Since returning to the Philippines after graduation in 2005, Felimon Blanco has worn many hats as a theatre practitioner, academic and cultural policymaker. He credits ITI for developing him into not only a thinking actor but also an innovative, creative individual. “ITI has trained us to become independent, collaborative, inquisitive and research-based. I think this is something that has had a big impact on my life,” he says.

The skills he acquired from his training influenced his vision and work as Artistic Director of Teatro Guindegan—resident theatre company at LaSalle University, Ozamis City—from 2007 to 2021. Teatro Guindegan has gained a reputation in the region for being the first to incorporate classical Asian art forms into contemporary performance, and for making work that engages with social realities.

“This is what ITI has left in me,” says Felimon, “to use theatre not solely as entertainment but as a tool for social transformation, as a channel to make people think.”

Some of its most impactful projects have been collaborations with NGOs on highly engaging community theatre initiatives to educate audiences on topics like reproductive health and corporal punishment. An example is a collaboration with the acclaimed Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) on a play advocating for positive child discipline which toured to more than 26 communities in Mindanao province.

In 2007, Felimon also became active in cultural policymaking. He was appointed Provincial Artistic Director of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Tourism, Culture and Arts Office where he developed cultural and arts programmes for communities across the province.

Since 2008, he has served several terms as a member of and as one-time President of the National Committee on Dramatic Arts, part of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)—a national policymaking body of theatre leaders and practitioners from across the Philippines. He has used this platform to spearhead many projects with the country’s leading theatre practitioners on a national level.

One of these initiatives launched during his term as President was Dulaan.ph, a repository of Philippine theatre resources. It is an ambitious project designed to allow theatre companies and groups to list their activities, photos and directory information in one portal. Before this, it has been difficult for anyone outside the Philippines to find out more about Filipino theatre. The portal is still a work-in-progress but remains one of the things he’s proudest of, alongside his work in education and with the community.