Pinoys prefer to give handmade gifts for Valentine’s day: study

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos wanted to show their love for their special someone this Valentine’s day, and most of them turned to the Internet to find the right words.

A study by Yahoo! Inc., titled Search Trends, showed that love messages and unique quotes topped Valentine-related searches this month, which also included gift ideas, shopping destinations and entertainment options.

Zul Rejab, editorial manager for search content analysis, said pop-up card and fun quotes were a hit among the youth.

This as making cards for family, friends and loved ones on Valentine’s day has been a long-standing tradition in the Philippines.

“Filipinos wanted to show their special touch and focused on unique concepts and ideas,” Rejab said in a statement.

The Philippines is among the most artistic Southeast Asian countries that prefer to give handmade gifts for Valentine’s day as they find these a more sincere way of showing their love and affection, according to the Yahoo! study.

The only other country to match the Philippines’ creativity is Vietnam.

Gifts, entertainment

Aside from Valentine’s day greetings, Filipinos turned to the net to look for romantic music.

The song Valentine, a duet between Martina McBride and Jim Brickman, remained the most popular song this season of hearts, Yahoo! said.

Netizens also searched for gift ideas such as cakes, flowers, dresses and other wedding-related items as February has become a season for marriage in the Philippines.

“’What to do and not to do’ on Valentine’s day was a quirky search that resonated across all of Southeast Asia. This reflects the perfectionist disposition of the people in these countries who wanted an ideal and smooth Valentine celebration,” Rejab said.

Meanwhile, concerts and movies seemed to be in high demand this month as Filipinos celebrate the season of romance, Yahoo! said. –abs-cbnNEWS.com