Sayaw ng mga Ilaw takes center stage at TP’s 40th Anniversary
Tanghalang Pilipino celebrates its 40th season as it proudly presents Sayaw ng mga Ilaw this November 2026 inspired from the original children’s short story published in 2024.
Words Henry Ramirez
Photos courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino
August 18, 2026
Art by Nicole Vinco | Photo from Tanghalang Pilipino
Tanghalang Pilipino’s 40th season (TP40) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) proudly presents Sayaw ng mga Ilaw, an unprecedented musical play inspired from the original beloved children’s short story written by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno in 2024.
With the theme, Past Forward, this marks the resident theatre’s 40th iteration, looking back at the stories, artists, and traditions that shaped CCP by continuing to create theater that remains relevant to communities, responsive to the era, and meaningful to the future generation.
The musical play will feature prominent Filipino child actresses Wincess Jem Yana and Annika Co as Laya, together with theatre artists Noel Rayos as Tatay Ondeng, Shiela Valderrama as Nanay Lucia, and the TP40 Actors Company.
Sayaw ng mga Ilaw will run from September 18 to October 11 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gomez, CCP Complex, Pasay City.
With playwright Juan Ekis, this stage adaptation will be accurately based on the original children's book of the same name published in 2024 by Tahanan Books.
Sayuno’s original Sayaw ng mga Ilaw follows a story of a child named Laya who wanted to learn how to dance the Pandanggo-Oasiwas, a famous Filipino folk dance from Lingayen, Pangasinan, with the help of her sister.
However, their happiness immediately turned into grief when their father failed to return home. Suddenly, their once delighted family now navigates through the heavy waters of grief, and Laya discovers that true light is not found merely in dance steps, but by enduring family love and strength.
Valderrama shared that she immediately said yes when Tanghalang Pilipino offered her the role in the theatrical play.
Tanghalang Pilipino was founded in 1987 as the resident theatre company of CCP. Now dubbed as the National Performing Arts Company for Theatre, they uphold the highest standards in artistic discipline, technical skill, and professional conduct, presenting an annual season of play at CCP and other theatre venues consisting of original Filipino works, both classic and contemporary.
Viewers can purchase tickets via Ticket2Me from ₱1,800 to ₱2,000.
