Beginnings are neither big nor small for young love.
The New Year, for instance, with all its bells and whistles, is just as eventful for Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji as next day’s calltime.
They ring it in the way they welcome most things together—him indifferent to rituals and superstition, and her finding revelry in it.
Grinning, Rabin, 21, says, “Wala, di ako naniniwala sa ganyan, e. Sabi di ba tumalon ka para tumangkad? Hindi na totoo yun. Matanda na ako.”
Angela, on the other hand, pulls out all the stops.
She keeps the round fruits on the dinner table, munches on the grapes, and stays loyal to the jumping, though she eventually chalks up her height to genetics.
She laughs while telling PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal): “Ito na yung height ko from when I was 12 years old—5’2” na ako. So, compared sa mga kaklase ko, ang tangkad ko. Tapos ayun, di na ako tumatangkad.”
Typically, the New Year conversation turns to resolutions, and this is where the on-screen couple give the same answer without checking in with each other.
It turns out that both are hopeful for a longer string of patience.
Rabin reveals:
“Mas habaan yung pasensiya ko. Yun lang siguro. Actually ngayon, naaayos ko na siya kahit papaano. Medyo nahahabaan ko na siya kasi lumaki ako na parang sobrang impatient ko.”
On Angela’s end, she intends to extend her capacity for patience because, as she puts it jokingly, “Bugnutin kasi ako.”
She adds, “Yeah, have more patience siguro and take care of my body better. Kasi napabayaan ko talaga ang katawan ko. Yung sobrang puyat tapos di na ako nakakapag-exercise, kumakain nang maayos.
“And also, to go to church more often. Kasi, since I'm always working 24/7 halos... hindi naman 24/7 pero like sunud-sunod, so like wala akong halos time magpunta sa church.”
For Rabin, taking care of his health means catching Z’s: “Dati nagwu-workout ako pero ngayon, parang wala na akong oras na gawin pa yun. Itutulog ko na lang, kulang pa.”
He is not all that keen about diet restrictions, too.
“Kinakain ko yung kung anong gusto kong kainin,” he says, before proudly checking off one long-standing item from his holiday list.
“Actually, pangarap ko simula ng bata ako magpa-lechon sa Pasko namin. Tapos sabi ko, 'Darating ang araw makakapagpa-lechon ako,' at this Christmas, magpapa-lechon ako sa amin.”
Signing off 2025 on a high, RabGel, their love team's moniker, moves straight into a defining stretch of Rabin and Angela's careers as they launch a major project in 2026, just two weeks in.
RABGEL’S TAKE ON A WEREWOLF BOY
Filipino fans of the hit Korean fantasy romance A Werewolf Boy will see a local adaptation of the film through the portrayals of Rabin as the titular character and Angela as Sara.
Set to release on January 14, 2026, the project touches down with strings attached—both warm and daunting—for the RabGel pairing.
Taking on a story so ingrained in pop culture is a tall order. Both of them are fully aware of the high bar that comes alongside with characters first brought to life by names they grew up watching.
Angela admits she is a fan of the lead stars in the original picture: “Fan talaga ako ni Song Joong Ki from Descendants of the Sun and Vincenzo. Tapos, I really like Park Bo Young in Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon. I’m a fan of those three dramas talaga.
“When I found out na we’d be playing as them in A Werewolf Boy, I was just at a loss for words. Parang hindi siya nag-sink in sa akin.
“I’m super honored na kami po yung napili, but I’m also pressured. Ang hirap. We have to live up to the standards na nilatag nila. Hindi naman siguro mapantayan, pero the pressure is there.”
Rabin’s entry was different, having only seen the film after it was offered to them.
“Kahit saan sa EDSA, kalat iyan si Song Joong Ki, napakagaling kasi niyang actor. So fan niya talaga ako,” he expresses, referring to the South Korean actor's billboards.
“Pero yung movie, hindi ko pa siya alam before. Nanood ako ng mga clips para aralin si Song Joong Ki, pero hindi ko pinanood yung full movie para hindi ko siya gayahing buo.”
Imitation, for him, would have deuced the material.
On relatability, the pair agrees on what makes the film capable of connecting audiences across cultures.”
Angela points out that viewers are used to happy endings that defy any logical sense. “Nabaril ka na ilang beses, buhay ka pa rin,” she jokes.
A Werewolf Boy, according to her, does not cheat its way to comfort.
“It’s more heartfelt. Kahit hindi totoo yung lobo, we could relate to it. People can wait for up to forty years. They can be that loyal.”
On set, the creative freedom they were given was a palate refresher for Rabin.
“Kasi dati, bawat galaw mo, ‘O, dito ka, kailangan mong hawakan to, kailangan mo itong ganituhin, kailangan dito ka nakatayo.’
“Nag-taping kami ng A Werewolf Boy, si Direk Cris [Aquino], grabe yung tiwala sa amin—talagang kami bahala. Sasabihin lang niya kung anong gagawin namin, kung tama ba yun, kung sobra o kulang.”
He says it’s solely up to them to interpret their respective roles’ choices and character development.
Perhaps, this level of trust was spawned from the same trust the Viva One executives have staked on the two young bloods.
They refuse to be rattled by criticisms about brisk artist rotation and overloaded visibility.
Angela addresses it head-on: “There’s no pressure to prove na worthy kami sa mga roles na nakukuha namin because, they don’t see how hard we work behind the scenes.
“But the people in charge, they could see that, kasi they witnessed it. We're the ones working for them. And even if maraming sasabihin against us, at the end of the day, they’re not the ones who are choosing us.”
Rabin hears her out, chiming in “Tama!” after every valid point Angela raises. He then reveals that they never asked for the momentum.
“Alam niyo sa totoo lang, hindi namin hinihingi iyan. Pinagtatrabahuhan po namin iyan. Talagang ginagawa namin yung best namin.”
He reckons: “Kaya po siguro nasundan agad yung Seducing Drake Palma kasi ginawa namin yun nang maayos. Kaya, pinagkatiwalaan po kami ng bagong trabaho.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Angela says, “Hindi po kami uupo dito at iaabot lang [ang projects].”
She finds it absurd how naysayers are quick to comment “paulit-ulit na lang,” when, in reality, they have only been coupled up three times.
“To us, it's a big number. Sobrang big blessing niya sa amin. Pero if you really think about it, to the point na ‘paulit-ulit,’ hindi naman. Hindi naman! Sobrang OA naman ng ‘paulit-ulit.’”
VIVA ONE’S NEXT SUPERNOVA LOVE TEAM
Inside Viva One Entertainment, RabGel is no longer treated as a test pairing, unlike the tandem’s roots in Ang Mutya ng Section E, where they played second leads. They command an unmissable presence now.
When they slip into that blink-and-you-miss-it magic they own, their appeal becomes clear even to those who never quite bought into the concept of love teams.
Stephen, the shoot photographer, asks them to take a spin. They do it effortlessly, adding an Eskimo kiss and a waist grab without being prompted.
Everyone in the studio feels it—the light and delight from Rabin and Angela exchanging glances and smiles.
Both drop their jaws when they’re told they gave the same answer during their separate interviews earlier that day.
“Parehas tayo?” Rabin asks, surprised. “Seryoso?” Angela replies, laughing.
It was about love languages, and the two artists name physical touch and gift-giving as their medium of affection.
The coincidence opens the conversation to anecdotes.
“Yung nabigay ko na feeling ko pinaka-memorable sa akin is yung candle,” Angela begins.
“Kasi, I took the time to actually find the right scent for him. Kasi may sinabi siya na, ‘Ah, gusto ko itong iuwi.’ Nasa set kami, gusto niya iuwi yung scented candle.
“Tapos after non, like pagod na ako from work pero nag-open ako ng online shops, naghanap ako kahit antok na antok na ako.
“I spent about 30 minutes looking for the right candle kahit bagsak na yung mata ko.”
Rabin recalls the moment, reacting: “Sobrang sweet niya nun. Kinilig ako dun, pero kinilig din ako doon sa vitamins kasi one time, naramdaman niya na pagod na pagod na ako.
“Hindi na ako natutulog tapos pinuntahan niya ko sa standby area ko. May dala siyang fruits tapos may dala siyang fruit juice na piniga niya daw,” he leers playfully, as if to incite a reaction from Angela—and succeeds in doing so.
“Uy, totoo! Piniga ko yun as in, kasi wala akong squeezer, e. So, ginanun ko, ang sakit ng kamay ko,” the 23-year-old actress responds.
Flashing a satisfied smile, Rabin continues with his story: “Tapos dinalhan pa niya ako ng mga vitamins. Tas sinabi niya, ‘Ano ha, inumin mo iyan, ha. Siguraduhin mo, ha.’
“Tapos for the first time sa buhay ko, nanay ko, hindi ako napapainom ng vitamins. Si Angela Muji lang nakapagpainom.”
Enter Rabin’s roll of gifts: a guitar and a tumbler.
He teases Angela yet again, “Tumbler na nawala mo?”
She shifts her direction to him instantly: “O, wag ka nang ma-bitter.”
Then, she tells the story behind it, starting with how Rabin noticed that she was using a flimsy plastic bottle that leaks and cracks easily.
The next day, he replaced it with what Angela calls a “fancy flask” in the color matcha green.
“I used it every single day. Kaso one time, may taping kami sa Enchanted Kingdom tapos may PA, binigay ko sa kanya. Tapos after noon, hindi niya na binalik sa akin.
“Tinanong ko, ‘Asan po?’ Sabi niya, ‘Ay, san mo ba pinatong?’ Sa isip ko, ‘Binigay ko po sa inyo.’ So, ayoko nang manisi. Ayoko lang magkagulo. So, I just let it be. I let it slide na lang.
“Pero sad ako kasi yun yung first ever na binigay sa akin ni Rabin so may sentimental value siya.”
Not only was he attentive that one time, but even throughout their professional journey together.
“Di ba yung sa A Werewolf Boy, si Sarah, marunong siya maggitara, but I don’t know how to play.
“Sabi ko, ‘Gusto ko bumili ng gitara,’ tapos sinamahan niya ako. Tapos he paid for it. He got it for me. Super cute. Tapos nakakatawa kasi yung brand, RJ—Rabin Josh. So, hindi ko makakalimutan.”
Tiny alignments like that matter, especially with the year ahead already asking something bigger of them—their first love team film as lead actors in A Werewolf Boy.
Do they think it’s finally time for them to hit their peak?
“I think it's not too early kasi I'm already 23 and he's 21,” Angela says. “Tapos, we're not getting any younger and, for me, I worked like seven years for this.
“So, I think it's about time to hit the peak. I'm hoping for that, pero if not, that means God has better plans. Tina-trust lang namin yung timing ni God palagi.”
Rabin jumps in: “Tsaka alam mo, yung peak na iyan, parang pag nandun na kami, hindi pa rin naman kami titigil, e. Kahit na nasa peak na kami.
“Ngayong 2026, maaabot talaga namin yung peak pero hindi kami titigil. Basta lagi kaming ginagabayan ng Diyos.”
The fear of losing something only comes when people realize they have built something worth protecting. Rabin and Angela carry that awareness with them now.
Their work as a love team grows in scale, reach, and visibility, yet their footing remains steady.
Expansion doesn’t destabilize them because they have faith in what exists between them, whether or not it is ever named or put on display.
The RabGel phenomenon holds because continuity is prioritized in place of hype.
Here and now, every direction they choose is a step towards making it last.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Karen Pagsolingan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Capuchino
SHOOT PRODUCERS: Nikko Tuazon, Katrina Gangcuango
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Nikko Tuazon
ART DIRECTION: Maya Idanan
TEXT/INTERVIEW: FK Bravo
FOR RABIN ANGELES
GROOMING: Mykee Arcano
STYLIST: Pat Pleno of Studio24.C
STYLIST’S ASSISTNT: Chelst Estrada
FOR ANGELA MUJI
MAKEUP: Mariah Santos
HAIR: Valerie Corpuz
STYLIST: Myrrh Lao To
STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS: Josh Galang and Carlie Lajara
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS: Meinard Navato
VIDEO: Richford Unciano, Rommel Llanes
BILLBOARD PRODUCERS: Rommel Llanes, Kat Gangcuangco
OOH EDITOR: Rommel Llanes
SOCIAL MEDIA: Nikko Tuazon, Allyanah Calinao
SPECIAL THANKS: Boss Vic del Rosario, Veronique del Rosario-Corpus, Caryl Paraico, Jennie Navoa, Mac Monis, Miguel Laureta, and Pau Garcia of Viva Artist Agency, Moises Fernandez of Viva Films
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