Donny Pangilinan had one name ready when asked who he wanted Belle Mariano to work with next.
With their tandem on hiatus from working together, both were asked during their Star Magic Spotlight presscon whether they had anyone specific in mind for future projects.
Belle could not think of anyone, and the reason she gave said a lot.
"I don't think I can name a specific person. I want to see someone who can reach his caliber as an actor. Kasi, he's really good. So tapatan niya 'yan," she said.
Donny did not need time to think. His answer: Jericho Rosales, one of the biggest names in Philippine showbiz and Belle’s celebrity crush.
“Jericho Rosales,” he said. He teased Belle, adding, “Ay, hindi ba? Kunyari ka pa.”
He quickly clarified what he meant. Since Belle and Jericho have a 23-year age gap, Donny said he was not talking about them as a romantic pair.
“Hindi ko naman sinabing as a love team. Pwede namang kuya,” he said, before teasing again: “Bakit, hindi ba?”
Belle replied with just two words: “Wala lang.”
Donny then teased Belle again, saying, “Namumula.”
Beyond the teasing, Donny was sincere about what he hopes for Belle as she takes on projects on her own. He wants to see her pushed by the kind of actors who will bring out sides of her that have not been seen yet.
"I think, si Kuya Echo. And I think the veteran actors, maybe," he said.
He went on: "Someone who can really still push her to her limits. Kasi ang taas na ni Belle Mariano, 'di ba? So, someone who really looks for that growth and stretches her pa."
When the conversation turned to the hiatus, Donny spoke directly to fans who may still be finding it hard to accept. Taking a break from working together, he said, does not mean losing each other.
"Not just because hindi na kayo love team for the time being, it doesn't mean mawawala na rin ang suporta niyo sa isa't isa. Everlasting support, and you will always have that for each other. And we talked about this," he said.
He also had something to say to other love teams who may one day be in the same position — that going through something like this is not something to be afraid of.
"Even upcoming love teams that will probably be in the same situation. And we want them to know that it's okay that you guys go through these things, too. Life shouldn't revolve around guys doing the same thing over and over again,” he said.
“There's so much more to that. And it can be healthy, if done right [and] if you communicate the right way. As long as you have a great support system, at the end of the day, of course, a God who will give you your purpose. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, but it's gonna be okay,” he added.
Belle said it best: "I agree. Everlasting support."
DonBelle's last film together before the hiatus, Tayo Sa Wakas, is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.
—By Paolo Lim