Puregold Teatro Panalo unveils lineup for inaugural festival

The 12 participating plays of the first edition of Puregold Teatro Panalo have been revealed.

The plays have been chosen from over 370 submissions all over the Philippines and are set to premiere on stage during the festival period of February 20 to March 14, 2027. The selected playwrights are awarded ₱100,000 talent fees during a media conference.

The 12 finalists (eight straight plays and four musicals) of the inaugural Puregold Teatro Panalo are:

• “The Girl Scout Law” by Rhain Arabella Alcoriza
• “True to Life” by John “Sweet” Lapus
• “Trahedya ng Kamote” by Marjay S. Manalastas
• “The Boy Foretold By The Stars (One Act Play)” by Dolly Dulu
• “Nothing But Dreams” by Ricardo C. Novenario
• “Youngstunna” by Jerom Andrei M. Canlas
• “Walang Maliit na Bagay” by Joshua Lim So
• “@HOME” by Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, & J Victor Villareal
• “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista” by Jude Thaddeus M. Gitamondoc
• “Baka mali ang Tamaraw” by Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio
• “Manang-Mana Ngal” by Steven Hotchkiss
• “The Fourth Wall Has Fallen” by Heber Justin P. O’Hara

Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold Teatro Panalo Festival Chair, expressed her excitement over the historic lineup and the extraordinary response from Filipino theater artists across the country.

“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,” said Hayagan-Piedad. “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.”

Behind this landmark selection is an impressive assembly of some of the country’s most respected theater luminaries: NCCA SUDI National Music Awardee, two-time Palanca Award-winning playwright, and Festival Director Vincent A. DeJesus; two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay! Award-winning director and accomplished actor Jenny Jamora; five-time Palanca Award-winning playwright Liza Magtoto; actor, award-winning film director, and producer Marion Rivera; and theater artist, lyricist, and Palanca Awards Hall of Famer Atty. Nicolas Pichay.

Joining the team as Screening Committee members are multiple Palanca Award winners Dr. Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez, who screened the festival submissions and shortlisted the entries. Providing invaluable expertise and creative guidance to the festival is its Artistic Adviser, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee.

All 12 finalists will receive comprehensive development and production support from festival organizer Wishbone Collective Inc., transforming their winning concepts into fully staged productions. Audiences will finally get to experience these exciting new works when Puregold Teatro Panalo runs from February 20 to March 14, 2027.