Photo by Erickson dela Cruz
Virgin Labfest (VLF) celebrates Pride Month by staging one-act plays linked with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+) community.
“Sa mga nagsasabing puro kabaklaan ang mga dula ng VLF…tama ka,” says playwright and VLF co-founder Rody Vera during one of the talk balk sessions as he stresses that VLF wants to give voice to marginalized sectors who are normally invisible in public discussion and discourse, particularly the LGBTQ crowd.
VLF is known as the Philippines’ only festival dedicated to “untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays,” showcasing diverse voices that touch on complex human experiences and social issues, including those with LGBTQ+ themes.
For the 20th VLF that carries the theme ‘Hinog’ (ripe), the plays are grouped into four thematic sets labeled A, B, C, D (Bubot, Manibalang, Kinalburo, and May Asim Pa) with each set featuring three new plays plus set E ( Panghimagas) which revisits standout plays from previous years.
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Nine out of the fifteen plays celebrate Pride month, either as the storyline or the characters portrayed.
“We have equal rights to exist regardless of sexual orientation, and the VLF recognizes this. Some go for Adam and Steve. But when you go for Eve and Eve, all you need is an “n” and you’re Even,” veteran actress Bibeth Orteza said who portrayed a lesbian in the play “Anniversary.”
In Set D’s “Anniversary” by Nelsito Gomez (directed by Sarah Facuri), May (Bibeth Orteza ) is a lesbian who, while visiting her partner’s grave, met a heartbroken man Rob ( Jamie Wilson) who recently lost his wife. The visit sparks unexpected conversation on buried grief, unspoken regrets, and deep-seated beliefs.
“Takbo, Batang Tondo” of Set A by YOJ (directed by Chic San Agustin-De Guzman) is about kids’ conflict over theft. A group of friends, including a gay and a lesbian, makes the most of their summer vacation with a mystery game.
“Polar Coordinates” of Set A by Ade Valenzona (directed by Paolo O’Hara) is about a student struggling with academic performance, family dynamics, and sexual identity. Both father and son turn out to be gays.
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“Minating Ni Mariah Ang Manto Ng Mommy Ni Mama Mary” of Set B by Eljay Castro Deldoc (directed by Dexter Santos) is about a reformed gay scammer seeking redemption by participating in the Lenten activities with his Santa Mariah Magdalena image but accused of stealing the statue’s veil from a church.
“Presidential Suite #2” of Set B by Siege Malvar (directed by Johnnie Moran) focuses on a senator accused of corruption and her family facing scandal. The closeted son has a secret romantic relation with the senator’s personal assistant.
“Mga Magindara sa Siyudad” of Set C by Chris Joseph Junio (directed by Riki Benedicto) is about two performers at a peryahan facing the decline of their craft. Gay Maureen goes in drag in a mermaid gown while his crippled partner Mylene slips into a latex fish tail.
“Ang Problema sa Trolley” of Set C by Imuthis (directed by Adrienne Vergara) follows three people confronting personal crises while navigating the Pandacan’s rails at night. The male student turns out to be a victim of sexual abuse.
In “Mommy G” of Set D by Jobert Grey Landeza (directed by Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan), the widow introduces a new family member during their dinner on her 65th birthday. It stirred their beliefs, tested their relationships, and confronted their tolerance in accepting a new “member.” One of the daughters is a lesbian.
“Sa Babaeng Lahat” of Set E by Elise Santos (directed by Caisa Borromeo) is about three Catholic school girls as they interconnect and explore their relationships with religion, sexuality, and themselves.
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This year’s Pride March and Festival, dubbed LOV3LABAN 2025, will be held on June 28, 2025 in the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City.
The event is part of the campaign for the passage of The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE), Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB). It is a series of House and Senate bills that were introduced in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Congress which aims to set into law measures to prevent various economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
After almost two decades, VLF has become more than a playwright’s festival.The VLF harbored the power of community between individuals who share the same intense passion for Philippine theater.
Besides opening doors for intricate human stories, this annual showcase of bold and untested works continues to draw acclaimed directors, well-known actors, and diverse, enthusiastic audiences.
VLF XX will run from June 11-29, 2025 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
(Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)