LOVE BY THE NUMBERS | This graph by the Social Weather Stations shows the trends in romance among Filipinos through the decades.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� More than half of respondents polled by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said they were 鈥渧ery happy with their love life,鈥� with the rest saying they 鈥渃ould be happier鈥� or they had no love life.
The noncommissioned survey conducted in December last year among 1,200 adults nationwide was released on Feb. 11 ahead of Valentine鈥檚 Day on Wednesday.
SWS said the respondents were asked which of these phrases 鈥渄escribes your love life鈥濃�斺�渧ery happy,鈥� 鈥渃ould be happier鈥� and 鈥渘o love life.鈥�
鈥淔ifty-eight percent of Filipinos were very happy with their love life, 23 percent could be happier, and 19 percent have no love life,鈥� the polling group said about its survey, which had a margin of error of 卤2.8 percent.
It also noted a steady increase in the number of Filipinos with 鈥渘o love life鈥� from 10 percent in 2002 to 19 percent in 2023.
SWS said the 58 percent was 鈥渢he highest since the record-high 59 percent in 2011.鈥�
Married, 鈥榣ive-in鈥� couples
As for married couples, 鈥渕ost鈥� of them 鈥渁re very happy with their love life,鈥� the polling group said鈥攚ith 76 percent of men and 67 percent of women saying they were 鈥渧ery happy.鈥�
Among 鈥渓ive-in partners,鈥� 69 percent of men and 64 percent of women said they were very happy with their love life.
Money (16 percent), love and companionship (11 percent), and flowers (10 percent) ranked high among the top Valentine鈥檚 Day 鈥済ift wishes鈥� selected by the respondents.
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Among those who chose money, 12 percent were men and 19 percent were women. Among those who selected love and companionship, 10 percent were men and 11 percent were women.
鈥楪ift wishes鈥�
And among those who chose flowers, 7 percent were men and 13 percent were women.
Among the respondents who chose 鈥渁pparel,鈥� 14 percent were men and 5 percent were women. And among those who chose 鈥渁ny gift from the heart,鈥� 7 percent were men and 4 percent were women.
Other gift wishes selected by the respondents include mobile phones, watch and jewelry, and good family relationships (5 percent each); food and grocery items, chocolates and health of loved ones (3 percent each); and a kiss, a child, date or dinner, a cake, and a house (1 percent each). 鈥擶ITH A report from INQUIRER RESEARCH INQ