The Stage is Set for Resistance: PETA Unveils "Control + Shift: StudioLab 2026

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

For decades, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) has served as the heartbeat of People’s Theater, transforming the stage into a mirror for the Filipino soul. This April, that pulse quickens. From April 10 to 19, 2026, the PETA Studio Theater becomes a site of radical reimagining with the return of Control + Shift: Changing Narratives StudioLab.

Building on the momentum of its 2024 debut and 2025 festival, this year’s StudioLab is a "Brave Exploration on Narrative Change". It is a creative sanctuary where artists and community partners confront the "tough questions of our time," crafting stories that hold space for healing while envisioning more humane, democratic futures.

The 2026 showcase is divided into two powerhouse sets, each exploring the thin line between survival and systemic change.

Set A: When Power Falls into our Hands

This set dissects the gravity of choice in the face of normalized corruption and violence. When the system demands compliance, who among us will dare to interrupt it? 

CLEANERS: Written by Jhudiel Clare Sosa and directed by Julio Garcia, this play follows senior high students who realize their graduation requires more than just tidying classrooms. It is a tense exploration of what happens when the weight of truth lands in young hands.

MONIT-OH! MONIT-AH! (Restaging): Playwright Herlyn Alegre and director Norbs Portales return with a sharp forum theatre piece. Through Jaylord, a rookie waiter, audiences witness how a simple Christmas gift exchange can unmask the rot of the palakasan system.

Set B: When Care Becomes Survival

In landscapes scarred by war and disaster, care is no longer a luxury—it is an act of collective endurance and faith.

BAGA NG GUMUGUHONG LANGIT: Under the direction of Ian Segarra and written by Anj Heruela, this haunting work depicts orphaned children fighting for survival amidst the chaos of war, pleading for care from a world that has largely forgotten them.

AT NAGKATAWANG-TAO ANG VERBO (Restaging): Presented by Tanghalang Bagong Sibol, this play by Mikaela Regis and director Anthony Cruz breathes life into religious icons. In an urban fishing community along Ilog Tullahan, biblical imagery becomes a reflection of the daily struggle for dignity and hope.

Plan Your Visit: Show Dates and Tickets

Tickets are available now for Php 700 per set via Ticket2Me or at bit.ly/CS2026Tickets.

Set Dates & Times

Set A

April 10 (2 PM & 7 PM), April 12 (2 PM), April 18 (7 PM), April 19 (7 PM) 

Set B

April 11 (2 PM & 7 PM), April 12 (7 PM), April 18 (2 PM), April 19 (2 PM) 

Location: PETA Studio Theater, Quezon City, Philippines.

Be part of the shift. Follow @petatheater on social media for more updates as PETA continues to reclaim the Filipino narrative, one story at a time.

The Great Pump Heist: Why Your Fuel Tank is a One-Way Street for Profit

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The liquid sloshing into your tank right now isn’t "new." It wasn’t refined this morning, and it didn't just arrive on a tanker from the Middle East. That gas was bought weeks ago, locked into a price point far lower than the digits currently spinning on the pump’s display. The oil companies have already paid for it. Yet, you are paying for it as if they bought it at peak market rates this afternoon.

Welcome to the world of Replacement Cost Accounting—the industry’s favorite shield, and the consumer’s greatest invisible tax.

The "Replacement" Illusion

In any standard business, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is based on actual cost. If you buy a loaf of bread for 40 pesos and sell it for 50, you’ve made your margin. But Philippine oil companies operate on a different plane of logic. They don’t charge you based on what they spent; they charge you based on what it might cost them to buy that same liter of gas tomorrow.

By using the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) benchmark—the spot oil market that dictates prices every Tuesday—companies justify today’s price hikes by pointing at global volatility. They claim they must collect the "replacement cost" now to afford the next shipment. It sounds like prudent bookkeeping—until you look at the predatory timing:

High Inventory, Low Price: Naturally, companies stock up when global prices are low.

The Surge: When prices spike, they have a massive volume of "cheap" oil sitting in tanks.

The Windfall: By applying replacement cost accounting during a surge, they reap massive profits on inventory they already own at a fraction of the cost.

Rockets and Feathers: The Asymmetry of Greed

The "Replacement Cost" system would be fair if it swung both ways. It doesn't. Instead, we are trapped in a phenomenon known as "Rockets and Feathers."

The Rocket: When global tensions flare in the Middle East and crude prices spike, the reaction at the local pump is instantaneous. Every Tuesday, as the MOPS benchmark shifts, the industry moves with Olympic speed to capture the upside. Last night, as prices shot up, thousands of Filipinos lined up at stations to beat the hike—a clear sign of a public under siege.

The Feather: When global prices fall, the logic shifts. Suddenly, "inventory cycles" and "logistics lags" become the excuse. Consumers don't rush to fill up before a price drop; they wait. But the oil companies ensure they have low inventory when prices hit the floor, minimizing their "losses" while maximizing their gains on the way up.

Deregulation as a Weapon

We were told that the Downstream Oil Deregulation Act would foster a battlefield of competition. Instead, it has created an oligopoly where we are nothing more than "price takers." These brokers and major players control everything from the market exchanges to the landed cost of refined petroleum.

This isn't a free market working as intended; it is a system weaponized to ensure that no matter which way the global wind blows, the house always wins. Basic needs—especially those that drive the entire economy like fuel—should be regulated with the same strictness as basic commodities.

Powerless in the Face of Incompetence

The reality is grim: a combination of government incompetency and a lack of strict monitoring has left the Filipino people at the mercy of global wars and corporate boardrooms. Without strong-willed leaders who refuse to be bought, the "replacement cost" remains a one-way street.

Every time you watch those numbers climb, remember: you aren't just paying for fuel. You are paying for the industry’s "what-ifs," subsidized by the gas they bought at yesterday's prices. It is a masterclass in risk-shifting, where the companies take the profit and the public takes the hit. 

Civil Society Presses FDA to Assure Consumers that Play and Craft Sand Products Sold Locally are Asbestos-Free

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

(Over 50 health and environmental rights advocates push for testing, certification, and labeling of asbestos-free sand toys)



9 March 2026, Quezon City. In anticipation of World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) on March 15, themed “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” over 50 health and environmental rights advocates sent an urgent appeal to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take timely and decisive regulatory action to ensure that all play and craft sand products available in the Philippine market are demonstrably free from asbestos, a known carcinogen with no known safe level of exposure.


The appeal for “mandatory testing, certification and labeling of asbestos-free play and craft sand products,” initiated by the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition, was triggered by recent recalls in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, following tests confirming asbestos contamination of such products, "even when marketed as safe for children.”



“These incidents underscore a critical regulatory gap: products of a similar type and supply chains may already be present in the Philippine market without routine verification of asbestos safety,” they said.



The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies asbestos as one of the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern. In children, the risks are compounded by developmental vulnerability and frequent hand-to-mouth behaviors, increasing the likelihood of ingestion or inhalation.

All forms of asbestos are already prohibited in toys and other products under the DENR Administrative Order No. 2000-02, or the Chemical Control Order for Asbestos, yet without systematic testing and certification requirements, this prohibition cannot be reliably enforced in practice, the signatories noted.

“The Philippines has already established a strong policy position against asbestos in consumer products. At this critical juncture, decisive regulatory enforcement and transparency measures are needed to translate policy into effective protection, especially for children and other at-risk members of society,” the letter said.



With these points in mind, the concerned groups and individuals appealed to the FDA to implement the following steps:



A. Mandatory third-party laboratory certification confirming that all play and craft sand products are asbestos-free before market authorization;



B. Clear, visible, and standardized “asbestos-free” labeling on all product packaging to support informed consumer choice;



C. Strengthened post-market surveillance and enforcement, including targeted sampling of products sold through physical stores, e-commerce platforms, and social media channels.



In light of the recent international recalls and the potential for similar products to circulate locally, and in pursuit of the objectives of the Global Framework on Chemicals - For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste, they further urged the FDA to undertake immediate risk mitigation actions, including:

A. Conduct immediate verification to determine if products recalled abroad are locally sold and the swift recall of the same;



B. Prompt market sampling and laboratory testing of currently available products, including products sold without authorization; and



C. Order a precautionary, time-bound restriction on the sale of play and craft sand products pending submission of verified laboratory results by Market Authorization Holders.



These actions are consistent with the precautionary principle and reflect the State’s duty to proactively prevent harm, particularly when children’s health is at stake, and exposure risks are avoidable, the groups and individuals said.



“We stand ready to support the FDA in advancing this initiative, including through stakeholder engagement and public awareness efforts. We respectfully seek your urgent consideration of the above recommendations to ensure that no child in the Philippines is exposed to preventable risks from contaminated play products,” the civil society letter to the FDA concluded.

Groups and individuals from the academic, environmental, health, science and technology, labor, and waste sectors, including the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health - Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI), Action for Nurturing Children and Environment (ANCE), Arugaan, Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, Greepeace, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Living Laudato Si Movement, Mother Earth Foundation (MEF), and the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC), signed the appeal sent to the FDA on March 9, 2026.




In particular, organizations working on asbestos issues extended their support, including the Associated Labor Unions – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP); Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD); Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA); Toxics Free Australia (TFA); Consumer Protection Organization (LPKSM) Yasa Nata Budi, Local Initiative for OSH Network (LION) and Nexus 3 Foundation, Indonesia; Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Malaysia; Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED), Nepal; Consumer NZ, New Zealand; and the Airtight on Asbestos, UK.