Belle Mariano couldn’t hide her excitement as she shared her reaction to the overwhelming success of her latest film, Meet, Greet & Bye, during an interview with the press, including PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), at The Hygiene Hangout by Sanicare on November 15.
OVERWHELMED BY THE LOVE FOR MEET, GREET & BYE
With the film earning over thirty million pesos in just three days, Belle admitted she was still processing the phenomenal response.
“Hindi ako makapaniwala! In three days? Grabe!
"Sobrang nakakatuwa po, siyempre.
"I mean, iyon naman talaga yung gusto naming gawin, e, na ma-move yung mga tao na once na mapanood nila ito,” Belle said.
She expressed gratitude not just for the box-office numbers but for the emotional connection the film forged with audiences.
“Sobrang ganda kasi ng mensahe na sine-share niya po. Kitang-kita niyo po yung puso sa istorya and yung pagmamahal habang ginagawa ito.
"So, sana mas dumami pa po yung sumuporta ng Meet, Greet & Bye.
"And ayun talaga, parang just keep spreading love—iyon naman talaga yung message ng Meet, Greet & Bye,” Belle added.
The young actress also shared how the positive reviews and fan reactions deeply touched her.
Belle said: “Sobrang natutuwa ako!
"Kanina nga may pinost ako sa story ko po. Natutuwa ako kasi nakikita ko meron silang mga ginagawang video na before and after. Tawang-tawa ako. Oh my gosh!
"Kasi papasok sila ng sinehan happy-happy sila, tapos paglabas nila, iyak sila nang iyak. Sabi ko, 'Anong nangyari sa mga ito?'
"Pero hindi, yung mga reviews nga po nababasa ko and sobrang natutuwa ako kapag nakakabasa po ako ng feedback nila.
"And it's really important for us artists to know na, you know, nagugustuhan yung produkto or pinaghirapan namin ng mga audience.
"So, natutuwa ako kasi it means na we're able to spread the message to them and natouch sila sa movie.
"So, sobrang grateful po ako sa mga sumusuporta and sa mga feedback na natatanggap namin."
She also expressed delight over the viral behind-the-scenes swimming pool video with her co-stars.
“Ang galing! Puwede na kami mag-Olympics.
"Feeling ko puwede na po kami mag-Olympics. Joke lang!
"Sobrang nakakatuwa kasi lahat po sila game… Sobrang generous nila.
"Sobrang maalaga si Inay [Maricel Soriano] lalo na.
"Grabe siya. Para talaga siyang naging nanay sa aming apat.
"So, sobrang grateful ako na sobrang bait nilang lahat and ang huhusay po nila na artista,” Belle said.
RELATING TO GERI’S STRENGTH
The young actress also revealed how she prepared for her role as Geri, a character quite different from her own personality.
“Actually, unang-una, parang, kasi nga ang layo ni Belle from Geri e…
"Si Geri kasi limited lang yung words. Di ba, medyo silent siya?
"But when she talks, she's really powerful and sobrang angas niya talaga.
"Parang sabi ni Direk [Cathy Garcia-Sampana] sa akin, 'Gayahin mo ako, anak.' Sabi ko, 'Paano Direk?' Mas Gen Z version, Gen Z version na ganun,” Belle explained.
Reflecting on her connection with the character, she added: “Minsan may mga oras na kailangan mong labanan yung fears mo…
"Minsan kahit kailangan kong humarap tapos hiyang-hiya ako, parang kailangan kong, 'Okay, tatapangan ko kasi gusto ko itong ginagawa ko.'
"So, may ganun din po akong type of relationship with Geri.”
The film’s family-oriented storyline also struck a chord with Belle.
“Since, as a daughter, just to take care of my mom… Pero siguro yun yung nakapag-resonate. Yung pag-alaga namin and the care we show for our mom,” she said, sharing moments from her own life that mirrored her character’s experiences, including staying close to her mother during long absences.
TEASING NEW PROJECTS WITH DONNY PANGILINAN
While staying tight-lipped about her next project, Belle hinted at exciting plans with Donny Pangilinan.
“Meron po. Hindi ko po alam kung puwedeng sabihin.
"Pero meron po for sure and I just don't want to get into details,” she shared.
Belle also emphasized the importance of mutual support in their respective careers.
“You know, we're both very vocal about, you know, supporting one another. And I'm happy that we're growing.
"And I'm so glad and I'm just so proud na he has Roja. And nakakatuwa na we're able to support each other and at the same time grow.”
With Meet, Greet & Bye’s success, Belle Mariano proves that heartfelt stories leave a mark, and fans can’t wait to see what she and Donny Pangilinan will do next.