Isang Balangay Media Productions

PILIPINAS KONG MAHAL WITH ALL THE OVERCOAT is an anthology of four one-acts and a full-length play that attempt to strip the Philippines of all its multi-faceted trickery and deception. The themes of these scripts include digital misinformation and historical revisionism, environmental and cultural degradation, queer narratives, and farcical criticisms on health and education. Three of these plays were first mounted in The Virgin Labfest, an acclaimed laboratory festival of untried and untested plays by the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Isang Balangay's strong advocacy on grass root production of books led us into publishing Eljay Deldoc whose plays have been consistently restaged in different communities in the country. Theater has always been a powerful tool to connect to communities, and in publishing Deldoc's plays, we are making these scripts more accessible for production by more communities.

These webpages serve as a depository of all materials available about the plays included in the book. However, we are still trying to retrieve more data and materials to complete it. If you have been part of any production of these plays and have the materials we lack (like some of the creative, cast, and crew lists, performance photos, publicity materials, performance notes, etc.), please reach out to us. These will be constantly updated every time a play is restaged (within the contract we have with the writer). We believe that these information are part of the play's life and must be archived. We are also collecting them for whatever future researches that may come up related to the writer, his works, and the Philippine theater.

The Plays

Ambet and Nato are behind a satirical news website that has become viral. Guilty with the fact that they're writing "fake news," Ambet wants out. Nato, on the other hand, wants to keep going especially now that business is doing good. Things take a turn for the worse when a client demands them to revise an important part of Philippine history by churning out another "fake news."

Pilipinas kong mahal with all the overcoat

Set in the mountains of Sierra Madre, the play follows the story of Mameng, a teenaged forest dweller who wants to save an old kamagong tree from being cut. She tries to find the logger before it’s too late, and along the way, meets Jade, a yuppie from the city wandering about in the forest. They come across familiar figures, such as a businesswoman who owns a real estate and mining company, a politician who spearheads a fraudulent reforestation initiative, and a traditional healer who believes in the power of nature.

ang higanteng haligi sa hilaga

Owel’s medical examination unlocks a story of loss, romantic petition, and gender discussions. Sexual innuendos, mentions of heartbreak, and personal strife are juxtaposed against the clinical atmosphere of an infirmary in the metropolis. Two ex-lovers attempt closure over stool samples and urine examinations, staying true to the genre of black comedies.

owel

Prof. Dimaandal, a retiring cranky Science teacher, demands justice for her beloved goldfish. Allegedly murdered by three students, her pet becomes the center of chaos inside the Principal’s office as concerned parents, who turn out to be alumni of the school and former sweethearts at that, obliquely resolve their open-ended past; while faculty members struggle to grasp the logic of seeking justice for a dead fish.

Ang goldfish ni prof. dimaandal

The play revolves around the struggle of the Kasaray Duma tribe of the island called Sapang Kawayan as they are being forced by the government to leave their ancestral land so the mayor could turn it into a sanitary landfill. The tribal chieftain sides with the government with its promise of a relocation site and financial subsistence, while one of the tribe’s elders strongly opposes it because he believes that they are the rightful steward of the land. In the middle of such dispute, the forgotten priestess of the tribe, prays tirelessly for her most awaited coming of a storm.

Kasaray Duma: Mga Supling ng Sigwa

What people say about the book

Nicanor G. Tiongson

“Buhay na buhay ang mga dula ni Eljay Castro Deldoc dahil, una, malalim ang pagkakaugat ng mga ito sa ating lipunan at nakatuon sa walang-takot na pagtistis sa malulubhang isyung matagal nang ngumangatngat sa ubod ng lipunang iyon, tulad ng pagpapakalat ng pekeng balita ng mga bayarang trolls, ang pagsira sa kalikasan ng mga korap na opisyal, ang pagkalat ng HIV, ang parokyal at walang saysay na edukasyon, at ang panggigipit sa mga katutubo ng mga komersiyanteng mukhang salapi; at, pangalawa, nasusulat ang mga dula sa mga estilong magaan at madaling masakyan ng manonood, lalo na sa estilo ng dark comedy na gumagamit ng lengguwaheng kolokyal, sariwa, malutong, masiste, mapanudyo, at pinaaanghang ng pinaka-“latest na marites.” Sa Pilipinas Kong Mahal with All the Overcoat matutunghayan ang pinakamatagumpay at pinakamalikhaing paggamit ng estilong ito para talakayin ang isyu ng disimpormasyon na lumalala pang lalo sa ating lipunan ngayon.”

Si Nicanor Tiongson ay professor emeritus ng College of Mass Communication sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Diliman

Dennis Marasigan

Nicanor G. Tiongson

“Si Eljay Castro Deldoc na marahil ang maituturing na pangunahing mandudulang kontemporaryo na may kakayahang magbigay-puna sa mga pangyayari at tauhan sa lipunang Pilipino sa paraang matalisik at lubos na nakapagbibigay-aliw. Ang kaniyang mga dula ay patunay na, gaya ng sabi ni Bertolt Brecht, ang pagbibigay-aral ay magagawa nang hindi--at dapat hind--isinasantabi at winawalang-bahala ang kasiyahan ng mga manonood.”

Si Dennis Marasigan ay guro, direktor, at mandudula. Siya ang may-akda ng “Ang Buhay ay Pelikula” .

Rody Vera

Nicanor G. Tiongson

Chris Martinez

“Ang limang dula sa antolohiyang ito ay indikasyon ng malawak na saklaw ng mga paksang kayang isadula ni Eljay Castro Deldoc. Bukod diyan ang mga kumplikado’t masalimuot na isyung gaya ng climate change, HIV, politikal na implikasyon ng disinformation at historical distortion, sistema ng edukasyon, karapatan ng mga katutubo ay natatalakay niya nang may gaan habang napananatili ang lalim at halaga ng mga iyon. Long overdue na ang librong ito. Pagbati, Eljay!”

Si Rody Vera ay premyadong mandudula. Isa siya sa tagapagtatag ng The Virgin Labfest at tagapangasiwa ng The Writers Bloc Inc.

Chris Martinez

Genevieve L. Asenjo

Chris Martinez

“Deldoc creates worlds where history collides with fiction, truth with lies, roaring laughter with inevitable tragedy. All five plays burst with relevance, charm and undeniable power. He is THE playwright of this generation.”

Si Chris Martinez ay premyadong direktor at mandudula. Siya ang may-akda ng “Last Order sa Penguin”

Genevieve L. Asenjo

“Dinedeklara ni Eljay Castro Deldoc na “Hindi ito History Book” gayunman, kung naghahanap ka ng saysay sa ating buhay-Filipino, basahin mo ang librong ito. Narito ang mga kuwento ng KKK: komon na mga tao, karaniwan na mga pangyayari, komunidad. Mahalagang markahan ito dahil ito rin mismo ang itinatanghal ni Eljay; hindi lamang sila background at backstory: sila mismo ang naratibo. Sa kanila ang entablado. Higit sa dulas at bulas ng kontemporaryong lengguwahe ng mga dula sa koleksiyong ito, sa galing ng tagisan ng mga argumento na dumadaloy sa masisteng diyalogo at organikong pamimilosopo, itong tayó at tayà sa sensibilidad at danas sa dahas ng KKK — at ang kanilang pakikipag-“away” at “ayaw” sa fake news, pagsira sa kapaligiran, pagrebisa ng kasaysayan at sa lahat ng uri ng pang-aapi sa mahihirap — ang pambihirang boses ni Eljay na dapat nating itanghal pa, at ipakipaglaban kung kinakailangan. Imahinasyon ito na nakikipag-usap para sa pagtasà ng kolektibong lakas.”

Si Genevieve L. Asenjo ay kuwentista at propesor ng De La Salle University. Siya ang awtor ng “Lumbay ng Dila”.

Dessa Quesada Palm

Genevieve L. Asenjo

“Eljay Castros Deldoc’s collection of plays is a chronicle of human relationships and ethical dilemmas that confront our contemporary lives. The irony of the flawed situations are funny at times, but more importantly raises a lot of interesting questions and insight about where we are as a people. I hope more theater groups can read this collection and stage these plays as a platform for creative-critical thinking and reflection. My personal favorite is Pilipinas Kong Mahal with All the Overcoat, an indictment of historical revisionism and manipulation of “truths”, a malady that is quickly bringing our nation to self-destruction if not rectified.”

Si Dessa Quesada Palm ay aktor, direktor, at mandudula ng Women Playwrights International Philippines.

The Playwright

Eljay Castro Deldoc

is an award-winning Filipino playwright who is known for his political satires and environmental tragedies. His most notable plays were mounted at The Virgin Labfest of the Cultural Center of Philippines. Some of his accolades include the grand prize for the 2018 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for the one-act play category, the 2020 Philstage’s Gawad Buhay and Aliw Awards Best Original Composition for his libretto of an epic musical, and the 2021 Writers Prize of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for plays written in Filipino. A few of his works were also staged in California, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. His children’s stories, poems, and essays were published in local anthologies, online journals, and literary magazines.

Si Eljay Castro Deldoc ay tubong Hagonoy, Bulacan, nagtapos ng kursong Communication Arts sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Los Baños, at kumukuha ng MFA in Creative Writing sa De La Salle University. Nakamit niya ang NCCA Writers Prize para sa Dulang Filipino noong 2021. Ilan sa kaniyang mga dula ay naitanghal na sa California, Canada, at Saudi Arabia. Noong kasagsagan ng lockdown dahil sa pandemya, binalikan niya ang pagtuturo sa pamamagitan ng Dedels Playwriting Workshop. Siya ay miyembro ng Writers Bloc Inc. at isa sa mga tagapagtatag ng Tabsing Kolektib. Nagsusulat din siya ng mga tula, sanaysay, teleplay, at kuwentong pambata. Ito ang kaniyang unang aklat.

Blog: https://deldoctrines.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorksOfDeldoc