MANILA, Philippines – Just in time for its centennial celebration, the story of the Iglesia ni Cristo and its founders will finally be told via a stage production. 

Titled Ang Sugo: The Last Messenger, the play is scheduled to be shown on the last day of the INC’s celebration at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, which has a 55,000 seating capacity, and considered the largest indoor stadium in the world.

In an interview at the Yahoo Celebrity Awards last Friday, July 18, actress Gladys Reyes, an active member of INC, talked about her role in the production.

“So far, ang alam namin part kami nung stage play sa Philippine Arena. We will be the narrators. And then may mga iba kaming  mga intro, spiels  and then hindi pa namin alam kung may iba pa kasi medyo mahaba-habang celebration,” Gladys said.

(So far, what we know is that we are part of the stage play at the Philippine Arena. We will be the narrators, and there will be others such as intros, spiels, and we’re not sure if there are any other activities since it’s a long celebration.)

Gladys also mentioned that other stars might also be part of the production. Rossel Taberna, wife of journalist Anthony Taberna, will also be part of the production, according to TV host-actress Kris Aquino.

A member of the INC told Rappler that the production will be more musical, with lots of singing. 

In 2012, it was announced that a movie was to be made based on the history of the INC. Three actors – Richard Gomez, Albert Martinez, and Sen. Bong Revilla were cast as Felix Manalo, Eraño Manalo, and Eduardo Manalo. Actresses Dawn Zulueta, Snooky Serna, and Lani Mercado were also said to be part of the movie.

According to a report from the Inquirer, the story would be written by a pool of writers led by journalist and INC member Arlyn dela Cruz, and directed by Tikoy Aguiluz, who even requested “an A-list German cinematographer” for his team.

But in October 2013, Pep reported that Revilla announced that he would no longer be part of the movie, after news that he was implicated in the pork barrel scam. His wife Lani also dropped out of the movie. He was later replaced by actor Gabby Concepcion.

According to another report by Pep, actor Cesar Montano backed out of the film after he and the INC reportedly did not agree on the date to complete the movie. Cesar was supposed to co-direct.

Undoubtedly, devotees and worshippers are looking forward to the play, as they celebrate INC’s 100th year – a major milestone for the group’s millions of followers in the country. – Rappler.com