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Ang Dalawang Ikaw is the newest offering of GMA Entertainment Group for the Kapuso channel's afternoon block.

It is headlined by breakthrough love team Ken Chan and Rita Daniela, who previously topbilled the hit GMA Afternoon Prime series My Special Tatay.

Ang Dalawang Ikaw is a significant project for Ken as he will showcase a new complex role that depicts a patient who is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) or commonly known as split identity disorder.

The series follows Nelson, played by Ken, a graphic artist newly-married to Mia, played by Rita.

Nelson and Mia have the best relationship that anyone could ever ask for.

Their personalities are exactly the opposite but they make their relationship work because of their love and dreams.

As they go on with their marriage, they encounter bumps along the way which turns Mia's world upside down.

Their marriage is put to test as Nelson develops a different "persona " inside of him named Tyler.

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

DID is a rare psychiatric disorder where the patient develops multiple personalities.

It is caused by psychosocial factors like the presence of trauma or abuse during childhood years due to unresolved conflict, history of neglect and abandonment, and physical violence in the environment.

In Nelson's case, his DID is triggered as a trauma response.

"May mga trigger factors kung bakit lumalabas ang isang personality.

"Ang mind kasi natin, para tayo makapag-cope sa situation, we tend to deny it or place it at the back of our mind.

"Papasok natin sa baul para hindi na natin maalala 'yung pain kaya ang isip din gumagawa ng paraan para 'di ka na magkaroon ng pain.

"Ang DID kasi nawawalan ka ng memory about what happened in the past, marami, actually, na factors for dissociation.

"Ito namang identity disorder, merong identity o ang iyong pesona, 'yung pagkatao mo naiiba.

"So, medyo mahirap siyang intindihin kasi kung iispin mo, paano nangyari 'yun?

"But our mind is so powerful that it can choose memories na gusto niya i-retain. Gano'n ka-unique ang ating pag-iisip," psychiatrist and Ang Dalawang Ikaw consultant Dr. Bernadette "Babes" Manalo-Arcena explained.

Dr. Babes further shared that DID is not like an on-off switch whenever another persona comes in.She clarified, "Wala siyang pattern, it comes and it goes kaya the mind is very vulnerable because there are triggers being dictated or reminded by the mind.

"Lumalabas siya kaya doon sa scenarios namin, we have to identify situations that are problematic that can trigger the DID.

"Smell can be a trigger, cigarette can be a trigger so 'yun 'yung mga ginawa naming scenes.

"Pero, honestly, if you look at the evidence, research of DID, minsan nga wala siyang trigger. It doesn't matter whether it could be big or no trigger at all, the problem is the mind is playing tricks with us."

When it comes to the execution of the scenes that show psychiatric episodes, Dr. Babes meticulously guides the program to properly demonstrate the complexities and nuances of DID.

"I'm kind of OC on how the psychiatric unit is portrayed, so there was a time na nilagay nila chains so I have to remove it. I told them you can't place chains, maraming magwawala na psychiatrist kapag makita 'yan.

"Kailangan tali lang, so they need to find a tali 'cause I will not agree and I have to make sure that it shows a psychiatric look so walang binata, may isang slab lang na binata, and then the way Ken acts.

"I try to adjust on where itatali si Tyler. Pinakita ko kung ano 'yung posisyon niya on how to move. Even the movement of the patient, I try to make pakialam. Even the distance of how you are going to talk."

The premise

Ang Dalawang Ikaw director Jorron Monroy is not new in directing psychological dramas.

In fact, Jorron's latest project is the acclaimed miniseries, Truly. Madly. Deadly., the fourth installment of I Can See You drama anthology.

"Bukod lang kasi sa pagtalakay sa split personality, for me, the unique element of this psychological drama, 'yung Ang Dalawang Ikaw, is it is action-packed, so meron siyang actions scenes," Jorron shared, pertaining to the scenes of Nelson's alter ego, Tyler, who is a gun smuggler/dealer.

For Jorron, Ang Dalawang Ikaw is like two series in one because there is a difficulty in mounting action sequences along visualization of the switch that happened inside the character of Nelson.

He went on, "From lighting to camera treatment, the tone of how scenes were mounted, 'yung pacing ng actors' performances had to be designed differently for each character in each storyline so parang gano'n ko siya inatake.

"There are distinct visual treatment that was introduced in the series mahirap kasi talaga ipakita 'yung nangyayari sa loob ng utak ng isang tao so distinct visual cues were used to communicate subtleties in the series.

"Costume design also had to highlight in this series as well kasi very distinct 'yung characters natin."

What makes Ang Dalawang Ikaw more exciting is the conflict between two women.

In the story, Mia finds a rival in Beatrice, played by Anna Vicente, for Nelson's heart because of his alter personality, Tyler.

If you're curious if Nelson commits adultery if he falls in love with another woman in his alter ego, here is what the head writer Lobert Villlela has to say.

"Nagkaroon ng affair pero, technically, hindi talaga affair kasi ibang tao 'yung nagkaroon ng affair 'di ba? Paano mo is-eshare 'yung asawa mo sa ibang babae kasi technically ibang tao 'yun pero nasa same katawan.

"So medyo ang kalaban mo ay asawa mo dahil technically parang kalahati ng asawa mo ay ayaw sa 'yo. Ibang buhay ang gusto.

"Kung titingnan mo as ordinary person, dapat hindi kabit si Beatrice kasi ibang tao si Tyler."

Ang Dalawang Ikaw concept creator Geng Delgado then concurred, "Hindi kontrabida lang si Beatrice, meron siyang right din. Victim din siya ng circumstance na 'yon."

The casting

Besides the fact that Ken and Rita are unquestionably talented actors, director Jorron believed that they gave justice to their roles because they are effective to portray a married couple as seen in My Special Tatay.

The GMA creative shared, "Ken and Rita took on a more mature attack on a married couple so 'yun 'yung isa sa mga winork-out namin na I think one of the strong points of Ken and Rita.

"Siguro kasi matagal na silang magkasama, naghahanap kami ng maturity level pa do'n sa kanilang relationship, the way they would hug, the way they would kiss, paano ba magba-bye 'pag asawa mo. Hindi na kayo mga bata, so 'yun 'yung winork-out namin na bago for them as a couple in the series.

"Although the material is heavy, so kailangan din talaga na kumarga sila ng medyo mature emotions for the series. HIndi kasi sila nagpapa-cute dito. We're tackling real life scenes."

All actors auditioned for their roles and casted properly, including promising actress Anna Vicente who bagged her first kontrabida role for a Kapuso soap opera.

Concept creator Geng said, "Interesting siya kasi may bagong mukha na mapapanood sa Afternoon Prime kasi sisilipin din kasi siya sino tong bagong 'to, ay magaling siya, ay pwede siyang threat, kumbaga formidable character-actor."

One noticeable element in Ang Dalawang Ikaw is the characters that are of the same age range. It also stars Dominic Roco, Jake Vargas, Joana Marie Tan, Lianne Valentin, Jeremy Sabido, and Anthony Rosaldo.

According to Jorron, the series is a story of a married couple and their friends and how they deal with a rare illness, and the absence of older or younger characters play a huge part in why Nelson developed DID.

"In this story, both Nelson and Mia don't have parents so 'yun 'yung isa sa mga common ground nila that's why there is also absence of the parents in the story. And also ang story ng parents is a crucial turning point in the story as well to resolve everything," he revealed.

The goal

Aside from giving viewers top-notch entertainment, Ang Dalawang Ikaw's main goal is to raise awareness about mental health especially during this time of COVID-19 pandemic when cases of depression and anxiety are prevalent.

According to Dr. Babes, the series aims to provide viewers a clearer understanding of a psychiatric patient.

"The discrimination kasi in psychiatric patients is really there even in other countries. Mas mataas lang ang awareness sa US at sa Europe kasi ang daming privileges, ang daming benefits kapag psychiatric patient ka.

"Dito, meron naman tayong mental health bill, umaarangkada naman kahit papaano. We can see that there are patients na may PWD card for psychosocial aspects and they can have the privilege to have their own life, to work, to study."

The psychiatrist then emphasized, "How will the community deal with DID? There should be compassion, there should be care, and love for these people.

"It's not their fault, 'di ba, and psychiatric patients should be really given attention. They are special so when things are special, you have to give more."

Most importantly, Ang Dalawang Ikaw aims to teach viewers to pay attention to their own mental health.

"Ang taas ng coincidence ng psychiatric disorder and it's happening now.

"We are busier now than before. That's why there is really the emphasis na kailangan nating alagaan ang ating isip just like what we are doing with our bodies.

"You cannot be happy if you don't have good mental health," the psychiatrist noted.

Ang Dalawang Ikaw airs beginning Monday, June 21, after Eat Bulaga on GMA.