In the heady world of local showbiz, DonBelle is today the Ultimate Love Team.
How so?
Well, the pair has captured the imagination of a huge fan population, become a social media sensation, and gone on to become a bankable pair in the entertainment industry.
DonBelle—the pairing of Donny Pangilinan, 26, and Belle Mariano, 22—has set new standards for love teams in the Philippines.
Theirs is not just about real good looks; it's also about palpable onscreen chemistry.
Read:
Donny Pangilinan: The shy kid shines
Belle Mariano: Ready for superstardom
First teamed up in the 2021 ABS-CBN hit series, He’s Into Her, Donny and Belle's performance as two young people navigating love and life struck a chord with viewers.
Their natural, pleasant, and relatable connection quickly built a loyal fanbase, making the show one of the most watched in recent years.
On May 28, 2021, the night He's Into Her debuted on the streaming app iWantTFC, the record-breaking number of viewers created technical issues.
By May 30, during the series' regular broadcast on other platforms, iWantTFC ranked No. 1 on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store in the Philippines, thanks to the DonBelle series.
One primary reason PEP has selected DonBelle as the Ultimate Love Team is its unstoppable rise to superstardom between September 2023 to September 2024.
The young stars' undeniable on-screen chemistry shone once again in the Kapamilya network’s hit series, Can’t Buy Me Love, which premiered on Netflix on October 13, 2023.
For several weeks, it consistently held the top spot on the streaming app’s Most-Watched TV Shows in the Philippines.
On November 13 that year, ABS-CBN announced that, aside from being the "leading TV series on Netflix Philippines," the show had generated 500 million views on TikTok.
Can’t Buy Me Love was also the most-watched series on iWantTFC and consistently topped Twitter’s trending list.
Months later, on May 2024, the PEP Troika reported that the series remained on Netflix’s Top 10 Most-Watched TV Shows in the Philippines, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.
Read: GMA Afternoon Prime triple kill sa ratings; Can't Buy Me Love, patok pa rin sa Netflix
And with their upcoming series, How to Spot a Red Flag, set to stream on Viu, Donny and Belle’s star is only expected to rise.
SHAKING UP THE LOVE-TEAM FORMULA
Donny and Belle are shaking up the traditional love-team formula.
These two bring an authenticity, a believability, to their roles.
Perfect—because audiences today want more than just fairy-tale romance. They want characters with real-life struggles, even those that step into serious territory, such as mental health and troubled personal growth.
DonBelle’s characters in He’s Into Her and Can’t Buy Me Love do that. They touch on the challenges young people actually face today.
Moreover, it's not just their on-screen portrayals that resonate with fans.
Whether they’re just friends or something more, Donny and Belle’s bond off-screen feels real, with their friendship shining through.
RAKING IN ENDORSEMENTS AND DOMINATING SOCIAL MEDIA
Off-screen, DonBelle looks unstoppable. In just a short time, the two have become the faces of Jollibee, Belo, Smart, and Close-up, all major brands.
Add to that their massive following on social media, which amplifies their appeal to advertisers.
Belle’s Instagram is a powerhouse, with over 1.5 million interactions per month and nearly 2,000 posts.
Whether sharing personal moments or behind-the-scenes glimpses of herself with Donny, her posts consistently engage fans.
With an estimated value that ranges from PHP600K to PHP 1.6 million per post, Belle is firmly established as a digital influencer.
For his part, Donny has 1 million interactions on social media per month.
His Instagram is filled with engaging content, earning him an estimated rate that ranges from PHP500K to PHP1.7 million per post.
Total interactions are based on data recorded by Meta's insight tool, CrowdTangle, from August 2023 - August 2024; rates per Instagram post are based on the estimates of Klear, an influencer marketing platform.
All told, the numbers make for a massive digital footprint.
What's more, they actually use their platforms not just for self-promotion but for the elevation of each other’s work, which further connects them with their fanbase.
Donny seems to show young men the importance of staying grounded and respectful; Belle seems to encourage young women to value individuality and personal dreams.
Together, they represent a new wave of Filipino celebrities that is redefining what it means to be a role model in the entertainment world.
What’s next for DonBelle?
In an industry where love teams come and go, DonBelle—if their fans have any say at all—is staying for some time.
Already, the love team's growing list of endorsements, expanding social media presence, and upcoming projects are solidifying its place as one of the most influential duos hereabouts.
DonBelle is rewriting the rules of what it means to be a love team in the digital age.
How to Spot a Red Flag is just the next project in their young and already impressive career, and the fans can’t have enough of them.
Read:
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PEP Most Influential 2024 Ultimate Love Team: DonBelle
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PEP Most Influential 2024 ICON: Vice Ganda