Are Filipinos Romantics?

With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away, we ask “Are Filipinos romantics?” Casual observation seems to confirm it. Just look at the popular pocket books, television programs, and romantic ballads in the Philippines. And hear the depth of feeling when Filipinos sing Karaoke.

Formal research also supports the notion of Filipinos as romantics. A financial services company surveyed its employees in eight Asian countries and found that 72 percent of respondents from the Philippines planned to celebrate Valentine's Day. This was the highest percentage among nationalities covered in the study.

In this issue, we discuss Valentine’s Day, the Filipino way.

 Valentine’s Day – The Filipino Way

While Valentine’s Day is not a uniquely Filipino celebration, it is bigger in the Philippines than it is in many other parts of the world. In a recent study, 72 percent of Filipino employees planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day, tops among the Asians surveyed.

Valentine’s Day in the Philippines has many of the hallmarks of celebrations elsewhere, such as the use of red, romantic dinners at restaurants, and traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, from flowers (especially red roses) to chocolates, stuffed animals, and perfume. For women, flowers are still the most desired gift, with 71 percent of Filipinas saying that's what they want for Valentine’s Day.

Filipinos can be very creative in finding unique ways to celebrate Valentine’s that don’t cost much. For example, Valentine’s Day activities can range from candlelight dinners at McDonalds, to kissing contests, romantic text messages, and moonlight serenades.

 Ask remithome: RemitHome Gift Shop Merchandise

Question: I visited RemitHome Gift Shop last month to send a Christmas gift to my family in the Philippines and noticed that all your gifts are from Rustan’s, which is the premier department store in the Philippines. That’s like only having goods from Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus, and what I was actually looking for was items from the Philippines version of Costco. Are you planning to expand your selection to include less exclusive suppliers?

Answer: The RemitHome Gift Shop was just opened in November 2011, in time for Christmas. We created the Gift Shop in response to customer requests for a quick and easy way to send gifts to their loved ones in the Philippines (See our November newsletter for background and benefits of the RemitHome Gift Shop).

When we first opened the RemitHome Gift Shop we started with gifts from Rustan’s because of the store’s longstanding reputation for quality. Since those purchasing gifts are outside the Philippines, they need some assurance that the food items are high quality and the fragrances ordered are authentic. Using Rustan’s as the supplier was our way of ensuring this required quality.

As we get more feedback about what our customers want, we will consider expanding the RemitHome Gift Shop suppliers beyond Rustan’s. However, we do need to maintain quality, so much will depend on whether we can find high-quality suppliers that offer less-exclusive and lower-cost merchandise.

For Valentine’s Day, the RemitHome Gift Shop allows you to order flowers that can be delivered throughout the Philippines. You can pre-order flowers, chocolates, and other gifts for delivery to your loved one for Valentine’s.

Please visit the RemitHome Gift Shop and see what we have to offer for Valentine’s Day and other occasions. And let us know if there are other items you would like to see in the Gift Shop.