How shadow play helped Philip Galit step out of the shadows
As a teenager growing up in Calatagan, Batangas, Philip Galit was shy and introverted. While others his age were exploring and enjoying, he kept to his room most of the time. He was teased mercilessly because of bad acne.
“After school, I would go home and head straight to my room. When it grew dark, I would cast shadows on the wall using only my hands and a few props. My cousins who were my only audience then liked my nightly shows,” Galit told Lifestyle.
He narrated how he and his family grew up with few creature comforts in a house that didn’t have electricity, so he would use a gasera (kerosene lamp) as his light source. “That’s how I entertained myself growing up. It was my way to escape from reality.”
Urged on by his family, Galit began joining talent competitions in towns in Batangas, and then later in Laguna. Since he performed his shadow art behind a scrim, he was able to keep his nerves at bay. In a town in Laguna, he was scouted and invited to audition for “Pilipinas Got Talent” (PGT) Season 5 in 2016. He got in, made it far, but didn’t win.
What inspired him to forge on was a comment from Vice Ganda, one of the PGT judges: “In a country that cheers on talented dancers and singers, I pray that the time will come when Filipinos will also appreciate this talent of yours because the people who can do what you do are highly intelligent and creative.”
Third time
Galit, who now goes by the moniker Shadow Ace, would hold on to these sustaining words as he continued on his journey that would take him to Malaysia for “Asia’s Got Talent” (AGT) in 2019. “This was my third time to audition for AGT and I got to travel there with my parents who assisted me when I would do my shadow performances. I was so happy to share the stage with them.
“One of my idols is Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. I identified with her since it also took her three times before she clinched the crown,” he added.
Galit got the Golden Buzzer from the AGT judges, which allowed him to skip straight to the finals where he landed fourth runner-up. Doors of opportunity were beginning to open for him, but then the pandemic hit and all the planned shows were canceled.
“It’s fortunate that I was in Batangas when travel restrictions were put in place.” To keep himself busy, he started a small business decorating cakes and cupcakes, further proof that he is crazy good with his hands.
“I also joined TikTok where I’d upload clips of my performances. One clip that went viral was the ‘Paru-paro’ clip that was viewed a million times. From just 700 followers, it ballooned to 100,000 and I now have 5.1 million—many of them Americans.”
‘America’s Got Talent’
Once restrictions were eased in 2023, Galit was contacted by a producer from “America’s Got Talent.” He auditioned, vied for the win on the show’s 18th season, and ended up a finalist. This merited an invite to the spin-off “America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League,” where he was one of the top 10 finalists.
Viewers loved his performances, but Galit noticed that there were comments on social media belittling his talent. What he found most disheartening was all of them came from fellow Filipinos, who dismissed shadow art as “child’s play,” “something that anybody can do” or, worse, “I don’t know how he’s come this far in the game just by making shadows.”
He then recalled how he used to share the stage with another Filipino contestant in one of the “America’s Got Talent” runs. “He had friends and kababayan cheering him on but once he was eliminated, everyone left the venue—even if I am a Filipino and I was still in the running.”
It hurt then and still smarts that his talent is recognized and lauded in other countries, but not by his own countrymen. In fact, he has since performed in Las Vegas for “America’s Got Talent: Superstars” and in “France’s Got Talent.”
Aside from the international recognition, being on stage so often has helped Galit get over his shyness. Unlike in the past when he performed behind a scrim and would only step out after, he worked his shadow magic centerstage beside “America’s Got Talent” judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel.
“I’ve gone on to befriend my shadows,” Galit said.
