Filipinos love a good romance to stir up the idle butterflies in their stomachs. But while there might be tried-and-tested love teams that dominated TV screens for generations, every so often, shows like to change things up with a fresher take. Case in point: intercultural romances.
In fact, the Philippine showbiz scene isn’t a stranger to casting non-Filipinos in the role of romantic leads. Below, we pin down a couple of dramas and films that prove love can cross international borders—at least in the fictional world.
1. Basta’t Kasama Kita (1995)
Starring: Aga Muhlach and Puerto Rican actress Dayanara Torres
In the 1995 film, matinee idol Aga Muhlach stars alongside Miss Universe 1993 and Puerto Rico-born Dayanara Torres. The rom-com takes a page out of the Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday, with Dayanara playing the role of a European princess, who, while on a royal visit in the Philippines, flees her security detail in her pursuit of a more independent life. She meets jeepney driver Alex (played by Aga), who employs her in exchange for food and shelter.
2. Hataw Na (1995)
Starring: Gary Valenciano and Puerto Rican actress Dayanara Torres
Basta’t Kasama Kita isn’t Dayanara Torres’ only Philippine movie credit! The Miss Universe titleholder partnered up with Gary Valenciano in the 1995 rom-com Hataw Na, where she played opposite Mr. Pure Energy as his fellow teacher at an exclusive school. Manning the institution is the conventional non-conformist principal, who stands as their great opposition in forming a school dance group for self-expression.
3. Manolo En Michelle: Happy Together (1995)
Starring: Ogie Alcasid and Australian actress Michelle Van Eimeren
The '90s comedy is among the many films Miss Universe candidate and Australian actress Michelle Van Eimeren starred alongside former husband Ogie Alcasid. Here, she plays a mermaid who finds her way onto the Philippine shores who’s later rescued by Manolo (Ogie) after a dynamite fishing accident rocks the seas.
4. Legacy (1998)
Starring: Donita Rose and American actor David Hasselhoff
The collaboration between Star Cinema and 20th Century Fox stars '90s Filipino movie darling Donita Rose and Baywatch superstar David Hasselhoff. The American TV regular takes on the role of Jack, an American war photographer who chances upon Cameron (Donita) in the Philippines, a medical student searching for her long-lost father.
5. Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man (2004)
Starring: Iza Calzado and Argentian actor Segundo Cernadas
In 2004, GMA unveiled its take on the Cinderella story with Rosela (Iza Calzado), a woman from a small fishing village who encounters a mysterious man (Segundo Cernadas) at the town’s shore. When their eyes meet and love blossoms, they must navigate scandals and a rumor mill that become a threat to their growing relationship.
6. Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan (2007)
Starring: Iza Calzado and Taiwaneses actor Ken Chu
Another cross-cultural romance stars Iza Calzado, this time with F4 and Meteor Garden star Ken Chu. In the picturesque setting of Batanes, Pam (Iza) mistakes a man washed ashore for her former husband, who is later revealed as a Taiwanese man named Kao (Ken). While tending to his wounds, attraction soon develops between the two, despite language barriers and disapproval among the villagers.
7. Kahit Isang Saglit (2008)
Starring: Jericho Rosales and Malaysian actress Carmen Soo
The much-raved 2008 soap opera centered on the cross-cultural Southeast Asian love story of Rocky Santillan (Jericho Rosales) and Garie Hang-Li (Carmen Soo), whose paths cross in unexpected circumstances, as Rocky hunts for a suspected criminal in Malaysia, while Garie seeks her Filipino father. The joint project of ABS-CBN and Malaysian-Singaporean company Double Vision garnered critical acclaim, including the Seoul International Drama Awards and the International Emmys for Telenovelas.
8. Nandito Ako (2012)
Starring: Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Eula Caballero, and American singer David Archeluta
Right in the wake of his American Idol stint and hit single "Crush," David Archuleta made waves in the Philippines through a different form: the teleserye. The singer plays Filipino-American star Josh Bradley in the mini TV5 series, who finds love with Jasmine Curtis-Smith’s Anya after uncovering his tragic past.
9. Suddenly It’s Magic (2012)
Starring: Erich Gonzales and Thai actor Mario Maurer
In the Southeast Asian joint project, Thai superstar Mario Maurer plays the equally famous Marcus Hanson who flees to the Philippines to escape the media frenzy. There, he crosses paths with Joey Hermosa (Erich Gonzales), who soon becomes the new apple of his eye. When he invites her back to his home in Thailand, havoc comes for their budding relationship when Marcus' fans, his overprotective mother, and ex-girlfriend hound their peace.
10. My Korean Jagiya (2017)
Starring: Heart Evangelista and Korean actor Alexander Lee
The Hallyu wave takes center stage in the GMA Heart Evangelista telenovela, where she plays K-drama fan Gia on a mission to meet her long-time crush, Korean celebrity Kim Jun-ho (Alexander Lee). When she's offered a scholarship to go to Seoul, she takes the opportunity to find her idol, only to come across him in Manila in the least expected way.
11. You with Me (2017)
Starring: Devon Seron and Korean actors Hyun Woo and Jin Ju Hyeong
Kim (Devon Seron), a 20-something from a wealthy family, breaks free from her overprotective parents when she finds a job as an English teacher which eventually sends her to Seoul. She meets the mysterious Korean businessman Jayson (Hyun Woo), who she soon realizes has ties to her family back home.
12. To Russia with Love (2022)
Starring: Gerald Anderson and Russian actress Elena Kozlova
The Gerald Anderson-led film sees the Kapamilya actor as Dennis, a restaurateur’s son from Zamboanga Del Norte. When he’s tasked to tour Russian tourist Oksana (Elena Kozlova) around Dipolog City, attraction grows, which sparks into a full-fledged romance. But when he flies to Moscow to meet her strict father, Dennis soon comes face-to-face with an initiation to the hardened Russian lifestyle.
13. Ultimate Oppa (2022)
Starring: Bella Padilla and Korean actors Kim Gun Woo and Jasper Cho
Bella Padilla stars as Yana, who dislikes Filipino men but admires Korean actor Moon Shi Woo (Jason Cho). Yana's dream comes true when she meets Moon at a fan event in Korea. Despite competition for Shi Woo's attention, Yana falls for Jay, Moon's manager, played by Kim Gun Woo, who's previously known for his role as Son Myeong-oh in The Glory.
14. Secret Ingredient (2024)
Starring: Julia Barretto, Korean actor Sang Heon Lee, and Indonesian actor Nicolas Saputra
Following Ha-Joon (Sang Heon Lee of XO, Kitty), a prosperous Korean executive, Secret Ingredient unveils his journey in search of his lost love. Despite his affluent lifestyle, he yearns for genuine connection. Julia Barretto plays Maya in the poignant narrative of love and self-discovery, while Indonesian actor Nicholas Supatra portrays the formidable chef Arif.
15. Under Parallel Skies (2024)
Starring: Janella Salvador and Thai actor Win Metawin
Produced as a Philippine-Thailand-Hong Kong production and helmed by Filipina director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Under Parallel Skies follows Thai bachelor Parin (Win Metawin) as he journeys to Hong Kong in pursuit of his vanished mother. There, he meets Iris, a Filipino hotel staffer played by Janella Salvador. Together, they navigate cultural disparities, love, heartbreak, and the path to healing in this foreign setting.
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