SWS asked Filipinos what they want to get this Valentine's Day. The results are (sort of) priceless

It's hard to put a price tag on love.

Giving the gift of money, however, has the best chance of pulling Filipinos' heartstrings this Valentine's Day, at least according to a new poll by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

From cellphones to chocolates to a new house and many gift items in between, SWS asked 1,200 Filipino respondents across the country from Dec. 8 to 11 what they would want to receive this Wednesday, Valentine's Day 2024.

Before heading to the ATM or swiping your credit card in the name of love, the SWS survey results released Sunday also showed that some of the top items—perhaps the best ones—can be given away absolutely free.

How does your upcoming V-Day gift rank in this list? Time to find out:

Filipinos' top Valentine's Day gift wishes

• Money — 16%
• Love and Companionship — 11%
• Flowers — 10%
• Apparel (eg. clothes, shoes, bags) — 9%
• Any gift from the heart — 5%
• Mobile phone — 5%
• Watch and jewelry — 5%
• Good family relationship — 5%
• Food and grocery items — 3%
• Chocolates — 3%
• Health of loved ones — 3%
• Motorcycle and other motor vehicles — 2%
• Appliances — 2%
• Greeting (through cards or in person) — 1%
• Kiss — 1%
• A child — 1%
• Date or dinner — 1%
• House — 1%
• Cake — 1%
• Stuffed toy — 0.4%
• Wedding — 0.3%
• Alcoholic drink — 0.3%
• Perfume — 0.3%

The respondents in the SWS survey were Filipino adults aged 18 years old and above.

SWS notes, however, that 12% did not provide any answer, while 2% gave other answers which were not included in the report.

Love demographic

For women, SWS reported that money was a top gift wish at 19% compared to 12% for men. Flowers came in at 13% and only 7% for men.

On the other hand, apparel was a top answer for 14% of men, but a distant 5% for women.

Interestingly, the stats are practically even when it comes to "love and companionship," with 11% for women and 10% for men.

Respondents were asked the following questions in the survey: 1) Ano pong regalo ang gusto ninyong matanggap mula sa inyong minamahal sa darating na Valentine's Day? (What gift do you want to receive from your loved one this coming Valentine's Day?); and 2) Alin po sa mga ito ang naglalarawan sa inyong "love life" o buhay pag-ibig? (Which phrase describes your love life?)

Love in the air

Regarding the second question on the status of their "love life," how have Cupid's arrows found their mark for Filipinos this time around?

It's nothing less than a bullseye for 58% of the respondents, who said they were "very happy" with their love life—a robust 13-year high since 2011.

Twenty-three percent said they could be happier, while 19% said they have no love life. SWS notes, however, that the "number of Filipinos with 'no love life' is gradually increasing."

Most married couples were "very happy" with their love life, as reported by 76% of male respondents and 67% of females in the survey.

'Very happy'

For those with live-in partners, 69% of men and 64% of women said they were "very happy" with their love life.

Finally, men and women who have no spouse or partner yet reported being "very happy" with their love lives were almost equal at 28% and 27%, respectively.

The Fourth Quarter 2023 SWS Survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents, with 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside of Metro Manila), Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins were ±2.8% for national percentages, and ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. — VDV, GMA Integrated News