“Self love” is increasingly becoming young Filipinos’ expression of happiness even in their observance of Valentines’ Day.
As Philippine malls and restaurants prepare for the anticipated surge of dates and romantic activities among couples today, a study reveals that more young Filipinos prefer to reward themselves with self love purchases such massages, beauty parlor visits and travels to dream destinations by themselves instead.
Communications firm Uniquecorn Strategies reported that approximately 50% of Filipino Gen Zs (born between 1996 and 2010) now prefer to spend for themselves even during red-letter days when gifting others is tradition.
It said that young Filipinos seek rewards for their hard work and dedication by prioritizing themselves in their personal spending habits over buying gifts for partners, friends and even family.
Socio-cultural thinktank The Fourth Wall research director John Brylle Bae explains: “This self-rewarding behavior among Filipino Gen Zs stems from their growing self-awareness, driving them to seek rewards that affirm that sense of self-worth.”
In their buying behavior, Filipinos have also become more practical, preferring to buy food over romantic Valentines’ Day items such as flowers.
‘Romantic jokes’
An informal survey conducted by Kodao Productions reveals that two-thirds of its readers prefer to spend on food while only a third of the respondents still prefer giving or receiving flowers on Valentine’s Day.
Noel, a 27-year old employee, said that while he is thinking of buying a gift for his girlfriend , he is unsure of what to buy as flowers are “too old-fashioned and corny.”
“I might not even give her a gift at all,” he said, adding that Valentine’s Day dates and gifts are too commercialized.
In Manila’s flower district of Dangwa, a rose was selling at Php200 each as of Friday morning. A bouquet of flowers without roses were going for Php500 while a bouquet of a dozen roses were selling from Php3,000 to Php6,000 depending on the color.
At the city’s university belt, students were still seen carrying flowers but very few were roses.
At Quiapo’s Quinta Market, squash blooms were selling at Php50 per bunch and had reportedly been more popular among older men. “They are buying them as romantic jokes to their wives,” a vendor explained.
More relationships among the young
These developments contrast with the results of a recent study conducted by survey firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) saying more Filipinos are in fact into relationships.
SWS said that only 14% of their respondents reported having no love life, down from last year’s 18%.
The same survey however reported a 20-year record-low 46% of adult Filipinos are “very happy” with their love lives while 40% said their relationships could be happier.
As of November 2025, happiness with love life among women stayed highest among those who are married are at 57%, followed by those with live-in partners at 45%, and those with no spouse/partner at 22%, SWS said.
In the same survey, 27% of the responders revealed having experienced cheating in their relationships while 72 said they have not. #
