Now on its 20th year, the Virgin Labfest (VLF) continues to champion fearless storytelling and fresh theatrical voices. This year’s edition, titled Hinog, marks a creative harvest—presenting 12 untested one-act plays from emerging and returning playwrights that are brimming with truth, tension, and transformative energy.
The country’s leading festival of untried, untested, and unstaged plays runs from June 11 to 29, 2025 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
🌱 New Scripts, New Conversations
In VLF XX: Hinog, eight debut playwrights and four returning writers bring to life a lineup of stories that span coming-of-age crises, political reckonings, surreal comedy, and emotional reckonings—all staged with raw honesty and inventive flair.
- YOJ’s TBT: TAKBO, BATANG TONDO follows a group of friends whose summer game turns serious when pretend crime meets real consequences.
- Liane Carlo Suelan’s ANG BATA KAG ANG ILAGA is a quiet but poignant tale of loss and longing inside a children’s home.
- Ade Valenzona’s POLAR COORDINATES places a struggling student on the brink of academic failure amid family turmoil.
- Eljay Castro Deldoc’s MINATING NI MARIAH ANG MANTO NG MOMMY NI MAMA MARY blends faith, forgiveness, and false accusations in a Lenten town tradition.
- Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo’s UNANG ARAW takes four strangers into a Mindanao forest where political ideals collide and secrets unravel.
- Siege Malvar’s PRESIDENTIAL SUITE #2 brings tension to the senate floor as a lawmaker faces allegations of corruption.
- Chris Joseph Junio’s MGA MAGINDARA SA SIYUDAD tells the tale of two women fighting to keep their dignity and livelihood alive on a makeshift stage.
- Imuthis (Harvey Rebaya Sallador)’s ANG PROBLEMA SA TROLLEY turns a simple train ride into a suspenseful journey through trauma and truth.
- Rolin Migyuel Obina’s THE LATE MR. REAL reunites ex-spouses across COVID-19 isolation wards in a painful reckoning with grief and parenting.
- Nelsito Gomez’s ANNIVERSARY captures a cemetery encounter between strangers bound by grief, regret, and belief.
- Jobert Grey Landeza’s MOMMY G explores loyalty and family bonds when an unexpected guest disrupts a mother’s birthday.
- Ryan Machado’s DON’T MEOW FOR ME, CATRIONA reflects on complicated family ties as a daughter prepares to leave for a new life.
🔁 Revisited Works, Reinforced Impact
VLF XX also revisits three standout plays from last year’s edition—proof of their enduring relevance:
- Jhudiel Clare Sosa’s IDENTITE dives into generational conflict between a traditional mother and her liberated daughter.
- Joshua Lim So’s PAGKAPIT SA HANGIN unveils moral dilemmas in a public hospital during the height of the COVID-19 Delta wave.
- Elise Santos’ SA BABAENG LAHAT intertwines themes of religion and sexuality through the lives of girls in a Catholic school.
🎭 Beyond the Stage: VLF’s Creative Roots Run Deep
In addition to its main lineup, Hinog branches into a range of educational and community-building programs:
- Staged Readings spotlight unselected but compelling scripts in minimalist presentations. This year features:
- WALA GINAKAMATISAN ANG ITLOG by Andy Abellar
- PATAY NA SI RIZAL by Matt Ordoñez
- ISANG MALAKING TIPAK NG BATO SA GITNA NG ILOG by M.E. Mejaro
- GANIMIDE by Rex Sandro Nepomuceno
- Theater Talks provide behind-the-scenes insights into the creative process.
- Playwrights’ Fair, curated by VLF founder Rody Vera, opens conversations with prominent writers.
- Dramaturgy Fellowship Exhibit, under the mentorship of Jonas Gabriel Garcia, explores the science and strategy behind storytelling.
- Writing Fellowship Program and Showcase, helmed by award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas and directed by CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan, culminates in original works by emerging playwrights.
🎟 Show Schedule & Tickets
Catch the shows at 2 PM matinees and 8 PM gala performances. Educational programs run at 5 PM. For the full schedule and ticketing info, visit the official pages of VLF, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Writers’ Bloc on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok.
Virgin Labfest XX: Hinog is more than a festival—it’s a movement of stories, storytellers, and audiences unafraid to confront truth, reimagine form, and rediscover the richness of Filipino identity, one brave play at a time.
