Dannyka Manangan

Pinoy love teams you should know about through the years (PART 1)

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>Throughout decades in showbiz, Pinoys have always shown their tendency to go for the romantic and this fact has become most evident with different stars and pairings onscreen that gains the most support from fans. But before the age of the internet and social media, before technicolor films were a thing, and before there were love teams like Kathniel, Jadine, Lizquen, and Donbelle, these well-loved pairs reigned supreme in industry. Here&#x27;s a look back on some of the most popular predecessors to our favorite duos today. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FDrGregorioFernandez%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0xzywbNWBJFtCUjMMVLu9cp8ki1Hs7XwYVfxEPUWJSsz7BSvTGEiBy1vNvJChF7Tbl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="474" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fkulaycolorization%2Fphotos%2Fa.1597139367003477%2F5464279743622734%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="751" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>1920s to 30s</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Silent film stars <strong>Mary Walter and Gregorio Fernandez </strong>were known to be the closest to being known as the first successful Pinoy love team onscreen. The two starred together in films like <em>Ang Lumang Simbahan</em>, <em>Ang Lihim ni Bathala</em>, and <em>Moro Pirates</em>. Gregorio was the father of the late action star Rudy Fernandez and enjoyed acting until he transitioned into directing throughout his three-decade career. Mary Walter enjoyed acting onscreen, and became especially known for her appearances in horror films, even in her 80s. She also received lifetime achievement awards from FAMAS and Gawad Urian before she passed in 1993. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02etVKVTAn3AGi5NqkoKgnTjkKqmS4SfZmbQQurnUCtwkuEV1u5jHiJZdktCk3cMWvl%26id%3D61560883499757&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="678" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>1940s</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>This era launched the love team of <strong>Fernando Poe Sr. and Lucita Goyena</strong>, hailed as the “King and Queen of Philippine Movies”.  Their films <em>Alaalang Banal,</em> <em>Dilim at Liwanag</em>, and <em>Dalagang Filipina </em>were all box-office successes. But their pairing was not meant to last as Lucita chose to retire from showbiz early after getting married in 1941, while Fernando unexpectedly passed away in 1951 at the age of 34. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FKlasikaPINAS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ZdFL2DargQg7no5y1tYhFEEeEKNkNBqgCrBW2cSnj2N8T8DBPz19Z6vVDcBRhG66l&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="590" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </div><div><br/></div><p>Also hugely popular in the 1940s was the pairing of <em>Rogelio dela Rosa and Carmen Rosales </em>who<em></em> were lovingly known to their fans as “Mameng at Roger.” They came out in hit movies include <em>Takipsilim</em>, <em>Senorita</em> and <em>Lambingan</em>. The press had dubbed Rogelio as the greatest Filipino matinee idol of all time, having also been paired with actresses like  Rosa del Rosario, Alegren Rosales, and Paraluman in different films. He successfully ran for office and served one term as a Philippine senator in 1957 before becoming a diplomat to Cambodia. In 1949, Carmen became known as the highest-paid movie star in the country when she teamed up with Rogelio again in the 1949 LVN Pictures film <em>Kampanang Ginto</em> where she was offered a talent fee of of P45,000,  which was an unprecedented amount during that time. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561004251131.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: Nida J&#x27;vrsk</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561004789532.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: Jethro Ty</span></span></span></div><div><strong>1950s</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>There were many popular love teams during this decade but one of the most prominent was the legendary duo of <strong>Nestor de Villa and Nida Blanca</strong><em></em>. Aside from having their own television show in ABS-CBN called <em>The Nida-Nestor Show</em>, they also starred in successful romance-comedy in films starting with <em>Romansa Sa Nayon</em> in 1952. The ended up doing more than 25 films together. They were also known for their lively musical and dance performances, as well as their comedic and romantic roles. After going separate paths in showbiz for more than a decade, they reunited onscreen again in the 1980s in films like  <em>Saan Darating ang Umaga? </em>and <em>Forgive and Forget</em>. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FPilipinasRetrostalgia%2Fphotos%2Fa.1646500778931146%2F1742424349338788%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="654" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561005808523.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: Jomjoy Sombilon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561006335124.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: Jomjoy Sombilon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561006829315.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: James dela Rosa</span></span></span></div><div><strong>1960s</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Known as the “King and Queen of Philippine Movies,” <strong>Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces</strong> solidified their status after starring in classic box-office hit films that came out during this decade in movies like <em>Daigdig Ko&#x27;y Ikaw </em>(1965), <em>Zamboanga</em> (1966), <em>Perlas ng Silanganan</em> (1969), and <em>Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin</em> (1969). Much to the delight of their fans, their reel-to-real relationship culminated in them walking down the aisle in a much publicized wedding in 1968. Known as “Da King,” FPJ’s career in showbiz had him rising from the ranks as a messenger boy to becoming the star of his first film at the age of 14. He started his own production company in 1961 and was one of the highest paid actors in the country before he made a bid in the 2004 presidential campaign and passed away that same year. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-10" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3H2OJouEk4/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A10%2C%22os%22%3A1271885.400000006%2C%22ls%22%3A349189.40000000596%2C%22le%22%3A349591.2999999821%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-10" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17561007720926.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Image Credit: Jomjoy Sombilon</span></span></span></div><p>Susan was last known for her role as Coco Martin’s grandmother Lola Flora in the 2022 ABS-CBN series <em>FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano</em>. Susan’s career actually began when she became a child actress at the age of 11 and had an enduring career of more than six decades before passing away in 2022. The couple had one adopted daughter, Grace Poe, who is a senator. </p><div><br/></div><p>(TO BE CONTINUED)</p>

<p>Get to know the evolution of Pinoy love teams through the decades, including the first-ever known love team to serve 'kilig' through silent films in the Philippines in the 1930s. </p>

Get to know the evolution of Pinoy love teams through the decades, including the first-ever known love team to serve 'kilig' through silent films in the Philippines in the 1930s.