Stuff to Do (06/12/26)

Go to a George Canseco tribute concert

ON JUNE 13, the Newport Performing Arts Theater is hosting Ngayon at Kailanman: The Music of George Canseco, a tribute concert celebrating a composer whose more than 500 songs have woven themselves into the fabric of Filipino life. Headlining the evening are Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma, JONA, Mark Bautista, and Rita Daniela, joined by special guests Leah Navarro, Anthony Castelo, and Dulce. Under the direction of Frank Mamaril with Louie Ocampo as musical director, the concert revisits beloved compositions — among them “Ngayon at Kailanman,” “Kailangan Kita,” and “Kaibigan” — songs that have accompanied generations through love, loss, and all the moments in between. George Canseco’s music continues to resonate across generations.

Celebrate Filipino heritage at Araneta City

THIS JUNE, Araneta City will commemorate the 128^th anniversary of the proclamation of the country’s independence through a suite of activities all over the city. First is the ongoing #TatakPinoy: Tara Merienda! food fest which is ongoing until June 14 at the Gateway Mall Activity Area featuring Filipino snacks like halo-halo, empanada, fruit shakes, and rice meals. On June 12, Pork Labanan: The Great Pinoy Pork Culinary Wars, organized in partnership with the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc., will see the next generation of chefs battle it out to bring the best pork dishes to the table. It will be held at the Quantum Skyview at Gateway Mall 2. From June 12 to 17, #TatakPinoy: Larong Pinoy invites visitors to play Filipino floor games at the MacArthur Activity Area at Ali Mall, with a fully interactive setup. #TatakPinoy: Pista sa Nayon, from June 13 to 14, will fill Ali Mall with different forms of art. On June 12, there will be a runway of Filipino streetwear by Kalye Estilo called Tagpi-tagpi at Farmer’s Plaza, and on June 14, there will be a Kundiman musical experience alongside a dance theater performance by the Malikhaya Performing Arts Group.

Get to know a community of artists, artisans

AT UP Town Center in Diliman, Quezon City, the two-day gathering called “Whimsy & Play” is set to explore the role of creativity, playfulness, mindfulness, and human connection in modern life. Taking place on June 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Activity Center in the mall’s phase two, the event brings together artists, artisans, wellness practitioners, readers, healers, and conscious brands. Visitors can explore handcrafted goods, wellness offerings, spiritual consultations, creative workshops, sound healing sessions, and interactive activities.

See soprano Tinette Serafin de Ocampo live

ACCLAIMED Milan-based spinto soprano Christiana “Tinette” Serafin de Ocampo is back in Manila and all set for her series of “Homecoming” concerts. First on the schedule is Encore!, an evening of opera arias by Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Strauss, and Massenet. She will be accompanied by Dr. Peter Porticos on piano. The show will be on June 13, 6 p.m., at the Manila Pianos Showroom, 4^th floor of the Ronac Lifestyle Center, Paseo de Magallanes, Makati City. For tickets contact 0917-415-8876. Next is Celli Sentimental, featuring works by Haydn, Mozart, and Villalobos. Ms. Serafin de Ocampo will be accompanied by Damodar Das Castillo on cello as well as the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra conducted by Dr. Renato Lucas. It will take place at Centro De Turismo, Intramuros, Manila, on June 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me. More concerts in July and August are lined up. Details about these can be found on Ms. Serafin de Ocampo’s social media pages.

Join BINI on WeVerse for their 5^th anniversary

BINI is celebrating its 5^th anniversary this June and inviting their fans (who are called Blooms) to join them on WeVerse. Those who subscribe to Bloom Membership will enjoy exclusive perks. The P-pop group’s second world tour, Signals, is making a stop in Australia and New Zealand, and there will be a pre-sale exclusive for members. The membership presale will be from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on June 15. Bloom members who hold a valid ticket of any tier will also have the opportunity to gain access to a hi-bye session with BINI at the Manila stop of the Signals World Tour happening at the Mall of Asia Arena on June 20 and 21. Beyond these events, members will be able to gain access to listening parties and enjoy an enhanced viewing experience, exclusive content, unlimited fan letter vouchers, and more in the future. Fans can go to the WeVerse site or download the WeVerse app.

Watch VLF’s special staged readings

APART from the main features, the Virgin Labfest (VLF) is holding stripped-down staged readings of selected scripts from the VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad submissions as well as staged readings of works from the diaspora. The staged readings are composed of three sets, each featuring two scripts. For Set 1, Jose Victor Torres’ Mga Tatsulok and M. Manalastas’ The Devoured will take the VLF stage on June 12. Set 2 on June 19, features Dingdong Novenario’s Manang and Rafael Jimenez’s Suor. Set 3 will spotlight Juan Ekis’ Kasal(anan) and Jay Fernandez’s Ang Huli on June 26. A special staged reading will feature Prison Dancer from the Canada’s National Arts Centre on June 21 and 24. All staged readings will be at 5 p.m., at the Bulwagang Roberto Chabet, 3/F Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater). Admission is free.

Celebrate the 11^th anniversary of DreamPlay

DREAMPLAY at City of Dreams Manila is marking its 11^th anniversary with a How to Train Your Dragon-inspired Viking adventure. The month-long celebration features DreamWorks-themed activities, character encounters, exclusive collectibles, and family fun. The Viking Adventure pass with all-day access to the 12 DreamPlay attractions, skip-the-queue perk and treats, is available until June 28. Meanwhile, on June 12, the anniversary event will be the Hunt for Night Fury Eggs, with beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation films, and a Viking dance show.

Honor Filipino artists at Ortigas Malls

IN CELEBRATION of Independence Day, the Ortigas Malls are honoring visionary Filipino artists who have carried the nation’s creative and independent spirit onto the global stage. Running until June 30, GH Mall and Estancia Mall present Artistry & Legacy: A Tribute Exhibit. They focus on National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, whose modernist poetry and literary criticism come to life through a special display of his landmark book, Lemlunay; Luis “Junyee” Enano Yee, Jr., the celebrated “Father of Installation Art,” whose section explores the vibrant life and organic inspirations behind his monumental, boundary-pushing structures; and Jay Sia and Armand Serrano, whose Marvel-themed collections and world-class animation works have shaped visual narratives on the international screen.

Watch Rep’s musical Man of La Mancha

FOR the 3^rd time since its founding, Repertory Philippines is staging the musical Man of La Mancha. The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical unfolds in a grim Spanish dungeon, where author Miguel de Cervantes must defend himself by telling an imaginative tale. He transforms into Don Quixote, a self-proclaimed knight determined to see the world not as it is but as it ought to be. The show is directed by Nelsito Gomez, with a book by Dale Wasserman, and music and lyrics by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. Nonie Buencamino stars as Miguel Cervantes/Don Quixote, Katrine Sunga as Aldonza, and Marvin Ong as Sancho Panza. Also in the cast are Tarek El Tayech, Alfredo Reyes, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Sarah Facuri, and Steven Hotchkiss. Performances run until June 28, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with 3:30 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays, at the Repertory Eastwood Theater, 4F Eastwood Citywalk, Quezon City.

Go to a 2-for-1 performance

KHO-LAB PRODUCTIONS and Artist Playground stage Double Take, a twin bill production featuring Reverse Card and AL.TER, on weekends until June 21. Both pieces are directed by Paul Jake Paule. Reverse Card, written by Chase Kyle Loza, follows a gay author who invites his former classmate and longtime bully to his home but then things take a sinister turn. AL.TER, written by Pablo Joaquin, follows an interior designer who returns to a department store filled with memories of his late partner, then he sees a stranger who looks exactly like him. Double Take has performances at Illumination Studio, 2723 Sabio St., Corner Chino Roces Ave., Makati, every Friday to Sunday at 8 p.m., and 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are priced at P1,500 and are available via Ticket2Me.

Catch the various sets of the Virgin Labfest

THE VIRGIN LABFEST (VLF) is back once more to feature untried and untested one-act plays onstage. For its 21^st year, the festival lays bare the things that people leave unsaid with its theme “Hubo’t Hubad,” meaning “completely naked.” Performances are being held at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Blackbox Theater), CCP Complex, Pasay City. There are 12 new one-act plays and one set of revisited plays presented Wednesdays to Sundays until June 28. Shows are set at 2 and 8 p.m. For more information, contact the CCP Box Office or visit the social media accounts of the CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino, The Writers’ Bloc, and Virgin Labfest.