MANILA, Philippines — Martin del Rosario has added another major acting honor to his career after winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role at Cinemalaya 2026, earning the Balanghai trophy for his deeply emotional performance in Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam.
Del Rosario received the award during the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival awards ceremony at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City on August 17. The festival ran from August 6 to 18.
But beyond the trophy, the actor used one of the biggest moments of his career to draw attention to an issue at the heart of his film: the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ relationships and people living with HIV.
A Quiet Performance That Made a Powerful Impact
In Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, Del Rosario portrays Neil, a gay man caring for his seriously ill partner, Bong, who is living with HIV. Their relationship is kept private because of their fear of judgment from society.
It is a role built less around theatrical displays of emotion and more around grief, restraint, tenderness and the difficult realities of caring for someone you love.
That subtlety apparently proved decisive for the Cinemalaya jury.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines said Del Rosario was recognized for the sensitivity and restraint of his performance, particularly his ability to communicate grief, heartbreak and resilience through quiet moments and non-verbal acting.
The jury specifically highlighted the emotional weight he carried as a character attempting to remain hopeful while caring for his dying partner.
Martin Turns Awards Speech Into a Call Against Stigma
Accepting his trophy, Del Rosario thanked the cast and crew behind Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam and revealed that the honor marked his first Cinemalaya Best Actor victory.
But he quickly shifted attention away from himself and toward the social issues explored by the movie.
Del Rosario said the film tackles the struggles faced by queer couples, including relationships that remain hidden because of fears of discrimination and judgment.
He then delivered a straightforward appeal: end the stigma surrounding the LGBT community and HIV.
The message gave his victory significance beyond the awards stage.
While Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam is a fictional drama, its story uses an intimate relationship to explore how stigma can affect people not only medically, but emotionally and socially.
‘Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam’ Scores Multiple Cinemalaya Wins
Del Rosario wasn’t the film’s only winner.
Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam emerged as one of Cinemalaya 2026’s notable award-winning entries, securing honors in several categories.
Its cast—Martin del Rosario, Yayo Aguila, Epy Quizon and Miguel Ordon—won Best Ensemble Performance.
Cinematographer Adam Dumaguin took home Best Cinematography, with the jury praising the film’s use of light, shadow and intimate visual compositions to strengthen its emotional storytelling.
Elian Idioma, meanwhile, won Best Sound, with Cinemalaya citing the movie’s effective use of silence, subtle sounds and quiet pauses to intensify its emotional impact.
Those victories gave Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam four major awards: Best Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Cinematography and Best Sound.
‘Mag-iina’ Emerges as Cinemalaya 2026 Best Film
While Del Rosario claimed the top male acting prize, Giancarlo Abrahan and Guelan Varela-Luarca’s psychological horror film Mag-iina was named Best Film in the Full-Length Film Category. Abrahan also won Best Director, while the film collected several additional honors.
The Best Actress category produced a rare tie.
Marietta “Pokwang” Subong won for 2 Valid IDs, sharing the Balanghai trophy with Ruby Ruiz for Status: Rejected.
Another tie occurred in the Best Supporting Actor category, where Lucas Andalio of Mag-iina and K.D. Omalin of Hand of God shared the award.
Meanwhile, Bituin Escalante won Best Supporting Actress for A.ni.mál.
More Than Another Trophy for Martin
For Del Rosario, the Cinemalaya victory reinforces a career built on taking on dramatically different characters.
This particular award, however, comes with an added distinction: according to the actor himself, it is his first Cinemalaya Best Actor award.
And rather than allowing the night to end simply as another career milestone, Del Rosario turned the spotlight toward the people whose experiences inspired the themes of Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam.
His performance may have earned the Balanghai trophy, but his message was unmistakably bigger than an awards ceremony: love, illness and caregiving should not have to exist behind closed doors because of fear, discrimination or stigma.
For Del Rosario, Cinemalaya 2026 became not only a night of recognition—but an opportunity to make sure the conversation behind the film continued after the credits rolled.
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