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The country's premier festival of "untried, unstaged, and untested" works invites playwrights to submit original scripts by February 28.

The Virgin Labfest (VLF), since its establishment in 2005, has grown into a garden of gripping narratives and socially-relevant storytelling.

For its upcoming 22nd season, the annual theater festival is now accepting submissions of unpublished, unstaged, untried, and untested one-act plays.

The deadline is February 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Submissions must be in .doc, .docx, or .pdf file format and sent to thewritersblocinc@gmail.com. Google Docs files or links are not allowed.

Only scripts written by Filipino citizens will be entertained. They must also have a running time of 40 minutes, which amounts to 25 to 35 pages.

The submitted work must not have been previously published in book form, and/ or staged for more than two performances in a show run (readings and one-time workshop productions are allowed). It may also be in Filipino or English. Those utilizing Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, and other Filipino languages are also allowed with accompanying Filipino translations. They will be reviewed based on the availability and capability of performers.

Entries that have received a literary or drama prize from any major competition on or before the closing day of VLF 21 (June 28, 2026) will not be considered.

Twelve new plays will be selected from the submissions. The announcement will be made after the closing night of VLF 21 in June 2026. The final selection will be staged at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater) in 2027.

Co-presented by The Writer's Bloc, Inc., Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation, Inc., and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the VLF aims to support the development of new original Filipino plays and mentor emerging artists and playwrights.

For more updates, follow CCP and Tanghalang Pilipino Inc. on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You may also check the social media accounts of The Virgin Labfest and The Writer's Bloc. To get more information on CCP's upcoming productions, workshops, and lectures, visit its official website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

Things to remember:

Who: Open to Filipino citizens only

What: One-act plays (25-35 pages; ~40 mins)

Language: English, Filipino, or regional languages (with translations)

Deadline: Feb 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m.

Format: .doc or .pdf (No Google Docs links!)