When it started in 2005, the CCP Pasinaya: The Open House Festival had only its resident companies on board, with an estimated 1000 audiences inside the CCP Main Building. Twenty years later, it has grown into the country’s largest multi-arts festival, fostering artistic exchange and genuine connections.
Its growth was not achieved overnight. It required sustained care, extensive connections and collaborations, and thoughtful planning and execution to become what it is today. With over 40,000 attendees last year alone, CCP Pasinaya’s success grows every year. Its commitment to engage audiences, nurture Filipino artists, and spark Philippine arts and culture appreciation in the next generation remains unwavering.
Much of this success can be attributed to performing groups and artists, like Komedya ng Don Galo (KDG) and Lipa Actors Company (LAC), who continue to volunteer and showcase their talents year after year.
A stage for performing groups’ stories
“Back in 2011, we were a young theater company still developing our voice, so joining such a distinguished festival [CCP Pasinaya] was both unexpected and deeply affirming,” recalled LAC artistic director Peregrine Santiago.
LAC began in 2008 when its pioneer members gathered for the Dulaang Viajero Filipinas Performance Lab, a project sponsored by the Lipa City Culture & the Arts Council. Luisito Nario, the group’s founder and former artistic director, formed the non-profit organization with the vision to advance theater arts in Batangas and the CALABARZON region.
Besides the financial pressure of sustaining a local theater group, LAC finds it challenging to keep its members together. “Funding is a constant uphill battle, but beyond that, balancing schedules while trying to move our productions forward is a tough act to pull off,” explained Santiago.
Two years after its birth, LAC became the first theater group from Lipa City, Batangas to perform at the CCP Pasinaya in 2010.
Meanwhile, KDG, a community-based theater organization composed of current and former students of Don Galo Elementary School in Parañaque City, found out about the festival when they mounted a production, with Malou Macatuggal at the helm, at the CCP Little Theater in 2005. They heard about the festival from CCP’s former artistic director Nanding Josef. The group joined CCP Pasinaya in 2005 and has been returning ever since.
When Jess Macatuggal became the director of KDG in 2017, he confessed that he had no idea about the CCP Pasinaya and its impact. “Doon ko mas nakita na kinikilala pala siya [CCP Pasinaya] sa buong Pilipinas.”
Acknowledging the financial strain in pursuing KDG’s goal to revitalize comedy-drama theater in the Philippines, Macatuggal lamented the lack of proper recognition from the local government to sustain theater organizations like the KDG.
Leading a group of 60 members, Macatuggal encourages young artists to join auditions: “Mas maganda kasing makita ninyo ang sarili niyo sa entablado kaysa ‘yong nanonood kayo tapos puno kayo ng pagsisisi kasi hindi kayo nag-try.”
An inspiring space for tenacity and resilience
Much like LAC and KDG, CCP Pasinaya has braved difficulties in its 20 years. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, CCP Pasinaya had to cancel its performances and workshops. With the scarcity of face-to-face gatherings, the multi-arts festival switched to online editions.
Macatuggal was especially worried for CCP Pasinaya’s future back then. When the festival returned in 2023, he and the KDG debuted their comedy-drama iteration of Francisco Balagtas’ “Florante at Laura.” The memorable showcase comforted and reminded them that the performing arts sector is alive and well.
“Nung buhay na ulit ‘yong Pasinaya, nakita namin siya bilang sign na buhay na ulit ang entablado. Makakapagkuwento na kami ulit,” Macatuggal shared with a smile.
Santiago, on the other hand, saw the CCP Pasinaya stage as a crucial contributor to LAC’s identity: “We have built a connection with the festival audience. In 2016, we premiered our musical adaptation of Rene O. Villanueva’s ‘Santa Butsiki, Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit’ [at CCP Pasinaya], and laughter just filled the venue.”
A home built from candid connections
An annual festival happening every first weekend of February, CCP Pasinaya continues to attract performing art groups from all over the country. It inevitably creates a community that views art and self-expression as a necessity while nurturing emerging talent.
“It’s a rare moment when artists from all over the country come together, and CCP Pasinaya gives us the chance to perform at the CCP. That just adds meaning and inspiration to every performance,” said Santiago, recognizing the great honor of representing Lipa City, Batangas on a nationally recognized cultural landmark.
Macatuggal echoed the same sentiment of looking forward to meeting fellow artists, as it fuels KDG’s drive to tell stories. He reiterated, “Sobrang festive ng feeling kaya uuwi at uuwi talaga kami sa CCP para sa Pasinaya.”
A cultural landscape for nation-building
This year’s CCP Pasinaya embodies the theme “Paglikha sa Kinabukasan.” Carrying the inspiration instilled by the festival, LAC and KDG perform on its stage once again with renewed dedication to celebrate and nurture Philippine arts and culture.
Through its staging of “Komedya Palanyag,” KDG encourages young audiences to participate in shaping the future of the Philippines’ artistic landscape: “Anong ginagawa mo para makamit ‘yong kinabukasan na ‘yon? Laging nand’yan ang pag-asa pero ‘di sapat na umaasa lang tayo.”
For its CCP Pasinaya performance in 2026, LAC will mount a theatrical reimagining of one of Batangas’ most cherished legends, “Ang Pag-ibig ni Kumintang.” “The future is always unknown, but I truly believe that if we look back at our history and learn from the past, the future becomes much clearer and more meaningful,” expressed Santiago.
Watch the performances of KDG at 1 p.m., at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (TIG), and LAC at 4 p.m., at the Met Theater in Manila on February 8. Following the “pay-what-you-can, watch-all-you-can, and workshop-all-you-can” strategy, festival-goers can catch free shows during CCP Pasinaya 2026, along with other performances and activities.
Pre-registration is now open at https://bit.ly/pasinaya2026. For more updates on CCP Pasinaya’s festival components, follow the CCP’s official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You may also visit its website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) to learn more about upcoming productions, workshops, and lectures.
