Here’s a fervent plea to those who keep shipping GMA Network’s goldmine pairing of Barbie Forteza and David Licauco to be more than they are: Please stop forcing them to fall in love in real life! That “BarDa,” as fans affectionately call this incredibly successful tandem, remains just great friends, and the compelling actors they are should only bode well for the future of honest-to-goodness quality productions in the local entertainment industry. How so? Their platonic and professional relationship is bound to keep them and the creatives on their toes all the time to deliver their best work with no dish on their personal lives to rely on to deliver a hit.

That’s why audiences couldn’t get enough of the brilliantly crafted love story of David and Barbie’s Fidel and Clay (a.k.a. “FiLay”) in GMA’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangre via 2022’s “Maria Clara at Ibarra.” That’s why BarDa immediately had a series waiting for them as soon as the primetime period piece concluded with the TV adaptation of the Sharon Cuneta-Robin Padilla blockbuster, “Maging Sino Ka Man” in 2023, and why the network still has them together in the historical war drama, “Pulang Araw,” that’s just premiered on Netflix today and the free TV channel on July 29.

Think of Barbie and David as the Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz of this generation, especially since they, too, are about to take their made-in-heaven screen chemistry a notch higher in their first big-screen project, “That Kind of Love,” by Pocket Media Productions, which opens on July 10.

Bea and John Lloyd movies were wildly anticipated in the mid-2000’s, every one of them a huge box office hit only because the actors were so good in delivering such well-thought-out scripts in artistically executed productions. The two never had a romantic relationship, but it was Bea and John Lloyd who made audiences a winner with films that were genuinely worthwhile to watch, like Barbie and David today.

Reel love is all they need, really, though they sincerely care for each other as friends, given all the time Barbie and David spent together and the career highs and challenges only they can share.

Barbie, articulate as ever, put it best during the grand media conference for “That Kind of Love” when she respectfully conveyed, amid the still relentless line of questioning, “If they could fall in love for real,” that most viewers today are mature enough to prioritize the quality of a project over the personal lives of the stars. She credited this clearly evolved audience for choosing what they watch based on content rather than the fan magazine-type gossip of old.

The success of Barbie and David’s team-up is even more remarkable because the public knows they are both in other relationships off camera.

Barbie has been going strong with her boyfriend of seven years, fellow GMA Network homegrown talent Jak Roberto, while David, though not so open with details, has never denied he has a non-showbiz girlfriend.

Barbie clarified all the same: there’s nothing wrong if there are fans who still hope their favorite actors would end up together in real life. We love this girl for just being so astute and level-headed when she said, “It can also be an advantage for a tandem because, for their fans, the thrill will always be there. The excitement and the fantasy of whether we will end up together will always be there as they continue to support and watch us. There’s a chance for all the thrill to die down, let’s say we did get together, on the one hand.”

But even as BarDa may not be romantically involved, they cannot say it enough: They value their friendship so deeply that each one knows they can depend on the other through thick and thin for the rest of their lives.

“We’re like that already. Barbie’s even my spokesperson, as you can tell,” the much shier David acknowledged.

“I guess it’s only because I’ve been in showbiz longer than he has, so I’m always there for him to help him along if he needs me. Whether in interviews like this or even on set,” Barbie elaborated.

The two also know each other’s secrets, just as Barbie spilled the beans on how far David would go to show a girl how much he loves her.

“He literally followed her to Korea and brought her flowers,” she gleefully dished on her good friend, clearly sharing in his happiness, even if she did make him blush at the Q&A.

This genuine support they have for each other — how they count on one another — is certainly what gives them the all-important on-screen chemistry that makes their love team so delicious to watch. Barbie and David know it needn’t be “reel love,” and that’s what’s important.

It is this trademark BarDa feeling that the pair promise their fans — which cuts across generations and social classes so far and wide — to bring to the big screen come July 10.

So make sure to watch Barbie as Milagros Maharlika — a renowned dating coach and a certified psychologist — who comes to the aid of David’s Adam de Dios — a wealthy CEO who employs her to find his perfect match — in a rom-com that only BarDa can bring. And go ahead — fall in love while you’re at it, even if Barbie and David aren’t together in real life. Because if you do, then you’ll know you’ve just been treated to great acting — from two great friends — and that’s what matters in the end.

“That Kind of Love” is a Spotlight entry and awardee at Japan’s Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival. It is the second outing of Pocket Media Productions, Inc., in cooperation with Pocket Media Films and Happy Infinite Productions, Inc. Also starring Al Tantay, Arlene Muhlach, Jef Gaitan, Divin Aucina, Ivan Carpiet and Kiala Estrada, the movie is directed by Catherine Camarillo from a screenplay by Ellis Catrina. It will be released and distributed by Regal Entertainment nationwide on July 10.