Kuwentong Peyups Atbp. by Atty. Dennis Gorecho
The battle for the Best Actress award during the 22nd Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival ended in a tie between Marietta “Pokwang” Subong for “2 Valid IDs” and Ruby Ruiz for “Status: Rejected”.
The comedy-drama “Status: Rejected” follows Virginia “Biring” Divinagracia (played by Ruiz), a 69-year-old woman whose dream of moving to the United States is repeatedly shattered by five straight U.S. visa rejections, leading her to seek human connection and love online. It also won the NETPAC Award.
The film “2 Valid IDs” stars “Pokwang” as Sylvia, a provincial farmer who must obtain the two valid IDs needed to claim remittance of financial assistance for her hospitalized husband’s treatment. It also won Special Jury Prize, Audience Choice Award.
Ruiz was cited for “an absolute masterclass in screen acting; for her pitch-perfect balance of mischievous spunk and delicate melancholy; for making herself a deeply human center of Pinay folly and absurdity; for making complex, heavy emotional scenes look entirely effortless; and for grounding a quirky online romance in the quiet, heartbreaking vulnerability of an aging woman yearning for love and companionship.”
Subong was cited for “a deeply transformative and devastating performance; for courageously shedding her comedic roots to deliver a riveting, grounded portrayal; and for her touching emotional control, impressively encapsulating in her portrayal the raw frustration, quiet dignity.”
Ruiz’s latest victory marks her fourth Balanghai trophy, cementing her place in the festival’s history with the most number of acting citations: two Best actress for ‘Iska’ (2019) and “Status: Rejected” (2026) while two Best Supporting Actress for ‘Ekstra’ (2013) and “Ginhawa’ (2022).
She officially surpassed the longtime acting record previously held by the late Eddie Garcia. He won Best Actor thrice for ICU Bed#7 (2005), Bwakaw (2012), and ML (2018).
Iska follows Iska (Ruiz), a struggling photocopy machine operator at the University of the Philippines who single-handedly raises her 10-year-old grandson with severe autism.
“Ekstra” featured the systemic struggles, exploitation, and unglamorous lives of television and movie extras in the Philippine entertainment industry. Ruiz played a vital, memorable role as an auxiliary talent, mirroring her real-life journey from being a seasoned “face in the crowd” to becoming one of the country’s most respected powerhouse actors.
“Ginhawa” is a sports drama where Ruiz portrays Maria, the resilient mother of an aspiring boxer.
Pokwang has starred in two major, award-winning feature Cinemalaya films: “Mercury Is Mine” (2016) and “2 Valid IDs” (2026).
“Mercury Is Mine” (2016) is a dark comedy-drama. Pokwang stars as Carmen, a struggling owner of a Kapampangan eatery on the verge of closing down. Her life changes when a mysterious white American teenager named Mercury (played by Bret Jackson) begs for a job and shelter. It won the Special Jury Prize and Best Screenplay.
There was also a tie for Best Supporting Actor award between Lucas Andalio (Mag-Iina) and K.D. Omalin (Hand Of God).
Other films that received Balanghai trophies in the full-length category include:
“Mag-iina” with Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Lucas Andalio, Best Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Best Original Musical Scoring.
“Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam” with Best Actor for Martin del Rosario; Best Ensemble Performance for del Rosario, Miguel Ordon, Yayo Aguila, Epy Quizon; Best Cinematography; Best Sound Design.
“Hand of God” with Best Supporting Actor for KD Omalin.
“A.ni.mál” with Best Supporting Actress for Bituin Escalante and Best Editing.
The winners in the short films category include Silkscreen as Best Short Film; Gabriela Serrano for (Elenita Elena Elaine as Best Director: “Para-paraan” for Special Jury Prize; “Runo!” for Best Screenplay; “Hoy Hoy, Ingat!” for Audience Choice Award; “The River Flows in Different Places” for NETPAC Award.
With the theme “Reel Reflections,” the festival had nine full-length films and 10 short features in competition from the 278 short film submissions and 199 full-length story scripts.
It runs from August 6 to 18, 2026 marking Cinemalaya’s longest run ever as it spans two weekends.
Cinemalaya was held in partner commercial shopping malls and cinemas across Metro Manila because the main Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) building is undergoing rehabilitation, with plans to return to CCP next year.
Chris B. Millado, Cinemalaya’s festival director, said that this year’s festival earned Php18.5 million as of August 17, which is 47% higher than last year’s Php12.6 million.
Millado noted that Cinemalaya’s symbol is the ancient Philippine boat balangay “because it is the vessel that carries new filmmakers and their stories across rough seas.”
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