How Serena Magiliw is rewriting the Filipino trans narrative

For Serena Magiliw, the camera and the stage are both platforms for performance and battlegrounds for visibility. The Manila-based independent actor, director, and cultural worker recently completed the highly competitive program The Master Series: Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Acting Workshop for Filipino Talents 2026. 

While the selection marks a significant milestone in her career, it also underscores Magiliw’s evolution into a multidisciplinary force disrupting traditional power structures through raw, queer, and trans-centered storytelling. Her artistic foundation is deeply rooted in academic and cultural exploration. She studied Filipinology at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and has blended transmedia narrative techniques with institutional critique.

Magiliw’s portfolio features critical performance research, including her piece “Rampa” for the Asian Performing Arts Camp 2021 and a directorial stint for the Tokyo Festival Farm 2022 Farm-Lab Exhibition. By 2022, her creative voice reached global audiences when New York’s New Perspectives Theater Company showcased her play “KASARIAN 101.” She has cemented her status in the local independent scene, racking up acting accolades in various film festivals.

What sets Magiliw apart is her refusal to separate her craft from her convictions. Offscreen, she is deeply embedded in grassroots and systemic advocacy. She actively champions human rights as a member of the Society of Trans Women of the Philippines, the country’s premier organization dedicated to trans Pinay rights. In addition, she works to protect creative liberties through her involvement with the Membership and Alliance Committee of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, an organization steadfast in its defense of freedom of expression.

Magiliw’s recent acting slate showcases her effortlessly moving between mainstream television and independent cinema. She played Betchay in the 2026 series “A Secret in Prague,” sharing the screen with Andrea Brillantes and Enrique Gil, and appeared with Angeline Quinto and Eugene Domingo as Jessi in “The Happy Homes of Diane Hilario” (2025). 

A frequent fixture at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, she co-starred as Barbie Ann with KaladKaren and Lance Reblando in “Warla” (2025). Her repertoire also includes a role in the feature “Huling Palabas” (2023) and in this year’s Cinemalaya short film finalist “Muli Na Ka, Merlie” (“Merlie, Go Home”).

Currently, Magiliw is channeling her energy into SARÍ/SÁRI, her signature Queer-Trans Embodiment practice, and Trans Midya, a self-started creative hub dedicated to Filipino trans and nonbinary storytellers. Backed by the “Shift the Narrative Fellowship” grant from the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Rights, Trans Midya seeks to aggressively dismantle the damaging stereotypes and reductive tropes that have historically plagued trans representation in media.

As a full-time creative, Magiliw remains dedicated to collaborating with artists, filmmakers, and organizers who share her commitment to progressive, inclusive storytelling. For future projects, artistic collaborations, or creative inquiries, you can reach Serena Magiliw via email at serenamagiliw@gmail.com or follow her journey on Instagram at @ma.giliw.