It’s official: Coco Martin and Julia Montes have been dating for 12 years

Martin and Montes first worked together in the 2012 series ‘Walang Hanggan.’ At the time, Martin was already 31 while Montes was 17.

MANILA, Philippines – After years of speculation and being mum about their rumored romance, Coco Martin has finally confirmed that he’s been in a relationship with Julia Montes for 12 years and counting.

The actor made the revelation in a TV Patrol interview aired on Tuesday, May 23. The two were asked about the status of their romance after they both attended the watch party for the upcoming series Unbreak My Heart, on Sunday, May 21.

“Hindi na kami mga bata. Kung ano yung nakikita, naiisip ng mga tao, yun na yun,” said Martin. (We’re no longer children. What others see and think of us, that’s it.)

The Batang Quiapo star then emphasized that they prefer to keep their relationship private. “Mas masarap kasi ‘yung pribado ‘yung buhay – tahimik, walang mga issue. Ito, masaya kami,” he said. (It’s better that we keep our lives private. It’s quiet, we have no issues. We’re happy.)

Napakasarap ng pakiramdam namin dahil ito, 12 years na kaming magkasama, pero pareho pa rin gaya ng dati,” he added. “Nilo-look forward namin kapag may project na magkasama kami, and then kapag may pagkakataon, nakakalabas kami, nakikita kami ng mga tao, pero name-maintain namin ‘yung privacy sa buhay namin.”

(It’s such a nice feeling that even if we’ve been together for 12 years, it still feels like the same. We look forward to having projects together and if there’s a chance, we go out together. Even if the public can see us, we’re still able to maintain being private about certain matters in our lives.)

When pressed if their relationship started in 2011, Martin, 41, and Montes, 28, only laughed, with the actor telling interviewer MJ Felipe: “Ang galing mo, ah. (You’re good.)”

Montes also shared how their faith in God have put them in a happy place. “Super-blessed lang talaga kami. And never kasi nawala sa center si God, so lahat nang nangyayaring good stuff, si God talaga,” she said.

(We’re just so blessed. And we’ve always put God in the center, so every good thing that’s happening, it’s all because of him.)

Martin and Montes first worked together in the 2012 series Walang Hanggan. At the time, Martin was already 31 while Montes was 17.

Since then, the two have been paired in various projects as a love team, including the movie A Moment in Time (2013), and the series Ikaw Lamang (2014), and Wansapanataym: Yamishita’s Treasure (2015). Montes also made an appearance in Martin’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which concluded in August 2022.

Dating rumors were rampant when the two were spotted on multiple occasions going on vacation together.