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.

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. 

Set B: Manibalang of VLF XX: Hinog offers a razor-sharp analysis of power and complicity. With their different genres, the set explores how personal aspirations and institutional corruption intersect in Philippine society. The set’s title, Manibalang, is a phrase that describes something almost ripe or mature. This set’s three plays question what it means to be ‘ripe’ or ‘mature’ when surrounded by rotten systems. 

Set B: Manibalang of VLF XX: Hinog is a mirror reflecting the uncomfortable truths of Philippine society. Together, its three plays reflect a nation and its people caught in differing transitions. 

Faith as atonement in Minating Ni Mariah

Minating Ni Mariah Ang Manto Ng Mommy Ni Mama Mary sees former scammer Mariah atone for her sins by caring for a holy image of God. As Mariah, Lian Silverio shines with their swings between comedic absurdity and emotional gravity. The character of Mariah is interesting, as playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc positions Mariah to be a reflection of Filipinos who turn to faith, under the assumption that it is the only way to atone. 

Mariah’s attempt to prove herself through a Lenten exhibit highlights the performative nature of religiosity in Philippine society. Deldoc also pokes fun at our denial of a person’s redemption due to their history, even though they may have already changed. 

Minating ni Mariah’s layered criticisms of who gets to be believed and who gets to hold powder plays well. The commodification of faith and the hypocrisy in power is just all-too familiar and timely.

Unang Araw and political obedience

It is 2015, and Arnel has to prove his loyalty to his uncle, who has entrusted him with a mission. Set in Mindanao, Unang Araw by playwright Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo is a tense and taut thriller. 

They do not begin the play with guns drawn, rather beginning with an escape from the violence they started. As expected from human beings, they also talk, joke, and bond together. The play takes place in a remote highway, with a car serving as the only prop. In the car is Arnel and his three comrades. What begins as casual banter between the four passengers then slowly unravels into something far more sinister. 

Gentolizo’s tight script is ripe for thrilling performances from the four-person ensemble. Aldo Vencilao, Earvin Estioco, DMs Boongaling, and Ybes Bagadiong all give the play the gravitas it deserves. Much of the play’s first half is a conversation during the car, and the tension goes up and up, until it then peaks with a gunshot. The dialogue is sharp, and the assured direction of Cholo Ledesma keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. 

The audience is then forced to confront uncomfortable questions – who decides who the enemy is? And what exactly makes a man loyal? The play does not name names, but the political implications are undeniable and unmistakable. This restraint is the script’s strength. Gentolizo expects you to be able to connect the dots, and so you will. 

Unang Araw is a potent and bone-chilling work of political theatre. Brilliantly executed, disturbingly timely. 

Political ascendance in Presidential Suite #2

Senator Zaragosa is in critical condition after suffering from a heart attack in a senate hearing. The controversial political figure has also received grave accusations of money laundering.

Confined in the second presidential suite of the hospital, the senator is accompanied by her three children: member of the faith Br. Richie, livestreamer Gertrude, and political figure Constantino. All three children’s personalites couldn’t be any more different from each other. Yet when they are met by the news on the hospital television, they begin to show their true colors.

Presidential Suite #2 is a biting and wicked satire of political dynasties. Playwright Siege Malvar crafts a darkly comic chamber piece that dissects power in inherited privilege and media manipulation. The hospital suite, which is ironically political in name, becomes a microcosm of the Philippine political elite. The children’s conversations are terrifying aspirations played up for absurdism, resulting in various moments of laughter from the audience. 

Andoy Ranay, as Constantino, does a wonderful job in showing desire and restraining himself from doing so. MC Dela Cruz, as Br. Richie, is a skilled comic. Despite going mostly unnoticed by his siblings, he draws in laughter from the audience. As Gertrude, Kiki Baento is a talented actor who is hysterically funny and possesses impeccable comedic timing.

What’s clever about Malvar’s text is the lack of moralization and grand speeches. Instead, there is scheming and hypocrisy. The direction of Johnnie Moran and his usage of a blue cross makes the play an easy watch. While the play is not exactly subtle, that makes it all-the-better because Malvar’s points truly hit. 

Presidential Suite #2 is a darkly funny satire that is resonant to the times. It does not mislead either, because it plays out like how it has always played out. 

Just so you know: when the empire is threatened, someone will always be ready to step in.

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Note: The author watched the open dress rehearsal of Set B: Manibalang of VLF XX: Hinog.

Further Information

Set B: Manibalang of VLF XX: Hinog has overall performances. For its first week, it will have performances on June 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM. It will then have performances on June 18 and June 22, at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, respectively. In its final week, it will have performances on June 27 and June 28, 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.

Stay connected for more articles and updates by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok or visiting our website at hellomnl.com.