Kapamilya heartthrob Donny Pangilinan was among the special guests at the launch of the all-new iWant app held at the ABS-CBN Compound on July 9, where he reflected on his breakout role in the hit 2021 series ‘He’s Into Her’ with Belle Mariano — one of iWant’s most successful original titles to date.
“That was a crazy, crazy time, you know, 2021,” Donny shared, recalling the project that helped solidify the DonBelle tandem. He revealed that the series had actually started much earlier, with a look test in 2019 — just before the pandemic hit.
“I’m really proud of the whole team kasi we were a bunch of kids. I mean, it was a really young group and we had a lot of people guiding us. Siyempre, ‘yung iWant, ABS, Star Magic, managers namin, everyone,” he said.
Donny admitted the experience was both nerve-wracking and exciting: “But the fact that they’ve put us out there and they were willing to risk, you know, everyone — the producers, they were willing to risk money and time, just to put up a really, really good adaptation on screen, sobrang nakakakaba. Siyempre nakaka-pressure nu’ng time na ‘yon. Pero kami kasi, sobrang G kami. ‘Yun nga, kasi bata pa kami, eh, like we were super G to do anything.”
He also recalled how production was abruptly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing a long break between shoots: “Nag-shoot na kami ng first half, so if you guys would notice, ‘yung mga ibang episodes namin, iba talaga ‘yung mga itsura namin, sobra! ‘Yung iba, nag-mature na, ako, nagpalaki ako, tapos ‘yung ibang characters, hindi na rin pwede.”
“Akala ko nga nu’ng nag-stop kami, pull out na ‘yung show, pack up na,” he admitted. “But hindi, iWant really believed in it and the whole team. So I’m very, very glad to be a part of it.”
Donny also expressed admiration for how ABS-CBN and iWant continue to evolve: “What I love about iWant talaga and ABS, of course, is they always find a way to reinvent themselves and dito na talaga papunta ’yung future natin, ‘di ba? Online, digital space. There’s so much room for everyone. So if you ask me for advice, just focus on your craft, you know. Ako, I’m still learning everyday.”
The relaunch of iWant introduced a new look, faster loading, and clearer video quality — now available across smart TVs, phones, tablets, and desktops. With the theme ‘Unlock Your Feels: The New iWant Experience,’ the event also showcased upcoming content and featured an interactive museum celebrating Filipino storytelling.
Joining Donny at the event were the cast of Love at First Spike, stars Shanaia Gomez and Kaori Oinuma, directors Ivan Payawal, Red Ollero, and Rodina Singh, and journalist Jeff Canoy.
The new iWant experience also brings in content not only from ABS-CBN Studios, but from GMA (for international viewers), Regal Entertainment, Viva, and more — including upcoming originals like Ghosting, MMK Director’s Cut, and the BINI Docuseries.
With more Filipino content now accessible anytime, anywhere, iWant reaffirms its mission of being the ‘Home of Filipino Feels.’
