Two actresses, Xyriel Manabat and Sassa Gurl, are on an awards-season collision course. Xyriel has the experience and acting pedigree, while Sassa is riding on a momentum and a role that could upend everyone’s expectations. When Puregold CinePanalo 2026 is poised to choose its Panalong Aktres, could this be the face-off to watch?
Xyriel Manabat competes through Mikko Baldoza’s “Stuck on You,” while Sassa Gurl plays lead in Rodina Singh’s “Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa ’Yo),” two finely crafted films where both actresses are pushed beyond the screen personas they are best known for.
Xyriel: The actress to beat?
Manabat touts a more impressive acting résumé. A celebrated child actress who won FAMAS Best Child Actress for “Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last na ’To!)” and “A Mother’s Story,” she later exhibited her dramatic range in “Dirty Linen” and “Senior High.”
“Stuck on You,” however, puts this to a test. She plays Sheryl Bunga, a heartbroken manicurista who gets entangled in a deadly conspiracy and falls for a man, played by River Joseph, whom she may eventually have to kill.
Comedy, romance, action, and drama combine to give Manabat a chance to show a lighter but more challenging side of her acting.
Sassa: The wildcard
Sassa Gurl, meanwhile, could be the race’s biggest surprise.
In “Multwoh,” she plays Marcel, a queer college student who dies before confessing their feelings to longtime crush Miguel, played by Joao Constancia. Marcel returns as a ghost with unfinished business: finally saying “I love you.” The premise plays to Sassa Gurl’s comedic strength, but Marcel also carries loneliness, regret and heartbreak.
After appearances in “The Entitled” and “Balota,” Sassa Gurl recently won Breakthrough Actress of the Year at the 2026 Platinum Stallion National Media Awards for “Bar Boys: After School.”
“Multwoh” could turn out to be the performance that establishes her as a serious big-screen contender.
Experience vs. surprise
These elements make for a potentially compelling showdown.
Manabat has to prove she can still surprise audiences after years onscreen. Sassa Gurl has to show that charisma and comedy may turn into an emotionally powerful performance.
One has the pedigree. The other could pull off an upset.
And one could follow Shamaine Buencamino and Ruby Ruiz as the third full-length recipient of the Panalong Aktres award.
The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival runs September 23 to October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Market! Market!
Regular tickets cost ₱250, with discounted tickets at ₱200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders. A ₱2,000 festival pass covers all seven full-length films and 19 student shorts.
Festival passes will be available starting September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, and from September 23 onwards at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.
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