When writing for the stage, playwright Dustin Celestino consistently chooses to champion deep, familial narratives.
Interestingly, he doesn’t feel the need to write male characters who possess perfect, exemplary understanding.
Instead, his compelling body of work serves as a raw, intentional interrogation of the male identity itself.
This distinct thematic focus is evident across his previous winning works staged in various festivals, which include the play Fermata as well as the Cinemalaya-featured films Ang Duyan ng Magiting and Habang nilalamon ng hydra ang kasaysayan.
ELEHIYA
Most recently, Dustin’s one-act play ELEHIYA took home the 2nd prize at the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Literature Awards. Shortly after this achievement, the Virgin Labfest page officially announced it as one of the twelve featured plays for the annual festival.
As it turned out, Elehiya quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed productions and an absolute audience favorite during this year’s Virgin Labfest.
This success marked a deeply personal milestone for Celestino, prompting him to reflect on how much his experience with the annual festival has evolved since he first joined back in 2018.
Back then, every show had high stakes, because I always felt like it was my reputation as an artist on the line,”
In those early days, deep-seated insecurity and impostor syndrome frequently drove him to obsess over negative reviews, even right after highly successful performances.
Eight years later, however, Celestino looks at things through a completely different lens. He explained that the festival has come to mean something far more valuable to him than mere industry recognition.
More than any honor that could be gained, I was just happy to be around the community I’ve grown to love,”
he expressed warmly.
Looking back on the recent run, he recalled how every single performance of Elehiya filled him with immense gratitude for the artists who beautifully gave life to the complex emotions he initially struggled to express on his own.
In tandem with these reflections, the playwright paid a heartfelt tribute to the brilliant cast and creative team behind the production.
An Interrogation to the Male Identity
Dustin has built a reputation for crafting heavily male-centered characters, and he never hesitates to confront deeply entrenched patriarchal topics head-on.
He holds up a mirror to the social structures that favor men, unpacking exactly how men navigate and play into those dynamics. This exploration is remarkably raw, primarily because it is filtered through the lens of his own personal experiences and his ongoing process of navigating the struggles of his own identity.
Spoiler alert: he’s completely unapologetic about it.
Just last year, during the Playwrights Fair at VLF XX: Hinog (The 20th Anniversary), he spoke at a free event and openly shared these sentiments regarding his writing process and critical evaluations.
His presentation was titled “Ang Mandudula Bilang Dula: Ang Paghilom ng Pagkalalaki sa Entablado”.
For Celestino, he firmly stated that it is an artist’s responsibility to confront the inevitable, trace where systemic violence stems from, and examine the inherent politicality of a man’s desire.
ELEHIYA Next Year
Looking ahead, the journey for ELEHIYA is far from over.
After securing the prestigious 2nd prize at the Palanca Awards, the play just wrapped up its incredibly successful run at VLF 2026.
But if you missed it, or simply want to experience its emotional weight all over itself—you’re in luck.
Next year, ELEHIYA is officially set to be restaged at the festival, returning alongside the other two revisited plays.
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