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Valentine's Day. It's More Fun In The Philippines. In Scotland, they celebrate Valentine’s Day through a match-making festival. In Britain, everyone is expected to give candies and fruits to children singing sweet songs. In South Africa, they observe it through Lupercalia (a Roman tradition of pinning the names of lovers on each others’ sleeves). In Japan, women prepare chocolates for the important men in their lives. What makes this day unique and more fun in the Philippines? Valentine Jam. It’s More Fun In The Philippines. 
Filipinos are very passionate when it comes to music. We love singing our hearts out while listening to our favorite records. And what else could make this even more awesome than seeing the artist you love performing right before your very eyes --- while you are holding hands, sitting/standing/dancing/jumping/shouting/jamming with your dearest one? February is a concert season in the Philippines. The conventional Valentine’s date = concert concept just wins over every out-of-the-box date idea there is. So, as early as December, promotions of next year’s Valentine performances by foreign and local acts begin in radio and television shows, as well as in social networking sites. The country has been a popular leg for the world tour of international music artists coming from different genres. From the likes of ballad performer, David Pomeranz, to jazz artist, Patti Austin, to pop musical groups, the Philippines has enjoyed its share of world-class entertainment. Among those that are set to conquer Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds in Pasay and other popular concert venues this February are rock band, Evanescence, singer-songwriters, Taylor Dayne and Edwin McCain, heavy metal band, Lamb of God, rock icon, Bryan Adams, and pop princess, Avril Lavigne. Of course, local artists are also into the trend. The concerts of Regine Velasquez, Martin Nievera, Sarah Geronimo and Ogie Alcasid are always being looked forward to by OPM-struck couples. This year, mark your calendars for another set of great performances by young artists like Aiza Seguerra, Duncan Ramos, Yeng Constantino, Christian Baustista and Karylle, as well as OPM icons like Rico J. Puno, Basil Valdez and The Company. Estimated Shell Out: Php500 – Php5,000 (depending on the artists) Valentine Kiss. It’s More Fun In The Philippines. 
If your vision of an ideal date is spending your precious time being surrounded by a lot of couples (mostly you don’t know) and being a part the Guinness Book of Records people, then Lovapalooza is the right dating venue for you. Lovapalooza, an event sponsored by a toothpaste-manufacturing company, started in 2004, and has since become an annual Valentine’s season event in the country. The organizers of this annual celebration invite thousands of couples to contribute in claiming the record, Most Number of Simultaneously Kissing Couples. And while waiting for the right time to do the lip-locking, couples also get to enjoy appearances and performances by celebrities, parlor games and other fun and surprises prepared by the organizers. Estimated Shell Out: Free Valentines at Schools. It’s More Fun In The Philippines. 
During Valentine’s season in the Philippines, high school teachers and university professors are not anymore surprised when their classes are suddenly interrupted by either a messenger under cupid’s costume or a bunch of singing students in red shirt. Every year, right after the Christmas and New Year’s break, school organizations excitedly prepare for activities that will help them generate funds while spreading fun in the campus. Two of the most popular Valentine’s season activities are the love gram and harana (serenade) services. In spite of the dominance of instant messaging systems, nothing still beats the drama and romantic effect of writing down your honest feelings on a small piece of paper then having it delivered to that special someone through the love gram services. After all, messages in actual writing are better keepsakes than electronic ones, right? A popular Filipino band once asked, “Uso pa ba ang harana?” (Is serenade still within the trend?) For the students availing of the harana services during Valentine’s season, serenade will never be out of fashion. And how could it be ditched when this method has been proven effective in sweeping a girl off her feet? Estimated Shell Out: Php5 - Php20 (love gram); Php50 – Php200 (harana services) Valentine Movie Date. It’s More Fun In The Philippines. 
Watching movies is a typical part of regular couples’ itinerary for Valentine’s Day. No matter in which country we are, lovers entering movie houses projecting mushy love stories should be a familiar sight. However, what makes this activity different in the Philippines is how it is viewed as a measure for the box office success of two of the biggest local film production companies, Star Cinema and GMA Films. Every year, the said companies release their Valentine’s Day movie offerings, of course featuring the mood of the season --- romance. Couples line up in movie theaters to watch the said films, to enjoy, compare and critique them, thus creating a notion of an unofficial romantic film festival in the country during this season. This year, Star Cinema already announced its Valentine’s Day offering titled, “Unofficially Yours” featuring top stars John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin. GMA Films, on the other hand, is yet to announce its ace. Estimated Shell Out: Php150 – Php200
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