Teatro Panalo unveils 12 finalists for inaugural theater festival
MANILA — Teatro Panalo has announced the 12 finalists for its inaugural festival, selecting eight straight plays and four musicals from 373 submissions nationwide.
The entries underwent screening and evaluation by some of the country’s most respected theater practitioners, who assessed the submissions for compelling stories, fresh voices and bold creative visions.
“It was encouraging to see how many Filipino storytellers are eager to share their work, and it made choosing only 12 plays especially difficult. They remind us how much Filipino theater has to offer; how live experiences offer authentic connections, and how important it is to create more opportunities for these stories to find their audience,” Puregold Teatro Panalo festival chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad said.
“With Puregold Teatro Panalo, we hope to give these works the stage they deserve and, in our own way, help Philippine theater continue to grow,” she added.
The festival’s selection panel included festival director Vincent A. DeJesus, a National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) SUDI National Music Awardee and two-time Palanca Award-winning playwright; Jenny Jamora, a two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay! Award-winning director and actor; five-time Palanca Award-winning playwright Liza Magtoto; actor, film director and producer Marlon Rivera; and theater artist, lyricist and Palanca Awards Hall of Famer Atty. Nicolas Pichay.
Multiple Palanca Award winners Dr. Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez served as screening committee members, reviewing submissions and shortlisting entries. Meanwhile, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee served as the festival’s artistic adviser.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa screening committee… Binasa talaga nila isa-isa,” deJesus said. “Wala kami particulat na hinahanap… pero pag nakita namin ‘ito yung hinahanap namin! When you know you know.”
The selected playwrights received P100,000, marking the start of their participation in the first Puregold Teatro Panalo festival.
The 12 finalists are:
1. Youngstunna — Jerom Andrei Canlas
2. The Girl Scout Law — Rhain Arabella Arcoliza
3. Baka Mali ang Tamaraw — Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio
4. Trahedya ng Kamote — Marjay S. Manalastas
5. True to Life — John “Sweet” Lapus
6. Manang Mana Nga! — Steven Hotchkiss and Nay Pangilnan
7. Walang Maliit na Bagay — Joshua Lim So
8. Nothing But Dreams — Ricardo Novenario
9. The Fourth Wall Has Fallen — Heber Justin O’Hara
10. The Boy Foretold by the Stars (One Act Play) — Dolly Dulu
11. @Home — Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias and J. Victor Villareal
12. Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista — Jude Thaddeus Gitamondoc
The eight straight plays and four musicals are set to take the stage during the inaugural festival on February 20, 2027.