MANILA, Philippines — From a total of 373 submissions for the first Puregold Teatro Panalo, the 12 finalists were announced at Gateway Mall today, Oct. 14.
The eight one-act plays and four musicals are “The Girl Scout Law" by Rhain Alcoriza; “True to Life" by John Lapus; "Trahedya ng Kamote" by Marjay Manalastas; “The Boy Foretold by the Stars (One-Act Play)” by Dolly Dulu; “Nothing but Dreams" by Ricardo Novenario; "Youngstunna" by Jerom Canlas; “Walang Maliit na Bagay" by Joshua Lim So; "@HOME" by Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael lan Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, and J Victor Villareal; “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista" by Jude Thaddeus Gitamondoc; "Baka Mali ang Tamaraw” by Emmanuel Antonio; “Manang-Mana Nga!" by Steven Hotchkiss and Jay Pangilinan; and “The Fourth Wall has Fallen" by Heber O'Hara.
Each finalist was awarded a P100,000 talent fee to officially mark the start of their journey.
“For this incubation-based theater festival of one-act plays, there were entries from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, Dumaguete and even Arizona in the United States,” said Vincent de Jesus, two-time Palanca Award-winning playwright and festival director.
Despite this, Gitamondoc and his musical “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista” appears to be the only regional finalist. In an interview with the Cebu-based writer after the announcement, he said he has been writing since 2002 “but this is the first time I’ve ever entered and won in a contest like this.”
“Ang Maayong Balita” is about a gay man who enters the seminary for less than holy reasons. “He follows the man he loves only the realize something about himself and his faith once he’s inside the seminary,” Gitamondoc told The Manila Times.
De Jesus said Teatro Panalo is not the first theater fest of its kind but credited Puregold for creating the platform for more creatives “to continue to be brave and to tell their stories.”
“With Teatro Panalo, ordinary people [like] those who shop at Puregold will now get a chance to watch live theater. Because there are some stories that are best experienced live,” said festival chair Ivy Hayangan-Piedad.
The 12 finalists were chosen by a selection committee that included playwright and festival director De Jesus, director and actor Jenny Jamora, playwright Liza Magtoto, film director and producer Marlon Rivera, and theater artist and lyricist Nicolas Pichay.
Joining the team as Screening Committee members were Palanca winners Dr. Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez, who screened the festival submissions and shortlisted the entries. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee provided invaluable expertise and creative guidance as artistic adviser.
The inaugural theater festival is the latest artistic project of grocery chain Puregold, which held its annual movie and short film festival CinePanalo earlier this month.
“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,” Hayangan-Piedad said.
Puregold Teatro Panalo will run from February 20 to March 14, 2027.