Vlad Bunoan

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ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769586482143592094832_1320299006563806_3235930985361504709_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>MANILA — Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP) will stage a new original production that examines the emotional and social realities faced by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whose labor abroad continues to shape Filipino families and the national economy.Titled &quot;Ang Kaliitan ng Kasalukuyan,&quot; the play is written and directed by DUP alumnus and current artistic director Arlo Deguzman, who spent nearly two decades working overseas across more than 50 countries. The production draws from diasporic experience to portray the personal costs of migration often obscured by economic narratives.Millions of Filipinos leave the country each year in search of better opportunities, enduring long separations from loved ones, homesickness, cultural displacement and, in many cases, discrimination. While OFWs are frequently hailed as “modern-day heroes” for their remittances, their absence from daily family life has become a normalized part of Filipino society.Deguzman’s play shifts focus from remittances to relationships, presenting a series of interconnected stories that explore separation, obligation and longing. These include a father weighed down by the pressure of continuous remittances, a mother struggling to justify sacrifice, a sister negotiating the promise of reunion, and a son burdened by silence. The narratives are conveyed through movement and lyricism, emphasizing the emotional interior of migrant life.Although the experiences of OFWs have been widely represented in film, television and news coverage, DUP said theater remains an underutilized space for examining migration and its long-term impact. The production aims to fill that gap by inviting audiences to reflect on questions of home, belonging and dignity.Some members of the cast and creative team have themselves worked abroad or have family members who are migrant workers, lending the production an added layer of personal insight.&quot;Ang Kaliitan ng Kasalukuyan&quot; runs from March 12 to March 29, 2026, at the IBG-KAL Theater at UP Diliman. Performances are scheduled Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.Tickets are available online, with prices starting at P650 for members of the UP community and P800 for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Regular tickets are priced at P1,000, with early-bird discounts available until January 31.

Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP) will stage a new original production that examines the emotional and social realities faced by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whose labor abroad continues to shape Filipino families and the national economy.

Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP) will stage a new original production that examines the emotional and social realities faced by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whose labor abroad continues to shape Filipino families and the national economy.

Dulaang UP to stage play exploring lives, sacrifices of OFWs

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Dulaang UP to stage play exploring lives, sacrifices of OFWs

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Published January 28, 2026 04:01 PM PHT

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Dulaang UP

theater

OFW

Ang Kaliitan ng Kasalukuyan

Arlo Deguzman

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