2 Valid IDs Crosses ₱100 Million in Philippine Cinemas
2 Valid IDs has reached ₱100 million at the Philippine box office. Its producer, Super Entertainment, announced the figure on November 6. That was a little over three weeks after the film opened nationwide on October 14.
A meme turned into a feature
The idea began as a meme about applying for a valid ID and being asked for two more. Writer Abet Pagdagdagan Raz connected that loop to the country’s healthcare system. Raz began writing after his mother died, and the film draws on his own experience. The project started as a short film and grew into a full-length feature for Cinemalaya 2026. Director Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan joined when only a synopsis existed.
Sylvia at the remittance counter
Pokwang plays Sylvia, a farmer from Ilocos. When her husband Ramon, played by Joey Marquez, falls ill, the elderly couple travels to Manila. Money has been sent through a remittance center for his treatment. To claim it, Sylvia has to show two valid IDs. Long lines and confusing requirements slow her down. Meryll Soriano and Zaijian Jaranilla also star.
The festival said yes first
By mid-July, the trailer had passed 10 million views across social platforms. Cinemalaya then ran from August 6 to 18, and the film won the Audience Choice Award and the Special Jury Award for full-length films. Pokwang shared the Best Actress award with Ruby Ruiz. A nationwide release was announced on August 31. On October 14, the film opened in more than 125 cinemas, following public demand for wider screenings. By November 6 it was showing in 150.
Word of mouth did the work
Executive producer Geo Lomuntad credited audience support and the film community. He said the film did not have a large marketing budget. Pokwang celebrated on Facebook on November 8 and said the count was still going. As of November 9, the film was in its fourth week in cinemas.
The rule outside the cinema
The director has said she wants policymakers to see the film. She also hopes her political films eventually become irrelevant because the problems they cover get fixed.
Separately, on November 6, Anti-Red Tape Authority Director General Ernesto Perez said on the show Unang Hirit that asking for two valid IDs in government transactions is no longer allowed. One valid ID is sufficient, he said, and the National ID counts. He called the two-ID requirement a thing of the past and urged people to report any office, or bank, that still asks for two.
