TP: Review of SAYAW NG MGA ILAW: Peace and Positivity in Pandanggo

September 19, 2026

Kala (Ynna Rafa) was performing in a folk dance number with her school organization. In the audience that night were her parents Tatay Ondeng (Noel Rayos) and Nanay Lucia (Shiela Valderrama), and her younger sister Laya (Wincess Jem Yana). While Kala and her group was dancing the pandanggo sa ilaw, Laya was fascinated how the dancers kept those glasses with lit candles securely balanced on their heads while spinning around. 

As a high school senior, Kala was very active in their school paper, writing poetry and essays. The year was 1981. Kala wrote an article about the recent lifting of Martial Law, and reflected if there was indeed any changes in Filipino society since then. Her friend and school paper staff Tony (Earvin Estioco) warned her to reconsider the language she used in her political writings, as these may still put her and their paper in danger. 

The Stage

When director Jonathan Tadioan and his team decided that the llatest play by Tanghalang Pilipino would be based on a children's short story written by Cheeno Mario Sayuno, Juan Ekis was the first choice to interpret it as a movement-based play for children. Being a dance musical with the Pandanggo sa Ilaw as the special focal point, the music by Krina Cayabyab, choreography by Al Bernard Garcia and lights of D Cortezano were essential aspects of the project.

The first thing we see on the stage was a massive, glittery sculpture of a Balintawak or Maria Clara, with its camisa with butterfly sleeves and skirt with tapis  There were yards of gray fabric emanating from of its skirt covering the whole stage, and multiple light bulbs hanging above it. This fabulous set was designed by Marco Viana, who also designed the stylish black and white polka dot outfits for main characters, and colorful folk finery for the ensemble.

Noel Rayos and Sheila Valderrama 

When Kala was performing her pandanggo, her parents and sister were actually seated among the audience as they were commenting away. After that number,  we learned that the job of Tatay Ondeng had him staying up late at night, rushing to finish building a new movie theater to screen foreign films by January. At that point, Gen X'ers in the audience will have already guessed where the tragedy where this play was headed. 

The dance interpretation of that tragic event was quite an intricate number. At first, there were dancers banging benches all over the stage, representing night shift workers hard at work that fateful early morning of November 17, 1981. When the scaffolding collapsed, fallen workers were buried into the wet cement floor. To represent this horrific accident tastefully, the dancers used the voluminous grey fabric on the floor to swallow everyone up. 

Wincess Jem Yana and Ynna Rafa

Another complex dance number was that one where Kala wrote an angry article about how only seven workers were announced as victims, while many others never got acknowledged. This upbeat number had Kala and Tony stacking benches one on top of another, while they and the other dancers were jumping on and off them. The sheer precariousness of the heart-stopping dance moves in themselves represented the imminent danger Kala was in. 

The best dance numbers were those two exuberant pandanggos -- the one led by Kala at the beginning, and the one led by Laya at the end. We will see the two types of pandanggo here -- Pandanggo sa Ilaw (where dancers balance a glass with a lit candle inside on each hand and on their head), and the Oasioas (where dancers wrap the glasses with lit candles in cloth and whirl them around). These dances uplifted the spirit of the whole show.

The Whole Cast at Curtain Call

Stage veterans Noel Rayos and Sheila Valderrama certainly prove the all the acclaim and respect they've earned in their long careers in both singing and acting here. 15 year old Wincess Jem Yana already proved her musical talent in TP's "Sandosenang Sapatos" before, and further builds her marquee value up here. She was simply incandescent in her finale Pandanggo number rendered with effortless elan, smiling brightly all throughout. (9 year old Annika Co, whom we first saw in the 2024 film "Sunshine," is the alternate for Laya.)

Ynna Rafa was a clear triple-threat. As Kala, she displayed confident grace in her pandanggo dancing, vocal clarity with her soprano, and intense conviction in her portrayal of a fearless student activist coming of age. Earvin Estioco was a charming Tony, but he also danced with the rest of the ensemble composed of Mark Lorenz, Heart Puyong, Sarah Monay, and the versatile Lhorvie Nuevo Tadioan, whom I have never seen dance up such a storm before.

The Main Cast in front. 

The Creative Team at the back. 

The show begins and ends with the rousing title song "Sayaw ng mga Ilaw." Tatay tells Kala "Dito Ka Magpahinga," as she was rushing an essay on her typewriter. Nanay laments "Nasa'n Ka Na Aking Mahal" when Tatay went missing. Kala and Tony argue about the risks of freedom of the press in "Anong Klaseng Liwanag." Nanay expresses concerns about Kala's activism, asking her "Ito Lang Ba Ang Paraan." Laya contemplates "Nasaan ang Tapang," then declares "May Apoy Sa Loob Ko" alongside Kala. 

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy for anybody, especially if the circumstances of that death were sudden and fraught with uncertainty and insensitivity. This may not be the most comfortable topic for a stage musical for kids, but death is an unavoidable reality of life and we need to accept it head on, at any age. Dance here was a glorious and dynamic symbol of the grace of the human spirit to move on beyond tragedy.

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Tanghalang Pilipino's "Sayaw ng mga Ilaw" runs from September 18 to October 11, 2026 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Complex, Manila. Tickets are available via TicketWorld, P2172 for VIP and P1,954 for Regular. 

 

PETA: Review of GEN G: GG NA ITO!: Campaigning for Choice and Change

September 17, 2026

It was April 24, 2028. Youths were divided into groups to form various Balangay Gen Zones. In Balangay Gen G, the members were team leader Achi (Francheska Andaya), documentarist Chloe (Camille Fabian), handyman Dex (Johnrick Noynay), and volunteer Sid (James Lanante). All the adults (called Gabay) of the community were asked to leave until May 8, 2028, so the youths could think, decide and fend for themselves for two weeks. 

However, when May 8 came, there was no sign of the adults coming back. The kids waited impatiently for the rest of the day, but the adults really never came. Gen G was visited by a "New Character" (Lyle Viray), who was one of the guys from Balangay Gen A. He wanted to see if there were other balangays where the adults also have not returned. Before he could leave, a sudden flash flood inundated their area, setting their balangay afloat. 

This latest project of PETA is in partnership with the Move to Change Foundation, an organization led by Ms. Liza Abaya that aims to inspire the youth of the country to effect positive change in our society. This play is a part of Project GG: Game Changers for Good Governance, a civic education campaign to impart this message to the youth so they will learn that their opinions do matter, and their participation makes a difference.

This show opened with an introduction by Zoe (Damag). She was the narrator of the story, as well as an audience coordinator during those interactive parts during the play when the characters ask for the audience's opinion on what to do next. An example was when the New Character appeared, she asked the audience to decide that gear he should bring and what his vibe was, and even what his name should be (in our show, his name was Rodrigo). 

These are the parts where the show will vary every time, because different decisions made by the audience for each show. I imagine the cast has to be ready to improvise accordingly. At one part, she would actually interact with the kids of Balangay Gen G as people in the kids' lives who may have influence on the decisions they make. Damag went through quick changes onstage to play the cousin of Dex, then Achi's mother, then Sid's colleague. 

The cast is composed of young and energetic new actors. They were each playing flawed characters who were getting frustrated and angry at their groupmates, so sometimes things do get too frenetic or too intense -- until they learn their lessons and wise up. The young audience up front enjoyed "shipping" characters, like Dex with Achi, or Chloe with Rodrigo, and the actors knew how to play up the "kilig" game to amp up the fun and engagement.  

The colorful stage and characters -- Damag, Lanante, Viray, Noynay, Andaya and Fabian

After the cast took their curtain call at the end, Zoe came back onstage to moderate an open forum session with the youth in the audience. Some of the young  people who volunteered to speak up during the preview show that I caught were quite impressive as to the insights they shared. One commented on the audience decision to go for Sid's suggestion to rest. Another one piggybacked on the audience decision to make Rodrigo a critical type of dude. 

According to the press release, this show will be touring at least 12 schools from September to December 2026. This is just part of a bigger campaign to foster conversations about global citizenship education, narrative change, youth participation. Hopefully, the youth can actually act on the initiatives that emerge from these discussions in order to bring about the social change which PETA advocates for. With this in mind, PETA is inviting interested parties who share their vision to partner up with them to achieve these noble ends.

FlipMusic: Review of MULI: AN OPM MUSICAL: Healing a Housewife's Headspace

September 12, 2026

Anita (Kakki Teodoro) and her husband Maki (Marvin Ong) had been separated for the past three years on bitter terms. Since then, she was raising their young adult musician daughter Kath (Janine Teñoso) as a single mom. She had been seeing less and less of her gang of best friends the "Barkadolls," namely Juls (Justine Peña), Detski (Marynor Madamesila), and Mito (Baus Rufo). She did not even feel like attending their 25th high school homecoming. 

Anita had artistic inclinations since childhood, into songwriting and performing. However, got pregnant with Kath at age 17, and because of this, she had to give up a lot of her showbiz dreams in order to raise her daughter. Anita's active imagination was full of fantasies -- that she was a powerful CEO of a construction company involved in government contracts, or a big-time mommy influencer with an ideal home life and husband.  

"Muli" is an original OPM musical with book by Charissa Pammit and Jose Paolo dela Cruz, and music and songs by Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang. The mundane story of a 42 year-old woman whose dreams were sidetracked by a teenage motherhood was energized with flashbacks of her colorful high school life and outlandish what-if scenarios which took her away from her current humdrum existence as plain housewife. 

There were 11 catchy original songs written by the team of del Rosario and Chang with throwback and current styles ranging from dance hiphop to pop ballads, to drive the story forward. Not taking the usual jukebox route was a big risk for show producers Flipmusic, a music production company responsible for some of the biggest OPM hits for the past 15 years from Sarah Geronimo's "Tala" (2016) to Bini's "Salamin Salamin" (2024).   

The Set

The show opens with the song "Iba't-Ibang Mundo," where Young Anita (Felicity Kyle Napuli) expressed her youthful dreams. In the fun song "Barkadolls," Anita and her high school gang professed that they will always have each other's back. The first act showstopper was an elaborate and profane (!) fantasy revenge number disguised in the seemingly innocent title "Ina Ninyong Lahat," that culminated with a hilarious "Wicked" reference.   

We get to meet the men in Anita's life in Act 2. In the song "Liham," Maki appears as the "Perfect Husband" role of Anita's own fully-produced podcast. The song "Sarili Nating Kwento" was a duet sung by Anita with her high school crush Ian (Vien King) in the talent show of their school fair of St. Aurelia's School back in 1999. The late-90s flashback scenes resonated positively with the audience as they giggled with 'kilig" with their nostalgic recollections.

Anita's daughter Kath was played by 27 year-old singer-songwriter Janine Tenoso in her debut as a theater actress. Tenoso first made a name for herself as a finalist of a TV talent show "Born to Be a Star" in 2016, and went on to have hit records since then. Her singing talent was well showcased in her solo numbers "Silver Spoon" and "Happily Ever After." Acting-wise, Tenoso was able to hold her own in Kath's heart-to-heart scenes with her protective mother.  

I know Kakki Teodoro can sing since the first time I saw her onstage in "Pamana" (2013). She would of course gain mainstream recognition as her award-winning portrayal of Nimia in "Himala: The Musical" in both the stage (2018) and film (2024 as "Walang Himala") versions. In 2019, I had seen her headline a one-woman show "Every Brilliant Thing," but apparently she never played lead in a stage musical before until now. 

Teodoro's Anita was front and center of the entire show as it explored her memories, dreams, nightmares, and her very state of mind. Pammit and Dela Cruz's book was practically a series of psychoanalytic sessions where Anita was revealing her most innermost thoughts, insecurities, fears, and denials. We know Teodoro can steal any scene as a supporting actress, now we know she can dominate an entire show with her larger-than-life persona. 

Teodoro sang in 8 out of the show's 11 original songs, mostly with her Barkadolls, leading the ensemble, or duets with her male partners. Her most emotional performance was in the title song "Muli," which Anita sang in duet with her precious Kath after a gut-wrenching revelation that made the audience audibly gasp. Teodoro carried Anita's arc full circle with the delivery of her valedictory anthem "Baka Bukas," expressing readiness to face the future.

The multiversal flow of the storytelling can feel rather abrupt as Anita shifted randomly from her present reality to high-school to imagined fantasies which can be puzzling. I watched this show on a matinee on its opening weekend so there were still a number of technical issues noted.  Scene transitions can be noisy or took too long to set up.  Anyhow, these would eventually iron themselves out as the company performs more shows in its three-week run.  

The Cast take their bow

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Muli: An OPM Musical runs at the Maybank Performing Arts Center in BGC on weekends from September 11 to 27, 2026 at 8 pm, with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be bought from Ticketworld at the following prices: ₱3,914 (Level 1 Center), ₱3,502 (Level 2 Center), ₱3,296 (Level 1 Sides), ₱2,678 (Level 2 Sides), ₱2,472 (Level 3 Center), and ₱1,854 (Level 3 Sides). 

The show is directed by Andrei Pamintuan, with Gabbi Campomanes (assistant director), Julian Abuda (choreographer), D Cortezano (lighting and set designer), Santi Obcena (costume designer), Jodinand Aguillon (wardrobe stylist), Harly Daria (hair and makeup designer), Sarah Facuri (video designer), Arvy Dimaculangan (sound designer), Julian Hernandez (sound engineer).

The ensemble also includes Raflesia Bravo (as Anita's sister and as a senior high teacher), Harly Daria, Jon Abella, Gabo Tiongson, Elian Dominguez, Miah Canton (Kath understudy), and Matel Patayon (Anita understudy).

TGA: Review of THE NOTEBOOK: THE MUSICAL: Delivering Deep Devotion

September 7, 2026

Older Allie (Celeste Legaspi) had Alzheimer's disease, and had to be cared for in a nursing home. She did not recognize her husband Older Noah (Rody Vera), so he read to her everyday from an old notebook. He was patiently retelling her the history of their romantic relationship -- from when their first meeting at the age of 17 up to 10 years hence. He did this in the hope that their love story can jog her murky memory back to normal. 

Young Noah (Benedix Ramos) fell in love with Young Allie (Sheena Belarmino) the first moment he laid eyes on her at the dock while he was rowing a boat. Noah had already promised her a home they would call their own in the future. However, since Allie was about to go off to college, her wealthy parents (Floyd Tena and Carla Guevara Laforteza) would not allow her to continue seeing Noah, a high school dropout who worked at the lumberyard. 

Ten years later, Middle Allie (Morissette Amon) was engaged to be married to Lon (Markki Stroem), a lawyer her parents approved of. However, one day a photograph she saw in the newspaper made her feel she needed to go back to the place where she had her first teenage romance. There, she saw that her dream house had already been built up from the ground, and there he was Middle Noah (Laurence Mossman) standing on the terrace. 

The Stage

"The Notebook" was first a best-selling romance novel written by Nicholas Sparks, his debut as a novelist published in 1996. The movie adaptation directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as Allie and Noah, with Gena Rowlands (director Cassavetes' mother in real life) and James Garner as their senior versions, was released in 2004 and went on to become a cult favorite among the female demographic. 

To be completely honest, I recall that I did not really like the film at all, although my wife did. It may be a hot take, but I thought Rachel McAdams' portrayal of Allie was too hysterical.  I felt McAdams did not have much chemistry with either Gosling nor James Marsden (as Lon). I did not like some silly over-the-top scenes like Noah's crazy Ferris wheel stunt or Allie's candy striper stint how she first met Lon all wrapped up in bandages. 

This musical version music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. The lead characters of different ages were portrayed by three pairs of actors. All Allies wore turquiose, all Noahs wore red. There were songs where all three actors playing a character would sing together and these were some of the best songs -- both musically, and visually as they were performed on stage -- something the movie could not have done.

The first act ended with an emotional triptych of events from the three pairs of Allie and Noah while the company was singing the song "Home" -- the young couple separated under threat of arrest, the older couple stricken by sundowning and a stroke, while the middle couple see each other again after ten years. Packed with tension and suspense, I thought these were very elegantly executed cliffhangers which leave audiences excited for the next act.

The Main Cast at the Curtain Call

Ramos, Mossman, Vera, Legaspi, Amon, Belarmino

 

This Philippine version in particular is being performed by three sets of perfectly-cast actors/singers who further elevated the narrative with their talent. The way they portrayed their respective Noahs and Allies were far more endearing than Gosling and McAdams were in the film -- with more chemistry, that's for sure. It is just a pity that the role of Lon, the most likable character in the film, had been much abridged in this stage version. 

I've known Rody Vera more as a prolific playwright in Filipino. His revelatory turn as Old Noah was the biggest acting and singing role that I have seen him in. His "Iron in the Fridge" was a heartbreaking expression of his anxiety at Allie's gradual lapse into dementia. Celeste Legaspi is more known for her singing, but here, she regales us more with her acting chops. Thankfully, we can still get to hear her sing at least one song " I Know," before the ending. 

I have already seen up and coming theater stars Benedix Ramos and Sheena Belarmino act and sing in challenging roles before, though not together -- Ramos in "Next to Normal" (Sandbox, 2025), Belarmino in "One More Chance: The Musical" (PETA, 2024). As Young Noah and Allie here, they nailed their upbeat duets like "Carry You Home" and "Sadness and Joy," peaking with their delightful ode to first time intimacy, "Kiss Me." 

I've seen Laurence Mossman perform and sing in "Fun Home" (Atlantis 2016) and "Kinky Boots" (Atlantis 2017). Ten years have passed since then, but his soaring tenor is still very much there, best heard in his solos, like "Leave the Light On." Having vocal powerhouse Morissette Amon as singing partner may be pretty intimidating, but he certainly held his own in their powerful duets like "Forever" and "It's Not Easy."  

Laurence Mossman presents Morissette Amon

Morissette's highlight is centerpiece song "My Days," as Middle Allie contemplated the biggest decision of her life. Fil-Am theater director Nicholas Polonio made the bold decision to break the fourth wall at this point of the show, by lifting the backdrop to reveal the live orchestra playing her music behind her, concert-style. While this gutsy move broke the momentum of the play, this moment clearly showcased Morissette's unquestionable belting prowess. 

The set for the older couple was just the nursing home furniture, while for the young couple, it was the dock and boat. The set for the middle couple was the most spectacular -- the dream house that Noah built. It was formed by four separate pieces coming in from both sides (walls and stairs) and from above (roof and windows). There were still hitches when we watched, as the screen snagged on the stairs a couple of times as it came down to cover the house. 

I am coming right out to say that I felt this musical play told the story much better than the movie did. The book by Brunstetter judiciously edited and rearranged the significant events of the 2004 movie to retell the love story for the stage in a more streamlined manner --  less cluttered, more compelling. It was magic how telling the love story with Michaelson's thoughtful songs brought the sincerity and romance out from under all its melodramatic tropes. 

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Theatre Group Asia's production of "The Notebook: The Musical" on its international premiere, runs at the Samsung Performing Arts Center at Ayala Circuit Mall, Makati from September 3 to 20, 2026. Tickets can be bought from Ticketworld at this LINK, prices start from P5,900 for Orchestra Center. 

Supporting Cast include: Markki Stroem as Lon, Carla Guevara Laforteza as Mother, Floyd Tena as Father, Felicity Kyle Napuli as Sarah, Omar Uddin as enthusiastic PT Johnny, Kathleen Francisco as Nurse Joanna, Jillian Ita-as as Georgie and Shaun Ocrisma as Fin. 

Cover / Alternate Cast include: Justine Narciso (for Young Allie / Sarah), Albert Silos (for Young Noah / Fin), Katrine Sunga (for Middle Allie / Nurse Joanna / Georgie), Edward Benosa (for Middle Noah / Lon / Johnny), Gimbey dela Cruz (for Older Allie / Mother), Jamie Wilson (for Older Noah / Father).

Spike: Review of JONAH: Vexing Visitations

September 5, 2026

Ana (Chelsea Nikole Apolto) studied in a boarding school on a scholarship. One night, while she was trying to sneak in a bag of gummy worms, there was a boy her age who followed her around. He introduced himself as Jonah (Riel Celi) and confessed that he liked her. With his repeated visits to her room, they soon became good friends. Their conversations dealt with regular kid stuff at first, until later they would also talk about more intimate topics. 

From this cute and innocent beginning, we will eventually see Ana also interacting with two other boys in her room, ostensibly from different periods of her life. One was Danny (Johnny B. Maglinao), her step-brother who sought Ana's relaxing head massage when he suffered injuries inflicted by his abusive father. The other guy was Steven (Edward Solon), a big fan of a book written by Ana and who wanted to pick her mind about how she wrote it.

Playwright Rachel Bonds had come up with a complex trigger-filled memory play about a young woman's coming-of-age by way of three boys/men who had visited her rooms.  Bonds segued from a scene with one boy to a scene with another boy seamlessly with nary an explanation and just let her audience form our own interpretations as to when each boy was in which part of Ana's life. Bonds did clear Ana's whole story out before the play ended, very satisfying.  

Edward Solon and Johnny Maglinao 

Director Edith Garcia should be commended for being able to motivate her cast of young actors for coming up with very raw, honest portrayals of their challenging roles. They were all fascinating to watch as we get to know their characters better, especially since this is the first time I am seeing any of them onstage. They were all perfectly cast, very confident in their performances and rapid-fire delivery of their long intricate lines in unaffected English.

With his curly hair and boy-next-door looks, Riel Celi was a delightful Jonah who had this easy rapport with Ana as her first love. The parts with Danny were most intense, uncomfortable and even scary to watch, and Danny Maglinao was remarkably convincing in his dark obsession. At first, you'd think Edward Solon's Steven was comic relief, but it was due to his palpable sincerity that Ana opened up and shared her most personal insights.  

The bravest actor on that stage was no other than Chelsea Nikole Aploto as she literally bared body and soul in her heart-wrenching performance as Ana. As harrowing as her story was, it was only Ana who had a complete character arc, and Aploto was impressively consistent believable as a girl whose resilience tided her over even as she was weighed down by emotional trauma that had pervaded her teenage years to her adulthood.  

Riel Geli and Chelsea Nikole Apolto 

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Spike Theatre's maiden production "Jonah" runs at the Dance Royalties Studio, Pavilion Mall, Mandaluyong from August 29 to September 6, with shows at 3 PM and 7 PM. Tickets prices range from P1500 (Patron) to P1000 (Regular). The show runs for one hour and 35 minutes, with no intermission. The sensitive nature of the play makes it appropriate only for viewers from 16 years old and above. 

Director Edith Garcia's creative team includes Satya Edilo for lighting design, Malaya Tolibas for sound design, and Dylan Lopez for production. Owing to a number of scenes of a sexual nature, a key role is played by Intimacy Director Regina de Vera. 

Mad Child: Review of MGA BINAGO NG ARAW: Tales of Teenage Trials

 August 22, 2026

The Intergalactic Space Balanghais was a rock band composed of 14 year-old high school students. Joms (Zoe de Ocampo) was on lead guitar, Ferdie (Rafael Jimenez) on drums, Rage (Vin Mabalot) on bass, and his girlfriend Jill (Maliana Beran) on lead vocals.  New to their gang was Nia (Jam Binay), Jom's new girlfriend. It was the summer of 2005, so  they hung out a lot at the Beach -- the pool with artificial sand at the house of Lobregats, Ferdie's family.

One day, the kids were playing football, when Nia tripped and twisted her ankle. Joms was massaged her foot with his naturally warm hands to make her feel better. They wound up in the music room of Joms' late father, where he kept his collection of LP albums. When Joms learned that George Harrison was Nia's favorite Beatle, he began to play the record of his solo hit song "My Sweet Lord." They started to dance, and, as they say, one thing led to another.

This coming-of-age play was written by Guelan Varela Luarca, so we know we can expect intense dialogue of rich emotional depth. But since they were supposed to be 14 years old, their worldviews can be quite childish and nonsensical, like how the sun was the most dangerous invention of God. However, the way Luarca wrote them, they had a precocious brand of wisdom that can only come from the mouth of babes. 

Music was a major part of this play. The band performed one full original song number live. Ferdie composed and growled a very angry song he called "Nero" out of frustration with his family.  Aside from the George Harrison, I recognized "Semi-Charmed Life" (Third Eye Blind) and "Stand by Me" (Oasis), although they were not hits from the aughts. Joms' half sister Trisha (Francesca dela Cruz) delivers a heartfelt "Chiquitita" (ABBA) to start Act 2. 

With an angelic face reminiscent of Julie Vega's Anna Liza, Jam Binay's portrayal of level-headed Nia was very natural as the play essentially tracked her teenage memories.  Zoe de Ocampo's diminutive height made his Joms convincingly kid-like, especially with his wide range of facial expressions. Maliana Beran imbued Jill with a relatively mature point of view. It may need more suspension of disbelief to see hefty Vin Mabalot or Rafael Jimenez as kids at first, but later, they do settle in as alpha kid Rage and spoiled rich kid Ferdie respectively. 

This play did not pull any punches, opening right off with a scene about sexual awakening. This was a very tense topic since the characters involved were only 14 years old. It will be replayed in its entirety later, this time with proper context of how the situation came about, like how haunting memories are often relived. The first watch of this play will be more about the feels. You will probably need a second watch to savor all the pithy lines Luarca had to say. 

This was the first full play directed by Monty Uy. With some pretty sensitive scenes to execute, he had some pretty nifty ideas that involve pantomime and dance movements. A highlight of staging was the swimming scene with all five kids at the Beach, with those lighting effects to represent water. Another well-devised scene was that Act One climax where the three boys wore goggles and banded together to "destroy" the sun's core (whatever meaning you give it).

The young cast at their curtain call

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"Mga Binago ng Araw" runs for 2 weekends, from August 14 to 23, 2026 at the Old Communications Building in the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City. Ticket prices at P1,800 each. 

YPC Stage: Review of MAPANAKIT: Hurting Heartbeats

July 25, 2026

YPC Stage is a new theater company, so it stands to reason that we talk about them first. This company was founded in the city of Binan, Laguna, an offshoot of their Binan Youth Performance Council (YPC) Inc. They have been producing plays with local talent for the past 20 years, so now they feel they are ready to bring Binan talent beyond their city limits into Metro Manila, and allow them opportunity to work with professional actors. YPC Stage was borne with these noble aims, and "Mapanakit" is YPC's very first show.

The three one-act-plays in "Mapanakit" were written by prolific playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc. These were the same three plays they staged last December 2025 during their annual Telon event. Director BJ Borja, being an alumnus of Dulaang UP, thought it would be good to stage these plays in UP Diliman as the inaugural presentation of YPC Stage. The Binan cast and crew were already familiar with Borja's staging of the plays, but this time some choice roles were offered to professional actors, affording platform for sharing talents and trust. 

Each one act play was roughly one hour long each, presented one after another, with a 15 minute intermission in between, like a set in the Virgin Labfest.  The three one-act plays of "Mapanakit: Mga Dulang Bittersweet ni Eljay Castro Deldoc" were stories that dealt about romantic love, but all of these relationships were unduly challenged by difficult circumstances and prickly issues of morality. Here are my thoughts about each of them: 

1. ANG LIKNAYAN NG ATING MGA KATAWAN

Hershey Mae (Jury Sanchez) was a brilliant high school student. For her final research paper, she reported about a topic so controversial that it resulted in the major issues affecting three of her classmates and their significant others. One day, she went to the chemistry lab to confront their teacher Mr. Banakon (Ross Pesigan) why he decided that her paper was dangerous and was not based on scientific evidence. Hershey stood her ground that her methodology was sound, and her conclusions about the physics between two bodies were valid. 

I just learned that "Liknayan" is the formal Filipino word for "Physics." This two-hander was not that easy to get into at first.  Ross Pesigan and Jury Sanchez were spouting scientific jargon with so much confidence in their rapid-fire arguments, you'd be second-guessing yourself if any of this mumbo-jumbo actually made any sense or not, until it became obvious what this "physics between bodies" was all about. Nevertheless, science majors will enjoy all those name-drops, from Kepler to Newton to Darwin, their laws and theories. 

2. ILIHAN AT KALINGAW

As the historian of the Buringkantada tribe, Ilihan (Gab Pangilinan) was only allowed to write about the stories that her Elders assign her to record for posterity. However, during moments of inspiration, she would write love poems dedicated to her love, the warrior Kalingan (Euden Moje), carving them onto the trunks of bamboo in the forest. When he learned that the elders are coming to arrest her, Kalingan went to help her evade punishment. However, Ilihan remained steadfast on her belief that their love story was part of their tribe's history. 

This for me was the best one-act play in this set. Deldoc's language here was poetic, mostly Tagalog, with some lines were in another local tongue. The story was intricate, with elements of mythological beings and strict traditions. The graceful ending was an elegant full circle moment that clarified the beginning. The bamboo forest set and the local woven costumes evoked an air of rustic mystery. Gab Pangilinan's Ilihan was a potent symbol of fortitude on matters of freedom of expression, as Euden Moje held his own as her submissive consort.

3. GANITO ANG PINANGARAP KONG KASAL

France (Phi Palmos) and Kris (Loudette Barias) had been best of friends since childhood. Kris had a crush on one of France's classmates in math named Emmanuel "Noel" (Kokoy de Santos). However, Noel turned out to have a crush on France, and soon became his boyfriend. Despite the awkwardness, France and Kris still hung out together with Noel as good friends for several years, even beyond college.  Everything was going well until one night, a distraught France called up a radio advice show to consult about a big problem.

Judging from the rousing laughter from the viewers, this play was easily the clear audience favorite. Phi Palmos owned the show, with his witty hilarious banter with Loudette Barias, and cute, coy and flirty interactions with De Santos. The transitional shift of the play's mood from riotous comedy to serious drama was also squarely balanced on Palmos's shoulders and he certainly delivered the goods. The scenes where France was defining the alternate meanings of wedding symbols was the best-written and best-executed sequence in this play. 

Congratulations to director BJ Borja for conceptualizing YPC Stage and successfully transporting your maiden show all the way from Binan to UP Diliman. Kudos to his production crew led by John Carlo Pagunaling (Production Design), Gabo Tolentino (Lighting Design), Arkel Mendoza (Sound Design). The rest of the acting ensemble, proudly Binan natives all, include: Sheena Gonzales, Joy Angeline Orzo, Rus Dale, Rozel Ancheta, Danica Samson, Jenver Mallete, Rinoa Lockhart and Jamir Alzate. 

In Play #2, the guest role of lead Elder Pay Dalumat was played by veteran stage performer Nazer Salcedo, who made a strong impact. This role will be played by a different guest artist in future shows, including Ge VIllamil, Bayang Barrios, Baha Vergara, Adrienne Vergara, and Katte Sabate. In Play #3, the guest role of radio DJ Papa Jack was played by YPC member Jenver Mallete with his full deep modulated voice. Those in line to play the DJ in following shows are Charm Aranton, Arkel Mendoza, Gabo Tolentino, Jules dela Paz, and Carlo Cannu. 

The director and the actors after the show.

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MAPANAKIT runs from July 25 to August 9, 2026 at the IBG-KAL Theater, UP Diliman, Quezon City, with shows at 2pm and 7pm. There will be a Gala Show on August 7, at & pm. Tickets at P1,500 each from Ticket2Me at this LINK.