Following its acclaimed run at the 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan’s political drama 2 Valid IDs is set for its international premiere at the 46th Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF). Written by Abet Pagdagdagan Raz, the film has been selected for the festival’s Panorama section and nominated for the NETPAC Award.
The film tackles administrative inequality in the Philippines through the story of Sylvia, a poor Ilocana farmer portrayed by Marietta “Pokwang” Subong, whose performance earned her the Best Actress award at Cinemalaya 2026.
Sylvia’s life takes a devastating turn when her husband, Ramon (Joey Marquez), is hospitalized with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. When a relative living overseas sends money to help transfer Ramon to a private medical facility, Sylvia encounters an unexpected obstacle: the remittance center refuses to release the funds because she cannot present two valid IDs. Her only identification, a PhilHealth card, is not accepted.
Desperate to save her husband, Sylvia navigates long queues, administrative errors involving mismatched names, and predatory fixers. As her husband’s condition worsens, the family’s limited resources dwindle while she struggles to overcome the system’s requirements.
Aside from Subong and Marquez, the film features Meryll Soriano, Zaijian Jaranilla, Bombi Plata, Marife Necesito, Chase Salazar, Nour Hooshmand, Joem Bascon, Maey Bautista, DMs Boongaling, Yian Gabriel, Michael Angelo “Mike” Dagñalan, and Jun Sabayton.
At Cinemalaya 2026, 2 Valid IDs received the Audience Choice Award and Special Jury Award, in addition to Subong’s Best Actress recognition. Following its festival premiere in August, the film opened in cinemas nationwide on October 14.
Its Hawai’i International Film Festival screenings are scheduled for October 24 at 7:30 p.m., October 27 at 5:15 p.m., and November 5 at 8 p.m. The film’s international festival participation is supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines through its International Film Festival Assistance Program.
Asuncion-Dagñalan collaborated with executive producers Geo Lomuntad, Claudia Diaz Cojuangco, Ben Tsai, HJ Li, Paolo Fernandez, Mitch Fernandez, Jim Baltazar, and Lydia Gapas. The creative team also includes cinematographer Neil Daza, editor Vanessa Ubas-De Leon, production designer Mao Fadul, sound designer Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla, and musical scorers Mikey Amistoso and Jazz Nicolas.
In her director’s statement, Asuncion-Dagñalan underscored the film’s questions about dignity and access to essential services. “It’s only in the Philippines that we are asked to show two valid IDs to get another ID,” she noted. “What happens to those who don’t have any? What is the value of a human life in a broken system?”
Asuncion-Dagñalan previously directed Blue Room, which won Best Foreign Film at the 2023 LA Femme International Film Festival. She also received Best Director honors at the 2022 Cinemalaya Film Festival and the 2023 FAMAS Awards. She is a member of the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. and the Filipino Screenwriters Guild.
Through Sylvia’s struggle to access money intended to save her husband, 2 Valid IDs brings a deeply personal perspective to systemic barriers, raising questions about institutional accountability, human dignity, and the need for a more compassionate system.
