Philippine theater is composed of pre-colonial performance traditions as well as colonial influences from Spain and the USA.
The earliest form of theatrical work started with indigenous theater which mainly performs “rituals”.
[1] During the colonization of Spain, Christianity heavily influenced the lives of Filipinos which lead to religious pieces and performances throughout the country.
[1] For example, a play called Tibag which talks about the search of Elena and Constantino for the Cross of Christ is still performed in some towns.
[1] Another religious form is the sinakulo or commonly called the passion of Christ which is usually performed during the Lenten season.
[1] The main theme of sarsuwela revolves around the love story between different social classes which made the dramatization more interesting.
One influence from the occupation is the development of the performance form called bodabil[1] which is the vernacular equivalent of "vaudeville."
[4] In 1976 a play called Tagatupad came out with a focus on the struggles of antieviction laws within the working class Filipino community.
[4] Years later Ti Mangyuna (1981) led by a collaboration between the KDP and ILWU Local 142 of Hawaii headlined throughout the community.
[10] In the University of Hawai’i, the Fil-Am club sponsored an event called Gabi ng Pilipino (Filipino Night).
[9] "Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History" by Walter Ang, published in 2018.