Dubai: In the Philippine entertainment industry, love teams rule.
Love teams have transformed many run-of-the-mill actors into overnight stars, helped by major studios that have been responsible for many of these popular on-screen couples. A love team consists of two usually young actors who are promoted as a romantic couple.
Here are some of the popular love teams in the Philippines through the years:
1920s to 30s
Mary Walter and Gregorio Fernandez are considered as the first love team in Philippine cinema. The two were romantically paired in movies like Ang Lumang Simbahan, Desperation, Dimasalang among others.
1930s to 40s
During 1930s to 1940s the tandem of Rosa Del Rosario and Leopoldo Salcedo was created after the two were paired in Gamu-Gamong Naging Lawin – the movie made them popular as a love team.
There’s also Elsa Oria and Ely Ramos. Oria was dubbed as “The Singing Sweetheart of the Philippines”, while Ramos was considered as best-dressed screen idol of his time. The two only made three movies together but all were box-office hits.
Lucita Goyena gained popularity when she was paired with the famous and handsome Fernando Poe Sr. in Punit na Bandila in 1930. All their movies were box-office hits, which made them the 1940 King and Queen of Philippine Movies.
1940s to 50s
From 1940’s to 1950’s the tandem of Sampaguita Pictures’ “Drama Queen” Corazon Noble and her matinee idol partner Angel Esmeralda was formed with their movie Etrellita. The onscreen love team ended up in real-life marriage.
Who would also forget the team-up of Rogelio dela Rosa and Carmen Rosales. Dubbed as “Mameng at Roger” the two are the most popular and most loved tandem of this era. Their hit movies include Takipsilim, Senorita and Lambingan. Rosales and dela Rosa’s romantic scenes while singing under a tree became their trademark.
While real life couple Tita Duran and Pancho Magalona is a testament that even after marriage, a love team can still produce box-office hits. They starred in hit movies like Tatlong Puso, Dahil Sa Iyo and Milagro ng Birhen among others. Both Duran and Magalona were excellent dancers and in some of their movies, they had dance numbers that hey also choreographed.
1950s to 60s
From 1950s to 1960s there was Mario Montenegro and Delia Razon love team. Montenegro and Razon were the big stars of LVN Pictures and they starred in 15 successful movies before Razon got married to Aurelio Reyes in 1958.
The most popular love team in Philippine movies of the 1950’s was that of Nestor de Villa and Nida Blanca, who starred in romance-comedy hit movies that always had excellent musical and dance sequences like Waray-Waray and My Serenade. With the success of their team-up the two had their own TV show, The Nida-Nestor show.
It was in the late 1950s that the Luis Gonzales and Gloria Romero love team became a hit. They did several comedy and drama movies together like Despatsadora, Hootsy Kootsy and Pagdating ng Takipslim. Romero was named Queen of Philippine Movies because of the blockbuster movies.
1960s to 70s
During 1960s to 1970s Romeo Vasquez and Amalia Fuentes starred in movie hits such were Wedding Bells, Isinakdal Ko Ang Aking Ama and Siete Amores. They got married but separated when Fuentes discovered that Vasquez had a previous marriage.
Susan Roces and Eddie Gutierrez were also teamed up in those years. They had their first hit as a love team in the movie Joey, Eddie and Lito. They were paired again in Susanang Madaldal, Dolly Sisters and Leron Leron Sinta.
Since Roces was hailed that time as the Queen of Tagalog Cinema, she was also paired with the “King of Local Movies”, Fernando Poe Jr. The King and Queen were first paired in the movie Ang Daigdig Ko'y Ikaw and that paved way to their love team. The two got married and produced many box-office hit movies.
1970s to 80s
From the late 1960s to the 1980s were the rivalry years between the Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III love team and the Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz tandem.
Aunor and Cruz were phenomenal showbiz couple as no other love team before them drew so much attention and adoration from the fans. Called Guy and Pip, the two starred in hit movies such as D' Musical Teenage Idols, Fiesta Extravaganza and Young Love among others.
Santos and Mortiz were called Vi and Bot. They appeared in more than 30 successful movies in less than five years, a record in Philippine showbiz for a love team. Some of their films were My Pledge of Love, Love is the Two of Us and Now and Forever.
1980s to 90s
During 1980s to 90s, Vilma Santos was paired with Christopher de Leon. They starred in movies that did well not only in the box office but with the critics as well. They were first paired in Tag-ulan Sa Tag-araw then followed by Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig.
Gabby Concepcion and Sharon Cuneta
In terms of popularity, Gabby Concepcion and Sharon Cuneta’s tandem was the most popular during the 80s. Concepcion had a love team with Snooky Serna, but his movie with Cuneta, Dear Heart, became a blockbuster, and from then they became a staple in love-team movies. This started Cuneta’s reign as the Box Office Queen of Philippine Movies. They got married in 1984 and separated 1987.
When talking of romance comedy, Maricel Soriano and William Martinez was the tandem for that genre. The two were known to their fans as "Taray and Kulit," monikers they got from being seen in their romance-comedy movies such as Bihagin: Bilibid Boys, Pabling and Galawga. Soriano and Martinez had an on-and-off real-life relationship during the early years of their team-up.
1990s to 2000
Romnick Sarmenta and Sheryl Cruz
During the 90s until the 2000s, television love teams soared. The Romnick Sarmenta and Sheryl Cruz team-up was introduced in an afternoon show, That’s Entertainment. They later starred in their first movie together, Puso sa Puso, followed by Langit at Lupa.
Wowie De Guzman and Judy Ann Santos
Popular TV child stars Judy Ann Santos was paired to Universal Motion Dancers member Wowie De Guzman. Fans loved their team-up in movies like Mara Clara: The Movie and Sana Naman and in the TV version of Mara Clara and Esperanza.
Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin
Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal were part of a teen-oriented TV show Gimik and their pairing became one of the strongest love teams on the show. They were later given their own movies as a love team.
Angelu de Leon and Bobby Andrews were one of the biggest love teams during the 90s. They were paired in the youth-oriented show, TGIS.
Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto
The reel and real life romance of Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto lasted for about seven years, and was one of the most popular during that time. The two starred in movies that did well in the box office like Dahil Mahal Na Mahal Kita and Got 2 Believe.
2000s to present
From year 2000s to present more love teams have soared. Being the celebrated stars of ABS-CBN, Piolo Pascual and Judy Ann Santos were paired in Kahit Isang Saglit, and fans quickly adored and loved them. They were paired again in Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka and Bakit Di Totohanin.
Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa
The palpable chemistry of Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa in Pangako Sa Yo gave way to the popularity of their love team. Dubbed as EchoTin, the two starred in movies like Forevermore and Ngayon Nandito Ka. It was during Ngayon Nandito Ka that the two separated as a real-life couple. Hermosa regards Rosales as her first love.
Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz
In 2003, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo were paired in the TV drama Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. From then they became love team, which resulted to successful television soap operas and movies like Now That I Have You and One More Chance.
Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera
Before they became Mr. and Mrs. Dantes, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes were one of the bankable artists and love teams of the GMA 7 network. Dubbed as DongYan, the two were first paired in the television soap opera MariMar then Dyesebel.
Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu
The KimErald love team of Kim Chui and Gerald Anderson started inside the Pinoy Big Brother house. Both are products of Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition. After leaving the show, the two become popular and they were given television soap operas like Tayong Dalawa and Sana Maulit Muli.
Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla
One of the longest love teams in Philippine entertainment industry is KathNiel of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. They appeared in a television remake of Pangako Sa Yo and hit movies Barcelona and Can’t Help Falling In Love.
James Reid and Nadine Lustre
From reel to real, James Reid and Nadine Lustre’s JaDine love team started in the blockbuster movie Diary ng Panget. Their popularity continued to soar in the television soap opera On The Wings of Love.
Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards
Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards’ AlDub love team conquered 2014-2015 when they captured the hearts of TV audiences in noontime show Eat Bulaga’s Kalyeserye segment.
Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano
Know as LizQuen, Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil’s love team started in the television soap opera Forevermore followed by Dolce Amore. They also starred in the movies Everyday I Love You and My Ex and Whys.
