Valentine’s Day in the Philippines: expectations vs. reality

Picodi.com checked the type of gifts Filipinos would like to receive on Valentine’s Day, how much money they are willing to spend and if their gifts suit the taste of their partners.

Valentine’s Day is very popular in the Philippines: 78% of Filipinos surveyed said they celebrate Valentine’s Day and 6% less said that they will give something to their partner. It probably means that for some people spending time together is more important than Valentine’s Day financial aspect.

What are Filipinos going to buy as a gift? Among the men surveyed, the most popular answers were food on delivery (34%), dinner at a restaurant (30%) and tickets to cinema or concert. Women on the other hand said they are going to buy food on delivery (29%), dinner at a restaurant (16%) and sweets (10%).

We also asked what gifts Filipinos expect to get from their significant others and according to women, the most expected gifts were food on delivery (54%), dinner at a restaurant (42%), gift card (28%), tickets to cinema or concert (24%) and money (22%). As for men, the most expected option was food on delivery (41%), dinner at a restaurant (41%), sweets (19%), money (19%) and gift cards (15%).

The worst Valentine’s Day gifts according to women are sex toys (27%), teddy bears (19%), board games (16%), flowers (14%) and food on delivery (14%). Among men, dinner at a restaurant (21%) and food on delivery (19%) were chosen as the least wanted.

Valentine’s Day in other countries

We also looked into the financial side of Valentine’s Day. On average, we spend ₱1,421 on Valentine’s Day gifts in the Philippines, with men spending 62% more than women (₱1,843 vs. ₱1,139).

Among the countries researched, the highest amounts are spent in Hong Kong (US$124), the United Kingdom (US$117), Ireland (US$112), and the United States (US$106). The Philippines is placed 37th in the ranking (US$30).

In 2021 In the Philippines, the most frequently chosen gift is food on delivery. Hongkongese men usually choose Valentine’s Day cards, while women choose clothes. In Australia, men give mostly flowers on Valentine’s Day and receive electronics from women.

Methodology

This report is based on results of a survey among over 11,000 people from 38 selected countries where Valentine’s Day is celebrated. For currency conversion, we used the average exchange rate for January 2021.

Public Use

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