Theater & Arts
With vivid ink bursting from each panel, rapid-fire dialogue bouncing through speech bubbles, and crisp suspense between every page, the komik is a classic instrument of Filipino storytelling.
In celebration of this beloved medium, the Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF) 2026 was held from July 10 to 12, 2026, in Ayala Malls The 30th, Pasig City. Organized by Komiket, a non-profit organization championing the Filipino komiks and art market community, PICOF annually gathers komik enthusiasts to commemorate new releases, feature local and international exhibits, and spotlight emerging artists.
This year, PICOF hosts more than 200 creators, collectives, and exhibitors—including creatives from Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan. It also celebrates the launches of local komiks such as Carlo Jose San Juan’s Benign Is A State of Mind, Tobie Abad’s Diliman Generation Now, Tish Nicholas’ Drawn to Love From Manila to Manhattan, and Lucas Lacorte’s Watchdog of Manila.
For the first time since its 2020 launch, PICOF 2026 grants attendees free access to all its events and exhibits.
Honoring the Dean of Filipino Cartoonists
As 2026 marks the birth centenary of National Artist Lauro “Larry” Alcala, PICOF 2026 and the Larry Alcala Estate present Larry Alcala 100 Years, a two-part tribute exhibition for the legendary editorial cartoonist.
Larry, best known for his beloved Slice of Life series, left an indelible mark on Filipino komiks with his distinct illustrations, relatable Pinoy humor, and trailblazing usage of Taglish.
Beyond his prolific career, his granddaughter Ana Alcala shares that he “was [also] a passionate advocate for local artists and Filipino creativity.” Larry championed for the education and livelihoods of komikeros and illustrators by establishing organizations such as the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP) and Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK).
His love for the Filipino art community endures through his tribute. Slices of a Komikero’s Life (Larry Alcala Tribute Exhibit), the first showcase in Larry Alcala 100 Years, revisits Larry’s influential artistry through commemorative reproductions of his most iconic works.
Meanwhile, Larry Alcala x 100 Komikeros brings together 100 Filipino komik creators to reimagine Larry through portraits—and even comic strips—in their own styles. Visitors can also display their own artworks in one of the exhibition’s walls.
“Larry Alcala would have been very proud to see his legacy of creativity take on so many forms,” Ana affirms. As it shares the Alcala family’s advocacy to empower local artists, PICOF seeks to embody a similar spirit of passion and imagination for the komiks community.
Ink in the margins
Comics remain relevant not only as sources of entertainment, but also as mediums for social commentary and resistance. According to Kristine Santos, ADMU Japanese Studies Program Director and the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writing Executive Director, “[comics are] a very important platform to find ways to represent and challenge dominant and [hetero]normative ideas in society, […] offering us hope and possibilities.”
PICOF amplifies this hope through SINTA: Queer Stories Across Asia. Presented in collaboration with Japan Foundation, Manila, and BLushCon, and curated by Santos herself, the exhibit highlights more than 30 comic creators across Asia, including the Philippines’ Tsambolero, Japan’s Masaomi Ito, Thailand’s Everwetscent/Sal, and Indonesia’s Kayraa.
SINTA seeks to empower diverse voices that remain largely on the periphery. In addition to simply inviting Southeast Asian and Japanese artists, it specifically seeks out stories from Mindanao and Visayas, expanding local representation beyond the Metro Manila megalopolis.
Its selection also encompasses the vast spectrum of queerness with narratives of bisexuality and aromance. Even the artistry SINTA highlights does not limit itself to conventional Boys’ Love or Girls’ Love tropes, as it features pieces such as Tintin Pantoka’s surrealist Poison Ocean and Speck of Dust’s austere WIRED.
Within the collection’s diverse stories, Santos finds a common theme: “a reality where queerness is accepted in the everyday.” Most of SINTA’s artists come from conservative countries that suppress the LGBTQIA+ community and demand conformity to rigid heteronormative standards.
Thus, this common narrative thread of uncomplicated acceptance reveals the community’s ongoing efforts to change society’s perception of queerness into a fact of life, rather than an othered margin of society.
Santos partnered with PICOF in support of these efforts. “[PICOF] offer[s] a safe space where a lot of [queer] artists can be visible, can be seen, and also engage in a dialogue that decolonizes the dominance of […] Western media,” she shares. As SINTA centers itself on the stories of marginalized comic artists, it dignifies comics as a precious medium of expression, and exemplifies PICOF’s overarching mission to support the komiks community.
The magic of Philippine komiks
Aside from simply showcasing notable pieces, PICOF also cultivates emerging talent within the comic and art community.
Watchdog of Manila author Lacorte first contributed to PICOF in 2022. Like many artists, he struggled to be taken seriously by others for his livelihood, while also doubting his own credibility as a creative. However, support from PICOF, as well as the rest of the komiks community, helped him embrace his creativity and gain confidence in his craft—something he hopes more people experience.
Though comics, and art as a whole, often go unappreciated in society, Lacorte emphasizes its value as a profound form of human expression. “I really do believe that being an artist is like holding God’s hand, and collaborating with [Him] to make something that’s from the heart.”
In a world that dismisses art as a flight of fancy, wherein komikeros struggle to make a living from their craft alone, PICOF declares that the komik remains a vibrant aspect of the Filipino identity—one worth creating, cultivating, and celebrating.
Exposé
