In a cutthroat industry such as the entertainment industry, *true* friends are few and far between. This is why when celebs find someone they vibe with and understand, they hold on to them for life. Such is the case of Joshua Garcia and Daniel Padilla.

In a recent interview with PUSH and Cinema News, Joshua revealed that he considers Daniel to be his “kuya” in showbiz and he also explained how his friendship with him started. ICYDK: Though it’s not that obvious, they actually have a two-year age gap!

According to Joshua, their friendship began when they worked together on the 2016 KathNiel movie, Barcelona: The Love Untold. “Proud moment ko talaga ‘yun. Si DJ parang kapatid ko, Kuya ko talaga. Barcelona pa lang,” he explained.

Joshua, who was still a showbiz newbie at the time and was just fresh off his Pinoy Big Brother stint the year prior, was aware that the fans had a tendency to pit him against the more seasoned actor. He clarified, however, that that didn’t deter them from forming a ~*genuine*~ bond.

“Before, parang may competition nga no? Di kasi namin iniisip ganun, [na] may competition. Pag trabaho, trabaho. Gagawin namin professionally,” he noted.

They grew even closer with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After they would finish lock-in tapings, their friend group (aka the Nguya Squad) would take trips outside of the city and just hang out and enjoy each other’s presence. (Joshua even penned the *sweetest* appreciation post for his newfound friends last year—we feel super soft!)

Joshua revealed that he also shared tons of interests with DJ: “Nag-click kami kasi marami kami gusto na similar kami parehas mahilig sa old music, parehas kami hilig sa golf, sa sports ako din, tapos mahilig makinig. Pinapayuhan ako. Si DJ, mahilig mag-payo. Di ko alam saan nanggagaling kabaitan. Lagi ako pinapayuhan.”

“Ayun, masaya naman ako kung ano mayroon kami ni Daniel… Sa amin na lang yun. ‘Kala mo kami,” he quipped.

“Kung ano nakikita ng tao, yun na yun,” he concluded.

Here’s to the gift of friendship!