Bela Padilla and JC Santos (Instagram)

Acclaimed actor JC Santos shared genuine friendship with on-screen partner Bela Padilla and revealed the absence of romantic feelings throughout their collaborative journey.

In a recent digital press conference for their highly anticipated reunion film, "Wish You Were The One," JC opened up about his profound connection with Bella.

Despite their on-screen chemistry, JC said that his camaraderie with Bela has always remained rooted in genuine friendship, devoid of romantic feelings.

"Kapag sumagad sa idea sa in real life, mawawala yung magic na nagbibigay namin sa audience. We are really good friends, so hindi namin hinayaang mawala yung ininvest natin sa isat-isa," JC said.

(When the idea is applied in real life, the magic that we give to the audience will be lost. We are really good friends, so we didn't let our investment in each other go.)

On the other hand, Bela echoed JC's sentiments, highlighting the utmost respect they hold for each other and their respective partners.

"We respect each other and our partners so much …before JC got married, we never got to a point na we were both single," Padilla said.

JC married Shyleena Herrera, his former schoolmate, and eventually built a family in 2020; meanwhile, Bela continues to revel in her joyous singlehood.

Their upcoming romantic comedy film, "Wish You Were The One," is directed by Derick Cabrido and is set to open in cinemas nationwide on Aug. 23. The film also features model-actress Frankie Russell and musician-actor Kian Cipriano.

This film marks the sixth collaboration for the dynamic duo, following their successful partnership in previous films such as "100 Daang Tula Para Kay Stella" (2017), "The Day After Valentine’s" (2018), "On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets" (2020), and Padilla’s film "366" (2022). Notably, they also shared the screen in "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2019), although they were not paired there. (Mondrein Mikolei Lizarte/OJT/UST)