang-Mana Nga!”; and Heber Justin P. O’Hara’s multi-dimensional story “The Fourth Wall Has Fallen.”
Festival chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad emphasized that the overwhelming number of entries highlights the remarkable breadth of local creative talent and the necessity for more platforms dedicated to original scripts.
“The volume of submissions reflects the depth of Filipino storytelling talent and the need for more venues for original work,” Hayagan-Piedad said.
Guiding the initiative are festival director Vincent de Jesus, along with selection panel members Jenny Jamora, Liza Magtoto, Marlon Rivera, and Nicolas Pichay. The screening committee consisted of Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez, with National Artist Ricky Lee serving as the festival’s artistic adviser.
Backed by Puregold and produced and developed by Wishbone Collective Inc., the inaugural Teatro Panalo festival is scheduled to run from February 20 to March 14, 2027.