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Teatro Panalo aims to discover and support authentic Filipino voices and stories (AI generated image)
Puregold is opening the stage to Filipino playwrights with Teatro Panalo, an inaugural theater festival aimed at discovering, developing, and staging original one-act plays and musicals.
Produced and organized by Wishbone Collective Inc. and presented by Puregold, the incubation theater festival will give emerging and established playwrights an opportunity to develop their work with professional dramaturgical guidance, production resources, and audience engagement.
Twelve original works, eight straight plays and four musicals, will be selected for full production as part of the festival. Each selected playwright will receive P100,000 in financial compensation.
Following the festival, one straight play and one musical will receive full-length development grants to further develop their works toward eventual commercial production.
“Through Teatro Panalo, we hope to be present in another meaningful way by creating spaces where people can come together, exchange new ideas, and see Filipino artistry come to life on stage,” said Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, senior marketing manager of Puregold.
Hayagan-Piedad said the project reflects the company’s view of community service as something that extends beyond its stores.
“Being of service to a community is not limited to what happens inside our stores,” she said. “It also means listening to what matters to people and supporting experiences that help communities feel seen, connected, and represented.”
Festival director Vincent de Jesus said Teatro Panalo will focus on both promising playwrights and original material.
“We’re looking for authentic voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that deserve to be seen on the stage,” De Jesus said.
The festival is open to amateur and professional Filipino playwrights who are at least 18 years old at the time of application. Entries may be written in Filipino or English and must be original one-act works, either straight plays or musicals.
Adaptations, translations, and AI-generated creative works are not eligible. Submissions are welcome across genres, styles, and theatrical forms but should be written for approximately 35 to 40 minutes of stage performance.
Applicants must submit a completed one-act script, synopsis, logline, playwright’s development vision, and supporting documents. Musical entries must also include demo recordings.
Submissions are open until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 11, 2026.
The selection process will begin with a shortlist of 16 straight plays and eight musicals, to be announced Oct. 6. Shortlisted playwrights will then present their works to the Selection Committee from Oct. 14 to 16.
The final lineup of eight straight plays and four musicals will be announced Oct. 16.
Selected playwrights will enter Wishbone’s professional incubation program, which includes dramaturgical guidance and production support. Their works will then be staged before live audiences during the inaugural Teatro Panalo festival, scheduled for February to March 2027.
“Original stories have always shaped communities, reflected generations, and inspired change,” De Jesus said. “With Puregold Teatro Panalo, the next great Filipino play may be waiting behind an unopened script.”
Complete festival mechanics, eligibility requirements, and application details are available through the official Puregold Teatro Panalo submission form: https://bit.ly/PGTeatroPanalo.
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Credit belongs to: www.manilastandard.net
