Valentine’s Day on February 14 is traditionally celebrated by going out to restaurants, date spots, and vacation destinations.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has, however, restricted movements outside the home and so the ever-resourceful Pinoy is called upon to find alternative ways to celebrate love in the time of coronavirus.
Because the family that watches films, takes virtual tours, cooks, and sends love gifts together – stays together. GoodNewsPilipinas.com shares this list of ways to celebrate love not just with your special someone but with your family as you stay safe together at home.
1. BINGE-WATCH FILIPINO FILMS
First on the list is to binge-watch classic, award-winning, blockbuster, and new Filipino films on online streaming platforms such as Netflix, iWant TV, and KTX.
Check out some of the Filipino films to watch on NETFLIX:
NETFLIX Original Films:
Alter me
Cast: Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Enchong Dee
Synopsis: An HR manager seeks out the guidance of a charming male escort to learn how to form a connection with people, eventually altering her personality.
Finding Agnes
Cast: Sue Ramirez and Jelson Bay
Synopsis: On an emotional journey in Morocco, an entrepreneur pieces together the turbulent life of his estranged mother and meets her adopted daughter.
ABS-CBN Films:
Alone/Together
Cast: Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil
Synopsis: A romance film that follows the love story of two people who cross paths again eight years after they first met during their college years.
Isa Pa With Feelings
Cast: Maine Mendoza and Carlo Aquino
Synopsis: A romantic comedy that follows the story of a young deaf man who teaches a girl basic sign language.
One More Try
Cast: Angel Locsin, Angelica Panganiban, Dingdong Dantes and Zanjoe Marudo
Synopsis: A romance drama that follows the story of a single mom who is forced to reconnect with her son’s biological father to save the boy from a worsening rare blood condition.
My Amnesia Girl
Cast: Tony Gonzaga, John Lloyd Cruz
Synopsis: A romantic comedy that follows the story of a guy trying to repair his past mistakes to a girl who claims she has amnesia after an accident.
Three Words to Forever
Cast: Richard Gomez, Sharon Cuneta, and Kathryn Bernardo
Synopsis: After 25 years, a married couple puts up a pretense of happiness but is secretly planning to separate.
First Love
Cast: Aga Muhlach and Bea Alonzo
Synopsis: A romance film that follows the story of a reserved businessman who meets an impulsive photographer who challenges him to savor every moment of his life before it is too late.
Unexpectedly Yours
Cast: Sharon Cuneta, Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto, and Robin Padilla
Synopsis: A romantic comedy film about 2 former high school friends who find each other unexpectedly 30 years later, not only as organizers of their high school reunion but also as new neighbors.
Fantastica
Cast: Vice Ganda, Bela Padilla, Richard Gutierrez, Jaclyn Jose, and Dingdong Dantes
Synopsis: A comedy/fantasy film about a proprietor of a struggling carnival who must help a prince find three lost princesses.
Internationally recognized and award-winning Filipino films:
Pinoy Sunday
Pinoy Sunday is a comedy film starring Bayani Agbayani and Jeffrey Quizon. The movie tells the adventures of Filipino immigrants in Taiwan with a story that starts from a discarded red couch. The movie bagged the Best New Director award for Wi Ding Ho at the 47th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan and was hailed as Best Picture at the Comedy Cluj Festival in Romania in 2010.
Sunod
Sunod was an official movie entry at the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival. Directed by Carlo Ledesma, this horror movie won the festival’s major awards such as Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and was hailed as the 3rd Best Picture.
Lola Igna
The heartwarming and award-winning film, Lola Igna, tells the story of an elderly woman who has the chance to nab the world record for being the oldest living grandmother.
Untrue
The thriller-drama film UnTrue tells the story of a Pinay who met a mysterious man in Georgia in Central Europe. Actress Cristine Reyes bagged the Best Actress award at the 40th edition of the Porto International Film Festival for her portrayal of the lead character Mara.
Pamilya Ordinaryo
Pamilya Ordinaryo is one of the most successful Filipino indie films. In the 2016 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, the movie bagged major awards including Best Film, Best Director (for Eduardo Roy, Jr.), Best Actress (for lead star Hasmine Kilip), Best Editing, as well as the NETPAC Award. The movie tells the story of a teenage couple who make a living in Manila as pickpockets and who lose their one-month-old child. It snagged several awards from local and international film festivals.
Lumpia With A Vengeance
The Filipino-American movie “Lumpia With A Vengeance”, the sequel to the 2003 cult classic, has won the Audience Award at the 2020 Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) – giving Fil-Am films back-to-back wins in the Honolulu-based film fest.
Yellow Rose
“Yellow Rose”, the musical drama film about Filipino immigrants in the USA starring Broadway stars Lea Salonga and Eva Noblezada, and Filipino actress Princess Punzalan is finally screening in the Philippines after making the rounds of festivals and theaters around the world. Watch Yellow Rose on the streaming sites KTX.ph and iWant TFC, and the Cignal PPV and Sky Cable PPV.
Tagpuan
“Tagpuan”, the film starring Iza Calzado, Alfred Vargas, and Shaina Magdayao from Ricky Lee’s screenplay, won the Best Feature Film award at the 6th Chauri Chaura International Film Festival in India.
Tagpuan tells the story of Allan (Alfred Vargas) and his wife Agnes (Iza Calzado) who have been separated and meet again after 5 years in New York City. The couple tries to get back together again but, a past relationship with Tanya (Shaina Magdayao) haunts Allan. The storytelling takes the viewer from New York to Hong Kong and Manila as it touches on the Overseas Filipino Workers and migrants’ diaspora.
2. HAVE A VIRTUAL TOUR
There are some areas and provinces in the Philippines which are still under strict community quarantine and therefore no domestic flights, with limited international flights, and public transportation is not allowed.
No worries! The Intramuros Administration offers its free virtual tour of Intramuros via the virtual reality app, Google Arts & Culture app that can be downloaded on a gadget or viewed on its official website. The app was made to bring famous artworks and galleries to wherever a user is with the touch of a button.
Tourists can still go to some of the internationally recognized and award-winning, popular Philippine destinations. Just don’t forget to wear your face mask and face shield, sanitize your hands, and observe physical social distancing. Besides, the Philippines has obtained the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), granting approval of the country as a trusted global destination that follows strict health and hygiene protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the full list of opened tourist spots, travelers can view it via DOT’s travel website: https://philippines.travel/safetrip
3. WRITE OR SEND LOVE LETTERS
PHLPost offers gift and flower deliveries and issued its Valentine’s Day postage stamps bearing the theme, “Far but not apart”, an ode to relationships over distance brought on by the coronavirus pandemic that limited face to face activities and gatherings.
You can send your gifts or use these stamps to send love letters to your loved ones to tell them you are celebrating with them even over the distance.
4. COOK TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
Cooking together as a family is another way for families to bond, work, and share good memories together. It is also a way to discover one’s talent in cooking and learn more recipes.
You can follow cooking instructions for special recipes by Judy Ann Santos and Erwan Heusaff.
TELL US in the comments below, how are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
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