He joined the nation and the rest of the world in celebrating the occasion.
On Saturday, February 14, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. released his vlog, where he talked about love and marriage in celebration of Valentine’s Day, as well as shared some of his personal lessons and advices for couples.
“You know, it is rare to find someone…that you care for and cares for you, who you have a very nice time together,” he said. “‘Yun na nga bumalik tayo doon sa konsepto ng friendship. That’s what you should try to find. And once you have found it and it’s Valentine’s Day, enjoy it to the fullest. It is a lovely feeling.”
He then answered questions from youth groups about love, marriage, and family life, with the first being him noting that making time for each other despite busy schedules, nurturing friendship, and doing small, yet thoughtful acts are key to having a long and healthy relationship
“Palagay ko alam na ito ng matagal nang mag-asawa, ang sikreto lang diyan—hindi naman talaga sikreto—ay dapat bigayan. Hindi naman pare-pareho ang lahat ng tao. Dapat nagbibigayan lang at nagkakaunawaan ang mag-asawa,” he said.
He furthered, “Hindi puwedeng “my way or no way,” dahil kapag ganoon, may isang laging malungkot. Kaya bigayan lang.”
On the question of how the first couple and their kids balance work and family, the President said: “Isa na ito sa pinakamahirap na gawin dahil halos lahat ng pamilya ko, we are all very busy. I’m very busy. The first lady is very busy. Yung mga anak ko are also very busy.“
PBBM added, “Kung minsan mahirap makabuo ng kahit ng sandali, kahit linggo may ginagawa, isang araw lang o mag-dinner man lang. Basta’t meron kaming opportunity na magsama, we take it.“
Meanwhile, the President, answering a query on the Ruin The Friendship trend that uses Taylor Swift’s somg, he said he does not believe in “ruining” a friendship and explained that while moving from friendship to romance is part of what the song describes, the foundation of any strong relationship is a true friendship
“I don’t think that ruins the friendship,” Marcos began his response. “I understand what Taylor Swift is trying to say, that you move away from the friend zone and you become boyfriend, girlfriend, jowa, whatever you want to call it. But for me, the basis of any good relationship is true friendship. The best relationships I’ve seen have all been started by being friends.”
The President also acknowledged the festive mood across the country, with crowded malls, restaurants filled with couples on dates, as well as vendors selling flowers and gifts.
Despite heavy traffic, he said that he hopes that everyone was enjoying the day, emphasizing that love and goodwill should prevail on this occasion.