Belle Mariano and her new old homes
She once thought her dream home would remain just that—a dream. But two years after breaking ground, Belle Mariano now wakes up in it every morning, still in awe that it’s all real.
“Wow,” the actress says, looking up, her eyes lighting up. “I couldn’t believe it at first. Baka kasi drawing lang. But really, it’s very nice to sleep in a place you used to just imagine,” she tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
The two-story residence is clean and serene—exactly what Mariano needs after a long day on a hectic set. The interiors bask in natural light. The palette is neutral, featuring plush beige couches and warm wooden accents. “Simple” is the operative word here, she stresses, but select artwork—both decorative and functional—creates just enough visual interest: the twisted branch sculpture that doubles as a handle for the grand front door, and a Limbo Hoop, a dramatic Kenneth Cobonpue lamp depicting an aerialist in mid-flight.
The 23-year-old star, who moved in last July, lives with her parents and four siblings, each with their own room reflecting their respective tastes. Her bedroom feels more or less like an extension of the rest of the place—“homey and nothing loud on the eyes.”
“I wanted it to be relaxing, a place where I can sleep well,” says Mariano, who credits her mom, Katrina, for taking charge throughout the construction. “We worked hand-in-hand. My siblings had their own vision, but mom made sure everything complemented one another and that we all had our privacy.”
As such, the seemingly routine act of going home has become something she always looks forward to after taping. Because there’s nothing quite like being tired from work and being welcomed by the giddy barks of her four dogs as she steps inside the door. “Ang sarap umuwi!” And the same goes for her days off—there’s nowhere else she would rather be.
“My free days… I prefer to spend [them] with my family,” she says. “We just stay in, unwind, watch a movie together, or play with our dogs.”
Old stomping ground
This home isn’t the only one she has. As they say, home is what you make of it. Sometimes, it’s a feeling. And that’s what she found within the hallways and studios of ABS-CBN, where she started out her career as a precocious nine-year old.
This interview took place in one of the dressing rooms just outside Studio 5—Mariano’s former stomping ground as a cast member of the sketch comedy show “Goin’ Bulilit.” In a few minutes, she would walk toward the Dolphy Theater, where top network executives awaited her for her contract renewal.
She couldn’t help but be sentimental about it. “It takes me back to the days filming ‘Lorenzo’s Time,’ ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,’” she says. “Bits and pieces of memories are coming back.”
It feels almost strange to call her a veteran, but Mariano has been in the business for more than half of her life. From a promising young actress, she skyrocketed to fame as part of the hit “DonBelle” love team with Donny Pangilinan, starring together in several successful shows, like “He’s Into Her,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and “How to Spot a Red Flag.”
But now, she’s keen on exploring her individual path outside the love team dynamic.
Solo pursuits
Shooting is now under way for her coming Star Cinema film, the family drama “Meet, Greet & Bye,” with Piolo Pascual, Joshua Garcia, Juan Karlos Labajo, and Maricel Soriano. It’s Mariano’s first major movie project without Pangilinan, and it’s making her nervous, she admits.
Thankfully, Pangilinan has been nothing but supportive of her other career pursuits, whether they involve him or not. “He actually visited me on set recently, and he was surprised at the chemistry I’ve already built with the cast. We’ve been very vocal that we’re here for each other, as long as we both grow—together or apart,” says Mariano, who also hopes to dabble in action and horror, or play a bida-kontrabida role.
That’s not to say, of course, that DonBelle is going anywhere. In fact, a new project for the two is already in the works. “It will be after this film,” she says, stopping lest she divulge something she shouldn’t. “I don’t want to start talking—kilala niyo naman ako!”
Beyond acting, Mariano also plans to continue nurturing her newfound love for music. Four years after her debut album, “Daylight,” she’s set to release a much-anticipated follow-up record, which will hopefully include some of her own compositions. Writing—and expressing her emotions through music—has become a therapeutic outlet for her. Well, that’s until she gets stuck midway through, in which case things take a comically stressful turn.
“I’m good at writing the beginning, but I always end up needing help to get through the rest,” she says, laughing. “But I’m grateful that I get to work with great writers and composers… because I’m still slowly dipping my toes in music and trying to find my own voice.”
A journey of growth
But whatever path she takes, Mariano keeps her eyes on a clear, single goal: growth. “I’m always looking for teaching moments and doing things that will challenge me as an artist,” she says.
And it’s this very mindset that has carried her through her journey. Because things haven’t been easy, to say the least. Failure can be disheartening, she admits, but it’s also an opportunity to rise again. “Sometimes, it can get exhausting and overwhelming, and that’s completely normal,” shares Mariano, who also draws strength from her family, friends, and fans who all “believed in me when I didn’t.”
“They inspire me and remind me why I do what I love. Nakakataba ng puso,” she says. “Don’t let your fears stop you from pursuing your dreams. Have heart and have faith, because you will achieve great things.”
