‘Self-love matters’: For these stars, Valentine’s Day not just for couples

‘Babawiin’ cast

Sure, it would be nice to have a special someone to spend Valentine’s Day with. But for some celebrities, the occasion isn’t only for couples, but for anyone who wants to celebrate love—whether it be for family, friends or simply for one’s self.

“You don’t really need to have a partner; the day is for everyone. You can choose to take time for yourself, play video games, do the things you enjoy,” Dave Bornea told the Inquirer in a recent virtual conference for GMA 7’s new afternoon drama series, “Babawiin Ko ang Lahat,” which airs on Feb. 22.

“I’m not too stressed about not having a partner. I’m happy with my life, family and friends… Every day is full of love anyway,” added the actor, who just plans to go on a video call with his family in Cebu on Valentine’s Day.

Liezel Lopez

Costar Liezel Lopez echoed his sentiments. “You can just celebrate it on your own. Go hear Mass, treat yourself, or do whatever you want, because self-love matters,” the actress said. Therese Malvar jested that, for her and her friends, Valentine’s Day will be “Single Awareness Day.”

“It’s not just for those in a relationship. My friends and I plan to send each other chocolates, so we can really feel it’s Valentine’s Day,” she said, laughing. “We will be chatting via Zoom, pretending that we’re not single! Bonding kami. It’s a day full of love, so we will give that to each other.”

Pauline Mendoza

Though Pauline Mendoza and Kristoffer Martin have respective romantic partners, the two Kapuso talents make sure to make their families feel loved, too.

“Whatever holiday it is, I spend it with my family and friends. You can do that if you don’t have a special someone. Or play with your dog! As long as you feel the love, that’s it!” she said as she showed one of her two fur babies on camera.

The actress, who’s dating Alaminos, Pangasinan’s 23-year-old mayor, Bryan Celeste, is still unsure what Feb. 14 will be like for her. “I’m not sure if I will be able to see Mayor Bry and celebrate with him. But I hope we can. For now, the plan is to stay at home and have simple dinner or lunch. We will follow the protocols.”

Kristoffer didn’t go into details about his upcoming date and just let on that he will be with “someone” he “loves.”

“We will go somewhere and I know that we’re going to be really happy. I will be spending the day with a person that makes me feel loved. I want to make her feel like a priority,” he related. “Before this, I used to just celebrate it with my family”

Manolo Pedrosa

Manolo Pedrosa, meanwhile, jokingly pretended he was oblivious to the topic. “Valentine’s Day? What’s that? When’s that?” he said, drawing laughter from his costars. “I won’t pay attention to all those hugot on social media… I’m just going to wait for the vaccine,” he jested. “I will spend it just like any other day and enjoy my freedom!”

Sef Cadayona and Andre Paras of the new game show “Game of the Gens” (Sundays on GMA News TV) will be busy with work. “Honestly, Andre and I just plan to spend the day watching our pilot episode,” Sef said.

“[Prior to the pandemic], if you’re single, you can go out on a gimik by yourself. But now, I will just probably stay at home…. We can’t really go out because we have work and there are protocols to follow,” he added. “But I’m happy where I am now.”

Andre is thankful that despite being single, because projects are coming in. “I was shown my schedule, and we will be really busy in the coming days, doing guest appearances. So even though I’m single, I have work to keep me occupied. I’m happy,” he said.