MAPANAKIT - Mga Dulang Bittersweet All Set to Open on July 25

Marking a significant milestone in the regional arts landscape, Biñan proudly announces its first-ever homegrown theatre production to be staged outside city borders. Following a highly successful community run in December 2025, Mapanakit! Mga Dulang Bittersweet has officially transitioned into a touring-ready production, representing the highly anticipated maiden presentation of YPC Stage.

Directed by BJ Borja, the show celebrates community-rooted storytelling and professional staging discipline, making it both artistically compelling and accessible to diverse audiences nationwide.

Written by acclaimed playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc, these 'three one-act plays' present deeply human stories told through intimate performances, poetic dialogue, and emotionally grounded storytelling that resonates strongly with modern audiences.

The staging serves as an artistic bridge, featuring a powerful collaboration that unites a dynamic new generation of performers with some of the most respected and seasoned names in Philippine theater. This synergy of fresh energy and professional experience delivers an exceptional standard of performance.

At its core, Mapanakit reflects shared Filipino experiences — heartbreak, longing, healing, and hope — allowing audiences to see themselves on stage. Its relatable themes make it highly engaging for students, young professionals, cultural advocates, and general theatre-goers alike.

MAPANAKIT features:

ANG LIKNAYAN NG ATING MGA KATAWAN

Hershey Mae sneaks into the school’s chemistry lab under the pretense of conducting an experiment, but she is really there to confront her teacher, Sir Banakon. He has rejected her controversial research paper, arguing that its methods and conclusions are unscientific and dangerous. The paper has already stirred chaos in the school, as several students took its claims seriously—leading to a suicide attempt, a viral fight, and a missing student. 

Sir Banakon believes the study must be dismissed before more harm is done. But Hershey Mae insists that her research is grounded in real observation and experience. What she is trying to prove, above all, is that some truths—especially about love—cannot simply be invalidated.

ILIHAN AT KALINGAW

Ilihan at Kalingaw, in a mythical realm, Ilihan, the poet-historian of the Buringkantada tribe, is tasked with recording the stories their elders deem worthy of memory. 

When the council discovers she has secretly written love poems for Kalingaw—a man she is forbidden to love—she is summoned to face punishment. Kalingaw urges her to flee before it is too late, but Ilihan refuses. She believes love, too, deserves a place in their history. By standing by her words, Ilihan challenges the tribe’s rules about what can be remembered—and risks paying the price for a love story they refuse to acknowledge

GANITO ANG PINANGARAP KONG KASAL

France and Noel have been a couple since college, keeping their relationship quiet while maintaining the appearance of normalcy around others. Their closest friend, Kris, has long been their confidante and constant third wheel, witnessing the sweetness and intimacy of their private love story. For years, the three navigate life together while carefully protecting the secret. The balance begins to break when one of them decides to follow society’s expectations of masculinity and a conventional life. His choice forces the friends to confront what they have built—and what they may lose. The decision puts their loyalty, love, and friendship to the test.

COMPANY PROFILE                   

YPC Stage is the professional performance and touring arm of the Biñan Youth Performance Council Inc.(YPC) - a platform designed to bring its community-rooted theater practice to larger stages and wider audiences. Mapanakit is YPC Stage’s maiden production.

Built on two decades of cultural work, youth formation, and socially engaged storytelling, YPC Stage produces and presents works that uphold professional standards while remaining deeply anchored in lived realities. Its productions are artistically rigorous, emotionally truthful, and socially resonant.

Serving as a bridge between grassroots practice and institutional venues, YPC Stage allows YPC to engage commercially, collaborate across sectors, and expand its reach without compromising its core values. Through this platform, the company demonstrates that theater shaped by community experience is not peripheral - it is powerful, relevant, and ready for Metro Manila and beyond.

YPC Stage proves that excellence and community are not opposing forces. They are, in fact, inseparable.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Cast:

Ang Liknayan ng ating mga Katawan

Ross Pesigan - Sir Banakon

Jury Sanchez - Hershey Mae


Ilihan at Kalingaw

Gab Pangilinan as Ilihan

Euden Moje as Kalingaw


Ganito ang Pinangarap kong Kasal

Kokoy de Santos - Noel

Phi Palmos - France

Loudette Barias - Kris


Artistic Team:

Playwright - Eljay Castro Deldoc

Director - BJ Borja

Production Designer - Carlo Pagunaling

Lights Designer - Gabo Tolentino

Sound Designer - Arkel Mendoza

Creative Director - Carlo Cannu


Production Team:

Production Manager - Baha Vergara

Technical Director - John Paul De Paz

Stage Manager Head - Kent Torres

Stage Managers - Sydney Ray Almarinez, Marlou Navia, Ryza Karunungan

Lights Boardman -

Ronquillo Rubio

Sounds Boardman -

Jessa De Dios


Production Staff/ Ensemble

Rijs Dale

Jenver Mallete

Rozel Aniceta

Danica Samson

Sheena Gonzales

Joy Angeline Orzo

Jamir Alzate

Rinoa Lockhart


Executive Team:

Executive Producer - Sigrid Carreon

Head of Promotions - Charles De Castro

Head of Marketing - Leobhel Cueto

Head of Finance - Assiel Brusola

Head of Communications - Fred Alipala


VENUE, RUNNING DATES, TIME, AND TICKET INFO                   

Venue: KAL-IBG Theater, UP Diliman, Quezon City

Running dates:

July 25, 26, August 1, 2, 8, 9 | 2PM & 7PM

August 7 GALA SHOW | 7PM


Tickets:

Get your tickets now at ticket2me.net/mapanakit!

For interested showbuyers and sponsors, you may contact 0917-8700496. 

For more details about the show, visit ypcstage.com/mapanakit

FB Page: YPC Stage

IG Account: ypcstage

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