Filipinos on the global stage: Jacinta Remulla on the place of theatre arts education in a world of competition

“Theatre Arts is the school of life. It teaches you the human condition and lets you meet people from all walks of life.”

Paris – the Fashion Capital of the World. Miles away from the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre, a young Filipina braved a different stage to earn her M.B.A. in Marketing and Communications from the Mod’Art International Fashion School, and her M.B.A in Luxury Brand Management, Marketing and Communications from INSEEC Paris. From living alone, to being fluent in French, excelling in her graduate studies, and landing a dream job in the fashion industry, her theatre arts training helped Jacinta through all of it.

She has always been a performer – the class skit star, the cheerleader, the singer. Coming from a family of UP graduates, with an older sister who also took up theatre arts, Jacinta already knew what she wanted to study in college. She entered the Certificate in Theatre Arts program of the DSCTA determined to make it as a theatre artist.

“It was really hard sometimes,” Jacinta said, while describing her experiences in the program. “But it was still all worth it.”

She remembered the countless hours spent inside the theater – doing backstage work, managing responsibilities, and learning from the best practitioners in the country. She witnessed the passion and dedication that marked great artists. Studying theatre arts made her stronger and more resilient. It developed her character in unexpected and meaningful ways – sharpening her and making her more sensitive to the human condition. These experiences gave her the boldness to pursue graduate studies abroad. She knew she already had what it took to succeed.

Before she left, Jacinta also tried her hand in the film industry and in local politics. Unfulfilled in these ventures, she set out for graduate studies in France. After earning her M.B.A, she went to become the Corporate Communications and Community Manager at Estée Lauder Companies EMEA, where she worked with more than 25 international brands across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and the U.S.A. She specialized in crisis management, corporate social responsibility, data analysis, events management, and content creation. She was also able to work in advertising and digital marketing for Bell & Ross, a luxury watch company.

After some time, she decided to use her expertise to help students get into the luxury industry. This led her to Instituto Marangoni Paris where she currently works as Communications Manager, creating opportunities for budding artists to pursue internships in leading fashion brands such as Dior, Chanel, and YSL. A definite highlight was organizing a talk with renowned creative director Olivier Rousteing. Students were thrilled to interact with the fashion icon and grateful for such a valuable opportunity.

“The best part of the job is making a difference in the lives of the students,” said Jacinta. “Especially in the fashion industry. It’s really competitive. It’s hard to keep going sometimes.”

Instituto Marangoni has since assigned Jacinta to manage affairs in the Philippines. She admitted that this is a rare privilege, and she is making the most out of it. While her previous post allowed her to help students from other nations, now she is given time to champion the Filipino and thrust Filipino artists into the global stage. Success may have taken her halfway around world, but now she is home, and more motivated than ever to push the Filipino artist into the limelight.

When asked for advice for the Department’s theatre students, Jacinta had two words: be kind. “That’s what people will remember about you,” she added. “Everyone you will ever work with will remember if you were kind to them.” She then encouraged students to be bold, but to remain humble and always prepared. “Be resourceful and creative,” she said. “Say yes to every opportunity and just go for it.”