While other countries probably don’t have them, love teams have been a huge and important part of Philippine entertainment ever since it began decades ago. And through the years, different tandems were born and went on to conquer our hearts until their team-ups were put to an end due to various reasons.

However, that’s not always the case since some of the on-screen pairs we admired continued their romantic ties behind-the-scenes as they turned out to become real-life couples that we keep on avidly stanning.

In this Kapamilya gallery, let’s get to know some of the most successful tandems on local television history that we fervently supported and loved and that made us genuinely feel kilig through the years!

Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III

Conquering the entertainment scene from the 60s up to the 80s via their slew of box-office successes, top-rating TV and radio shows, and best-selling records, Nora and Tirso are undoubtedly one of the most popular loveteams of all time.

Coming from different walks of life – Nora from an impoverished family from Iriga, Camarines Sur while Tirso from a famous family of singers and musicians – their paths still intertwined when they worked together in the 1969 films “9 Teeners and Yeye Generation!” But it was in “Young Girl” when they were first paired as love team and went on to star in innumerable teleseryes and films, with the 1971 Manila Film Festival entry “Guy And Pip” being the highest grossing of all.

They later on became a couple who had an on-and-off relationship and a “daughter” named Maria Leonora Theresa, which was a gift from Tirso to Nora. The lovely doll unbelievably shot up to stardom like her superstar “parents” and was treated as a celebrity both by the industry and fans.

However, their team-up remained a reel one after they walked on different paths and built their respective families.

Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz

Established to become the rival of the influential “Guy and Pip” tandem, the “Vi and Bot” team-up of Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz went on to become successful as well as they starred in a slew of blockbuster films ever since they were launched in the 1970 flick “Young Love” and recorded several songs together.

WATCH on Magandang Buhay: Vilma Santos tells the story behind Vi and Bot love team

They also became a couple for a while, with the Star For All Seasons regarding him as her first love and boyfriend, who she recalled in an interview in Magandang Buhay as super protective of her. They may not have ended up together as both of them have been happily married to their respective spouses, but Direk Bobot and Batangas Governor Vilma have remained close friends up to the present.

Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion

Sparks seemingly flew right away between Sharon and Gabby when they first starred together in their launching film “Dear Heart” in 1981 as they immediately became a couple. Because of its tremendous commercial success, they went on to top bill its sequel “P.S. I Love You” on that same year and the 1984 flick “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?” Those were both blockbuster hits and bestowed them a huge fan base, hailing them as the movie power couple of the 80s.

They tied the knot on September 23, 1984 and were blessed with a beautiful daughter a year after who they named Maria Kristina Cassandra. However, their marriage only lasted for three years as they got legally separated in 1987 and eventually got annulled in 1993.

Both of them have remained active in showbiz and have families of their own. Sharon has been married to Senator Kiko Pangilinan for 24 years now to whom she has three kids, while Gabby tied the knot with Genevieve Yatco Gonzales in 2004 and shares two children with her.

Maricel Soriano and William Martinez

With their natural chemistry and flair in making the viewers laugh and kilig at the same time in the movies they starred, Maricel and William could be considered as the “Rom-Com King and Queen” of their time.

Their tandem was launched in 1981 when they headlined the movie “Oh My MamA.” Due to their notable kulitan moments and funny banters, they instantly became a well-loved pair and were eventually dubbed as Regal’s most popular love team. “Taray and Kulit” – monikers given to them by their fans – are said to have an on-and-off real-life romance during the early years of their love team.

William and Maricel got reunited many years after in the 2009 ABS-CBN series Florinda, which was a part of the “Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection”. But far from the comic characters they used to portray, we found in a different light as we saw them play serious roles in the said drama.

Both of them are still active in the industry. The veteran actor appeared in some TV shows and movies in the recent years such as FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano. Meanwhile the Diamond Star last appeared on the primetime shows The General’s Daughter and Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin.

Judy Ann Santos and Wowie De Guzman

As Judy Ann marked the significant part of her acting career by playing one of the titular roles in the long-running classic ABS-CBN melodrama “Mara Clara”, it was also when she met Wowie De Guzman, a member of the dance group Universal Motion Dancers who stood as his leading man and eventual first boyfriend.

Apart from their astounding performances on the said series, their notable chemistry also caught the hearts of the viewers. Thus, they went on to star in another classic drama titled “Esperanza” in 1997 and several films, such as “Mara Clara: The Movie” (1996), “Esperanza: The Movie” (1999), “Paano Ang Puso Ko?” (1997), and “Muling Ibalik Ang Tamis Ng Pag-ibig” (1998). They were hailed as one of the most popular showbiz tandems in the 90s.

Wowie remains active in the recent years by appearing in several TV shows and movies, vlogging, and being a Zumba instructor while being a hands-on single dad. Meanwhile, Judy Ann juggles being a celebrity, a mother, a wife, and owner of multiple restaurant businesses. Juday last appeared in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and Starla as well as hosted Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan?

Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin

Their team-up was born in 1996 through the teen-oriented series Gimik. Due to their unmistakable chemistry, they went on to star in a slew of successful movie and TV projects, such as “Labs Ko Si Babe” (1999), “Flames: The Movie” (1997), “Kung Ayaw Mo, Huwag Mo” (1998), “Labs Kita…Okey Ko Lang?” (1998), and “Gimik: The Reunion” (1999), gaining them the recognition of being one of the most popular on-screen pairs of the 90s.

After working in another network for many years, they returned to ABS-CBN and delighted the Kapamilya fans anew when they worked together in the 2015 drama Flordeliza.

Because of their sweetness on-and-off-cam, many of us have probably assumed that they used to become a real couple. However, in their guesting in Gandang Gabi Vice, they revealed that both of them fell in love with each other with Marvin wooing her and Jolina expressing her love for him, but that didn’t push through to a serious relationship due to an alleged miscommunication.

WATCH on GGV: Jolina shares "I Love You Babe'" story with Marvin

Jolina is a dutiful homemaker to her lovely family with Rivermaya band member Mark Escueta, while Marvin is hands-on in taking good care of his twin sons and in managing his food business. The two have remained close through the years.

Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan

Another popular celebrity pair in the 90s, Claudine and Rico had never failed to make us kilig ever since working together in the 1996 film “Radio Romance.” They went on to top-bill other romance drama projects in the succeeding years, such as “Flames: The Movie” (1997), “Dahil Mahal Na Mahal Kita” (1998), and “Saan Ka Man Naroroon” (1999), and “Got 2 Believe” (2002) – making it possible for love to blossom between them and become a couple.

Unfortunately, their four-year love story faced a tragic end because of Rico’s untimely death on March 29, 2002. Even though it was hard for her, Claudine moved on with life and got married in 2006. Since her divorce in 2013, she’s been raising her three kids Sabina, Santino, and Quia singlehandedly.

Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales

After their initial team-up in the weekly family drama Ang Munting Paraiso in 1999, Kristine and Jericho went on to become one of hottest on-and-off-screen pairs in the early 2000s. They also topbilled the classic dramas Pangako Sa ‘Yo and Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas and remarkable films “Trip” (2001), “Forevermore” (2002), and “Ngayong Nandito Ka” (2003).

They got reunited in the 2009 ABS-CBN series Dahil May Isang Ikaw, which was also the time when the actor clarified the speculations regarding their breakup many years ago.

In the press conference of the said show, he revealed that he decided to do so because he couldn’t handle the pressure of being in a relationship and being busy with his career, as well as their irreconcilable issues that often got them into fights.

Both of them have remained active in show business and are happy with their family lives – Echo with his model-wife Kim Jones, while Tin with her actor-husband Oyo Boy Sotto.

Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson

A team-up born during their Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 1 days, Kim and Gerald instantly catapulted into becoming the most phenomenal love team of their generation.

As soon as they returned to the outside world, they were bestowed a slew of TV and movie gigs that includes Sana Maulit Muli (2007), My Girl (2008), Tayong Dalawa (2009), “First Day High” (2006), “I’ve Fallen For You” (2007), “Paano Na Kaya” (2010), and “Till My Heartaches End” (2010).

KimErald’s shocking breakup around a decade ago also ensued to the parting ways of their loveteam as they got paired with other actors. They got reunited in 2017 via the daytime series Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin.

They’ve remained among the bankable superstars of Philippine showbiz. Gerald’s last projects were A Soldier’s Heart and Init sa Magdamag. He is expected to star next in the highly anticipated A Family Affair. Meanwhile Kim headlined Love Thy Woman and is the newest host of It’s Showtime.

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

They may not be supposed to be paired with each other, but fate still had its way of intertwining their paths when they initially worked together in the 2011 teen weekly drama Growing Up. They immediately clicked and incredibly garnered a huge fanbase through the years, earning them the “Teen King” and “Teen Queen” titles.

KathNiel went on to star in top-rating teleseryes Princess and I (2012), Got To Believe (2013), Pangako Sa ‘Yo (2015), La Luna Sangre (2017), and The House Arrest Of Us (2020), and a string of blockbuster hits such as “She’s Dating The Gangster” (2014), “Crazy Beautiful You” (2015), “Barcelona: A Love Untold” (2016), “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (2017), and the top-grossing film of 2018 “The Hows Of Us.”

This 2022, after over a decade together as a love team, Kathryn and Daniel made their TV comeback through the primetime series 2 Good 2 Be True.

Nadine Lustre and James Reid

As they immediately made everyone kilig with their inaugural team-up in the music video of James’ single “Alam Niya Ba?” released in 2013, they went on to snag their breakthrough stints in “Diary ng Panget” in 2014 that gave birth to their phenomenal love team.

They went on to become Kapamilya talents that same year and topbilled Wansapanataym: My App Boyfie (2014), Maalaala Mo Kaya: Stuffed Toy (2015), On The Wings Of Love (2015), and Till I Met You (2016). They also starred in blockbuster projects “This Time” (2016) and “Never Not Love You” (2018).

Just like the other love teams in this list, James and Nadine also fell in love with each other and became officially #TeamReal in February 2016 when he declared his love for her in front of their throngs of fans in their JaDine In Love concert in February 2016. They later on confirmed their relationship in their slew of media interviews, which, according to them, developed during their filming of On The Wings Of Love.

Their career have since diverged and even broke the hearts of their ardent shippers when they announced their breakup last January, but the two have remained good friends and continued to work together through James’ music label Careless Music Manila, in which Nadine is one of its recording artists.

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil

From being the best friend of Enrique’s character in the 2013 Star Cinema flick “She’s The One,” Liza eventually became his loveteam partner a year after in the hit romcom series Forevermore, which was her project as the lead actress.

Following its success, they went on to become among the hottest loveteams of their generation and starred in a slew of teleseryes and films, namely, “Just The Way You Are” (2015), “Everyday I Love You” (2015), Dolce Amore (2016), “My Ex and Whys” (2017), Bagani (2018), and “Alone/Together” (2019). Their last project together was the romcom series Make It With You which was partially filmed in Croatia.

WATCH on GGV: LizQuen officially confirms their relationship in Kuryentanong challenge

LizQuen delighted us when they announced that they’re officially a couple during their guesting in Gandang Gabi Vice in 2019, which was followed by their separate conversations with the King of Talk in Tonight With Boy Abunda wherein Liza revealed that they have been together since 2014, the same year their team-up was launched.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia

Coming from different walks of life – Julia as a scion of the influential Barretto clan while Joshua as simple young Batangueño who joined Pinoy Big Brother All In to help his family – the two found their paths intertwined when they got paired for the first time in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Vince And Kath And James.”

Romance seemingly bloomed between them during while working on the said movie, which Joshua confessing at the press conference for their 2018 movie “Love You To The Stars And Back” that he already had a crush on Julia even prior it and that he had been courting her since early 2017.

Outside of their movie projects, they were spotted in different occasion together in 2017 – Coldplay’s Manila concert, Star Magic Ball, and Barretto Family’s Christmas vacation in Japan with Erich. JoshLia may have gone through a rough patch in 2018, but they’re able to mend it and went on to work on their first-ever teleserye together Ngayon At Kailanman.

Although they didn’t have any official confirmation of their relationship, their avid shippers were surely delighted when they found out through Instagram Stories that they were on their second year as a couple in April 2019. But that happiness didn’t last long as the two announced their breakup in June without disclosing the reason behind it.

JoshLia last appeared in the music video of Moira Dela Torre’s “Paubaya” where they personally wrote their dialogues expressing how much they loved and forgive each other. This seemed to be the perfect closure for JoshLia fans who were left heartbroken by their split.

Who among these celebrity love teams do you ship the hardest?