Mc Richard Paglicawan
Puregold, in partnership with Wishbone Collective Inc., has announced the 12 finalists of the inaugural Puregold Teatro Panalo, a new theater festival dedicated to showcasing original Filipino stories and supporting the next generation of local playwrights.
The finalists were revealed during an event at Gateway Mall Cinema 16 in Quezon City on October 14, following a nationwide call for submissions that attracted 373 original works. The selected lineup consists of eight straight plays and four musicals, each set to receive a ₱100,000 production grant and a full theatrical staging during the festival.
Among the notable finalists are comedian and playwright John “Sweet” Lapus, whose work ‘True to Life’ made the cut, and playwright Dolly Dulu, whose ‘The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ (One Act Play) will be presented in its original theatrical form.
Lapus expressed relief and excitement after learning that his play had been selected, sharing his signature humor while acknowledging the anxiety he felt before the announcement.
“Salamat, Teatro Panalo, di ako huli! Kasi ihing-ihi na ako. Kabang-kaba na ako,” Lapus said, joking that he had even practiced pretending to faint the night before.
He also thanked the festival for giving playwrights a platform to present their work, adding, “Sa mga tulad kong playwright na baliw, binigyan niyo kami ng venue para ipakita ang aming kabaliwan.”
Dulu, meanwhile, described the selection as a breakthrough after being shortlisted in previous competitions without advancing further.
“Na-break na iyung curse ng pagiging shortlisted ko forever,” Dulu said.
The playwright revealed that ‘The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ was originally written while he was studying at Ateneo a decade ago. The work later served as the source material for the film of the same title.
Dulu said he hopes the play will empower openly gay and femme young people and encourage acceptance in matters of love and identity.
“Okay lang magmahal at mahalin mo kung sino yung gusto mong mahalin because you know, love is not based on gender but is based on human experiences. And everybody is human, and everybody is born to love,” he said.
The selected works and their creators are:
- The Girl Scout Law — Rhain Arabella Alcoriza
- True to Life — John “Sweet” Lapus
- Trahedya ng Kamote — Marjay S. Manalastas
- The Boy Foretold by the Stars (One Act Play) — Dolly Dulu
- Nothing But Dreams — Ricardo C. Novenario
- Youngstunna — Jerom Andrei M. Canlas
- Walang Maliit na Bagay — Joshua Lim So
- @HOME — Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, Wenah Nagales, and J Victor Villareal
- Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista — Jude Thaddeus M. Gitamondoc
- Baka mali ang Tamaraw — Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio
- Manang-Mana Nga! — Steven Hotchkiss and Jay Pangilinan
- The Fourth Wall Has Fallen — Heber Justin P. O’Hara
Festival Chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad said the volume of submissions demonstrated the enthusiasm of Filipino storytellers, making the selection process particularly challenging.
“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,” Hayagan-Piedad said.
Festival Director Vincent A. DeJesus, an NCCA SUDI Awardee and Palanca-winning playwright, led the festival’s screening committee. The panel also included theater director and actor Jenny Jamora, five-time Palanca Award-winning playwright Liza Magtoto, actor and filmmaker Marlon Rivera, and theater artist and Palanca Awards Hall of Famer Atty. Nicolas Pichay.
Palanca Award winners Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez also served on the screening committee, while National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee serves as the festival’s artistic adviser.
Beyond financial support, the 12 selected playwrights will participate in script development workshops with Writersbloc, Inc. and the festival’s creative team. Their works will receive full theatrical stagings during the festival’s run from February 20 to March 14, 2027.
At the conclusion of the festival, one straight play and one musical will each receive an additional development grant to help transform the selected work into a full-length theatrical production.
