A new platform dedicated to Filipino playwrights is set to take center stage as Puregold officially launches Teatro Panalo, an inaugural theater festival that will bring 12 original one-act plays and musicals from script to production.
As part of its continuing commitment to champion Filipino creativity, the retailer is expanding its support beyond film and into live theater through an incubation festival that nurtures new works and connects them with audiences.
Presented by Puregold and produced by Wishbone Collective, Inc., Teatro Panalo is designed to help promising theatrical works evolve through professional dramaturgical guidance, production support, and meaningful audience engagement before they are staged.
The festival will select 12 original entries—composed of eight straight plays and four musicals—for full theatrical production. Each chosen playwright will also receive Php 100,000 in financial compensation for their work.
Following the festival, one straight play and one musical will also be awarded full-length development grants, an opportunity for further artistic growth and eventual commercial production.
For Puregold, Teatro Panalo reflects the company’s continuing belief that meaningful experiences should be as accessible as possible, because this is the true “panalo” experience.
“Puregold has always been present in the everyday lives of Filipino communities,” said Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Senior Marketing Manager of Puregold. “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.”
Hayagan-Piedad said the initiative is rooted in Puregold’s understanding of service as something that extends beyond the transactional.
“Being of service to a community is not limited to what happens inside our stores. It also means listening to what matters to people and supporting experiences that help communities feel seen, connected, and represented,” she said. “Theater has the power to create that kind of shared experience.”
Festival Director Vincent de Jesus emphasized that Teatro Panalo is equally about nurturing artists as it is about discovering outstanding material.
“We’re looking for authentic voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that deserve to be seen on the stage,” he said. “The festival is designed to help playwrights realize the full potential of their work through collaboration with experienced theater practitioners, while also giving audiences the opportunity to encounter exciting new Filipino stories.”
Submissions are now officially open to amateur and professional Filipino playwrights aged 18 and above 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. The festival welcomes submissions across genres, styles, and theatrical forms, provided they are original works intended for approximately 35 to 40 minutes of stage performance.
Interested applicants must submit their entries no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 11, 2026. Applications should include a completed one-act script, synopsis, logline, playwright’s development vision, supporting documents, and, for musical entries, demo recordings.
A shortlist of sixteen (16) plays and eight (8) musicals will be announced on October 6. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their works to the Selection Committee on October 14 to 16, and a final lineup of eight (8) straight plays and four (4) musicals will be announced on October 16.
Selected playwrights will participate in Wishbone’s professional incubation program, which includes dramaturgical guidance, production support, and the opportunity to have their work staged before live audiences during the inaugural festival, currently scheduled for February to March 2027.
De Jesus added, “Original stories have always shaped communities, reflected generations, and inspired change. With Puregold Teatro Panalo, the next great Filipino play may be waiting behind an unopened script. Puregold is inviting playwrights from across the country to bring those stories to the stage.”
Complete festival mechanics, eligibility requirements, and application details are available through the official Puregold Teatro Panalo submission form: https://bit.ly/PGTeatroPanalo.
TATAK MNL 
Leave a comment