The Virgin Labfest, an annual Philippine festival showcasing untried, untested, and unstaged plays, celebrates its milestone 20th year with VLF XX: Hinog. The title, which means ripe or mature in Cebuano, is an apt description of this year’s plays, even for the plays from last season. 

The festival has twelve ‘virgin’ plays and three plays from the previous year. These are divided into sets of three, equating to four sets of ‘virgin’ plays and one set of revisited plays. 

Out of the twelve plays from last year’s VLF 19: Pintog, three of them returned to the stage of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. These three stood out as the crème de la crème of last year’s selection, having been audience favorites in their year. 

Read more: VLF XX: Hinog presents new narratives ripe for the picking this June 11 to 29

Set E: Panghimagas (Revisited) of VLF XX: Hinog, the set of revisited plays from VLF 19: Pintog, is a boundary-pushing example of Philippine theatre. Despite the set’s eclectic list of plays, the overall set was effective in confronting taboos, challenging systems, and reflecting evolving identities. 

How Identité Empowers Women

This play, written by Jhudiel Claire Sosa, is an unabashedly feminist story about one’s sense of individuality. Its humanistic yet hysterical script follows a mother who discovers her daughter’s collection of sex toys. Meann Espinosa’s direction transforms the script into a Barbie pink set, evoking the ideal image of femininity.

While it may be too vulgar for some, it is a play that should not be missed by theatregoers. 

Despite the intentionally provocative premise, Sosa’s script is abundant in heart with its portrayal of generational divides. Sosa does well in affirming the humanity of her script’s characters.

The progressive mindset of Ash Nicanor’s Regina, the daughter, serves as a contrast to the conservatism of Kitsi Pagaspas’ Luz, the mother. The physical comedy the script requires from its two actresses makes for a wonderful viewing experience. Nicanor brings a delightful liberation to the role and the way she asserts her character is highly respectable. Pagaspas delivers a compelling portrayal of a mother struggling to keep up with an ever-changing world. 

Identité is a deeply compassionate work that redefines fearlessness in Philippine theatre. It is a much-needed work, thanks to its willingness to ask what it means to be a woman in a society that is still learning how to talk about sex and identity. 

Pagkapit sa Hangin and Moral Dilemmas

While we are three years removed from the pandemic and the country’s endless community quarantines, this play by Joshua Lim So emphasizes theatre as a platform wherein pressing matters can be discussed. Timely and timeless, Pagkapit sa Hangin is an unsettling drama. 

Set in a public, rural hospital during the Delta surge, medical frontliners face an agonizing dilemma: choose which patients will receive oxygen supply. The lack of oxygen tanks, which fuels the dilemma in this story, is reminiscent of medical crises in the country. This situation, coupled with the play’s four harrowing performances, may prove to be triggering for certain viewers. 

The relentless direction of José Estrella meant it was difficult to avoid the distress permeating the play. It was an engaging play, one you couldn’t keep your eyes off of. You also really do feel the weariness of the frontliners quick. The performances of Elora Españo and Wenah Nagales, who both play nurses, complement each other with their different ideals. The performance of Tim Mabalot, who plays the doctor, reinforces the hardships frontliners face. Gold Villar-Lim, who plays the patient’s relative, gives a performance that is both upsetting and haunting.

Frontliners are often romanticized as heroes, yet they are merely human beings who were failed by the system. In a society that’s moved on from the pandemic, revisiting this play was a sobering reminder of poor governance and its effect. The play avoids painting the frontliners in a bad light, rather hinting at the political failures that put them in difficult positions.

Here, even silence is a political act. Pushing against the normalization of resilience, the play establishes Philippine theatre as a space for resistance and social commentary.

Identity in Sa Babaeng Lahat 

The clear audience favorite of this set, Sa Babaeng Lahat was an effective analysis of gender identity and Catholic faith. It was also extremely effective in eliciting deep, sincere laughter and clapping from almost everyone in the audience. 

Written by Elise Santos, the play follows three Catholic schoolgirls who grapple with sexuality, Catholicism, and themselves. One of them also believes she is the next Immaculate Conception. 

Sa Babaeng Lahat handles shame and sexuality delicately, coming across as gentle and empathetic. The script is immensely rich and deceptively simple, yet ripe for performances that draw in laughter from the audience. 

Marie, the girl who believes she’s the next Immaculate Conception, is wholly innocent and wide-eyed. Her actress, Jam Binay, plays Marie with just the right amount of overacting. Marie’s bestfriend, Regina, also has problems of her own when Marie suddenly bursts in with hers. As Regina, Francesca Dela Cruz brings irreverence and sincerity together, ensuring she was the standout performance. In the center of it all is Gab, portrayed by Yanni Lopez, who infuses the character with a restless energy. 

Caisa Borromeo, the director, brings an assured touch to the text. She elevates Santos’s script with her adept ability to balance tone. She knows when to lean into the absurd, but also when to pull back. Using a church as the play’s setting serves as a metaphor for the cage that these students find themselves in. Borromeo’s direction really does prove that comedy can just be as subversive and affecting as drama.

Adolescence is a turning point, and even more so for Catholic schoolgirls. 

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Note: The author watched the open dress rehearsal of Set E: Panghimagas (Revisited) of VLF XX: Hinog.

Further Information

Set E: Panghimagas (Revisited) of VLF XX: Hinog has six performances. For its first week, it will have performances on June 15, 2025, at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM. It will then have performances on June 20 and June 21, at 8:00 PM and 2:00 PM, respectively. In its final week, it will have performances on June 25 and June 26, at 8:00 PM and 2:00 PM, respectively. 

Tickets are PHP 800 for Regular Seats and PHP 1,000 for Premium Seats. One ticket gains access to one set of 3 one-act plays. They are available for purchase through Ticketworld, Ticket2Me, and at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. The 20% ticket discount offered to Senior Citizens, PWD, Government and Military Personnel, and National Athletes can only be claimed at the CCP Box Office located at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.