Michelle Ngu-Nario (left) and Joanna Marie “J-Mee” Katanyag (right)

TWO graduates of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets), both products of the theater guild Artistang Artlets, have been appointed to key positions in the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).

On Jan. 1, PETA announced its new officials, which include communication alumna Michelle Ngu-Nario as executive director and journalism alumna Joanna Marie “J-Mee” Katanyag as artistic director. 

Ngu-Nario previously served as production and stage manager for PETA and was the playwright of “One More Chance: The Musical,” an adaptation of the Filipino romance classic. She also co-wrote “The Kingdom” alongside director Michael Tuviera, winning second best picture at the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival. 

Katanyag, the festival director for PETA’s upcoming “Control+Shift: Changing Narratives,” is the head writer of GMA’s award-winning show “Maria Clara at Ibarra” and dramaturg for “One More Chance: The Musical.” 

Both were part of Artistang Artlets’ 28th season, during which Katanyag served as artistic director. 

Other appointees were Melvin Lee as president, Anj Herula as executive director, Norbs Portales as curriculum director, and Mitch Go as marketing director.  

‘More Filipino narratives’

As PETA’s new artistic director, Katanyag plans to train the spotlight on Filipino stories by adapting local works and adding Filipino perspectives to Western classics. 

“One of my key goals is to strengthen our international collaborations, creating platforms where Filipino narratives are nuanced, represented, and resonated while engaging with issues of the Filipino diaspora in different parts of the world,” she told the Varsitarian.

A PETA senior artist-teacher, Katanyag has represented PETA in several international forums such as the Mekong Arts and Media Festival in Cambodia (2009), the 8th Young IDEA Congress in Paris (2013), and the E-Motive Cultural Exchange Program in Spain (2015).

She also aims to continue fostering collaboration with artists.

“PETA has always been about building bridges. When we bring different perspectives together, magic happens,” she said. “We’re not just making plays — we’re creating spaces where people can talk about real issues, process their experiences, and imagine better futures together.”

Founded in 1967, PETA is a Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning organization known for producing iconic plays like “Batang Rizal,” “3 Stars and a Sun,” and “Rak of Aegis.” 

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